[quote]By Drew Danko
Online Editor
Photos by Drew Danko and Leana Goldman (MV Yearbook)[/quote]

Coach Bob Vozza and the boys’ basketball team celebrated much more than just a win Friday night, as the 75-48 home win over over rival Waubonsie Valley marked Vozza’s 100th program win.

“I am proud of the accomplishment, it is a testament to the players who helped start the program and the players who have been a part of it in our seven years of existence.  They have done a great job of buying into what the coaches have asked and worked to the best of their ability,” Vozza said.

The win was truly a team effort, with eight players seeing the court by halftime and 12 players scoring by the end of the game. The Mustangs held a comfortable 33-17 lead at the half, but this game was dictated by persistent defense, managing 12 steals in the game.  

The program has won two regional championships in 2012 and 2015. Vozza has helped build the foundation for the successful program, now in its seventh season. “We are very proud of what all teams here have accomplished.  Every season brings new challenges and our players have put themselves in a great position to be successful each year with their commitment to the program and their hard work,” Vozza added.

Vozza began his coaching career in District 204 at Waubonsie Valley, where he coached the Blue team that would open up Neuqua Valley the following year. Vozza coached at Neuqua Valley for 12 years, until he received the job to be the head varsity coach at Metea Valley when the school opened in 2009.

Vozza and his fellow coaches have instilled a goal of hard work in the program to help make members better players and leaders in the community. “Our goal is to get better each day individually and as a team. If we do that we feel successful as coaches,” Vozza said.

Senior forward Ben Jones appreciates Vozza’s coaching style and is proud to be a part of the team to accomplish the 100th win. “He’s a very team-oriented coach that works hard to get us all working together every practice. It’s exciting to help him achieve one of his accomplishments; we know he’ll have a lot more wins in the future,” Jones said.

Senior guard Matt Helwig also agrees that Vozza has been a positive head coach for the program. “He’s a very passionate coach and puts people in the right position to succeed,” Helwig said. “It feels pretty cool to be on the team who won the 100th game in the short history of the program, but it’s just one of the many milestones that we’ve accomplished, and there are many more to come.”

Like Vozza, both Jones and Helwig emphasized the program’s room for growth and persistence to continue to grow as a team. The Mustangs are currently 6-7 overall and 2-3 in the DuPage Valley conference.