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When asked about the 2006-07 Wildcat boys' basketball team, Chisago Lakes head coach Herb Jangor beams with pride.

"This is a great group of seniors," Jangor said. "They always conduct themselves with dignity, class and character. They have a great work ethic, on and off the court. They always gave it their best. Most years, my teams have worked hard. But this was a talented group that had to work for everything.

"Nothing came easy for us. It was one of those seasons when we had to make our own breaks. No matter what, they never gave up. Every one of them contributed to the team. Even the guys who didn't get in the game a lot brought something different and unique. They're special kids. They're not in it for themselves," Jangor added.

Jangor understands that teams, coaches and players are most often judged by the number of wins and losses they accumulate. But, the coach doesn't think about it that way. He defines his team's success in terms of how they play the game, not the number of wins.

"If we throw away the record, this was one of my most outstanding teams. They put us in a position where we could win eighty percent of our games. If you understand basketball, for these kids to put us in that position is really outstanding. These are class kids on and off the court," Jangor repeated.

Rewarding the players for their efforts on and off the court took center stage when team awards were announced at the team banquet Tuesday, March 27.

Academic Awards

North Suburban Academic Team Champions

Section 6AAA Academic Team Champions

State AAA Academic Team Champions

North Suburban

Conference Awards

Academic All-Conference Tyler Bouwens Scott Leigh Brian Jennissen Zach Sill Troy Aadland Joe Knafla Taylor Lindeman

All-Conference Josh Figini Zach Sill

Honorable Mention Chris Golv Tyler Bouwens

Team Awards

Mr. Defense

Chris Golv and Zach Sill

Play Maker Award

Tyler Bouwens

Big Cat Award

Justin Rivard and Troy Aadland

Most Improved

Joe Knafla and Josh Figini

Rookie of the Year

Josh Figini

Mr. Freethrow

Josh Figini

Mr. Academic

Josh Figini

Chairman of the Boards

Zach Sill

MVP

Zach Sill

6th Man Award

Brian Jennissen

Coach Award Chris Golv Tyler Bouwens Justin Rivard Scott Leigh Brian Jennissen Zach Sill Troy Aadland Joe Knafla Zach Hunter Taylor Lindeman

Next Year

Looking forward to the 2007-08 season, the coach said, "We have the potential to keep it going next year. There's no question that, if they play hard, play together and play smart, they should be a good group.

"If they come in hungry for success, they'll do well. If the junior and senior classes can mesh and realize that they need each other, they'll have success. Each class has things that compliment the other," Jangor concluded.

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