By Xavier Sanchez
Correspondent
The box score does not always give the full story of a game.
Evergreen Park visited Hinsdale South on Feb. 16 with the hope of winning a regional championship.
Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the game did not go their way.
The Hornets jumped to an 18-3 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, going on to defeat Evergreen Park, 44-22, to win their first regional title in 22 years.
Along with the defeat ending the Mustangs’ season, it also marked the end of an era. It was the final game in the career of Evergreen Park coach Bruce Scaduto, endearingly referred to as “Scooty” by those who know him.
Scaduto has been coaching Mustangs since 1997. He coached the Evergreen Park boys basketball program to 164 wins from 1997 to 2010. That win total on is second in program history and only three wins shy of the most.
Scaduto did not want to stop coaching and knew the girls team would be seeking a new coach.
“With the boys, things got a little stale,” he says. “I said to myself, ‘Let’s try the other side.’”
The next season, he was on the girls’ bench. The following three seasons after that, the Mustangs won regional titles.
“I have enjoyed the girls probably more than the guys. The girls get a little more excited when they accomplish something. They really try to cheer each other on. They are more of a pleasure to be around.”
Anyone who has worked with Scaduto speaks highly of the coach.
“I have had the privilege and honor to work with Bruce in the EP basketball programs for 20 years, and his dedication and devotion to the programs was second to none,” said Evergreen Park Athletic Director Jim Soldan.
Mustangs players shared positive reflections on Scaduto following his final game, with junior forward Kyziah Lewis calling him “a great coach.”
.Added senior guard Taylor Yeaman, “This was the most close knit team out of all the years I played. It was just a super-fun season.”
Yeaman said two of her favorite memories of her years playing for Scaduto included beating rival programs Richards and Hillcrest in the same week, and traveling downstate for a game and overnight stay in a hotel.
“I enjoyed the away games, especially the ones that were one to two hours away where we got to spend even more time with the team,” she said.
The bonds created were bigger than the wins and losses.
“It was a good experience being a part of this team,” Yeaman added. “It was fun. It helped us connect better with our classmates and make a lot more memories.”
