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Sports

Oak Forest's Johnson Happy to Play Small Part in a Big Production

Arthur Johnson answered the call in "biggest at-bat of my life" as Bengals topped Nazareth Academy in Class 3A state semifinal baseball game.

As Oak Forest junior Arthur Johnson stepped to the plate in the fourth inning with the bases loaded and the Bengals trailing Nazareth Academy 1-0, he knew it was the biggest at-bat so far in his young life.

Johnson coaxed a bases-loaded walk, which tied the Class 3A state semifinal baseball game 1-1. He knew the umpires were calling the zone tight.

“I figured anything close, you had to take and get on,” Johnson said. “With the bases loaded, we had to score.”

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Oak Forest would go on to score two more runs in the inning to take a 3-1 lead, which the Bengals would hold onto behind the pitching of Kyle Funkhouser. Oak Forest defeated Nazareth Academy in the Class 3A state semifinals 3-1 on Friday to move on to the state championship game at 11 a.m. today against Kaneland.

The Bengals have talent at the top of their lineup, headed by the likes of Funkhouser and seniors Bobby Sheppard and Tim Barry. But what really has made this team click has been other players coming into their own, especially this post-season.

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Johnson was just one example of this on Friday. Sophomore pinch-runner Jim Blake took advantage of a Nazareth wild pitch to score in the third run in the fourth inning. Junior Kyle Linares drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. (As a pitcher, Linares also has won three games for Oak Forest this post-season).

And the Bengals' defense was phenomenal Friday, as they turned three double plays. Double plays in the sixth and seventh innings erased Nazareth leadoff walks.

“Those double plays are absolutely momentum killers,” Oak Forest coach Thaddeus Gatton said. “And for us to roll three of them over is pretty impressive and a testament to our defense.”

For Funkhouser, his defense’s ability to turn the double play is huge for his mental approach.

“I have faith in our defense,” he said. “If I get a guy on, it’s really not a big deal because we can turn a double play at any time.”

Playing in the State Championship

Oak Forest will be playing in the state championship game today for the first time since 1985. That should make for some nervous high schoolers.

Gatton said his approach this weekend has been to keep his team loose.

“I think some of our young players are nervous, as well as our older players in this situation,” Gatton said. “But you know what, in general, I try to tell them, 'A ground ball in the state championship game is a ground ball against Joliet West when it was freezing three months ago.' ”

Barry, at the beginning of the season, he didn’t think this team would be playing in the state championship game. But his opinion turned.

“At first, no I didn’t; I didn’t think too much of it,” Barry said. “And then, as the season rolled by, I actually changed my mind on it and got the idea that we could actually win this thing.”

Sheppard said he’s just enjoying the ride.

“It’s just amazing," he said. “It wasn’t sinking in at first, but look at how many people we had here today. It’s just amazing, I’ll never forget this, ever.”

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