Chappetto, Flaherty pushed right buttons

Though they had different degrees of success, the Richards Bulldogs and Mount Carmel Caravan basketball teams can reflect fondly on the 2007-08 season.

From the first day of practice, Richards was expected to be among the area's elite teams. Coach John Chappetto's Bulldogs returned three starters from a regional championship squad and had the pieces in place for a potentially dominant group.

Just how dominant was a mystery in November, but when March Madness concluded Saturday, Richards was the Class 4A state champion.

While Mount Carmel can't boast of a state championship this year, coach Mike Flaherty has the Caravan well positioned for a run to glory in the very near future. The Caravan won 22 games and had a remarkable playoff run that saw Flaherty's team eliminate powerhouses St. Ignatius, Farragut, De La Salle and Whitney Young before falling to Evanston in the supersectional.

There's no denying the impact the 37-year-old Chappetto and 24-year veteran Flaherty had on their respective teams this season. That's why they will share the 2007-08 Beggars Pizza/Pepsi/SouthtownStar Coach of the Year honor.

"This means a lot to me," said Chappetto, whose Bulldogs edged Zion-Benton 67-63 Saturday in the 4A title game.

"There are a lot of coaches like me who work hard every day. To be recognized means a lot, and to share this with a coach like Mike Flaherty, who is regarded as one of the best in the state, feels really good."

Chappetto, who graduated from Brother Rice in 1988, succeeded current Richards athletic director Ken Styler as head coach six years ago. Chappetto always claimed he would retire if he ever won a state championship. So after guiding the Bulldogs to a 30-win, championship season, is he prepared to call it a career?

"I can't retire now," Chappetto said. "I'm too young. Plus, I want to coach my son [Charlie]. He's only 6, and I want to coach him here at Richards. He's going to be a Bulldog."

Chappetto began his coaching odyssey as an assistant for Jack Fitzgerald at Richards in 1994 and would follow a path through Tom O'Malley at Evergreen Park High School and Saint Xavier University, and one season under Styler.

Chappetto had kind words for each.

"They are all knowledgeable basketball men," Chappetto said. "I learned a lot from each one, not only on the court but off of it. They're great guys. I stay in contact with 'Fitz' and coach O'Malley. I see 'Sty' every day at school. A little bit of this honor goes to them."

Richards' season started with a championship at the Community High School District 218 Thanksgiving Tournament and, other than a few minor missteps during the regular season, proceeded full-steam ahead to Peoria.

The Bulldogs nearly fell victim to Eisenhower in the first game of the postseason, but rallied to win and keep their season alive. That close call proved to be a valuable learning experience.

"These kids were really focused," Chappetto said. "That game against Eisenhower really showed the kids that you can't take any team lightly. This was a special group of kids who really played well together."

So with the loss of four starters, can Richards be expected to repeat as state champion?

"We're going to try and maintain this level," said Chappetto, who has guided the Bulldogs to three straight regional championships. "Going back-to-back is asking a lot. But we're going to try and be as good as possible. We have some good young kids in the program, and we have [Shaun] Pratl back for another season."

All one needs to know about Flaherty is this: In 22 years at Thornridge, the Falcons finished below .500 only once. Since his departure two years ago, Thornridge has recorded consecutive 7-19 seasons. But Thornridge's loss is Mount Carmel's gain.

"It's nice to get some recognition, but that's not why I got into coaching," Flaherty said of the Coach of the Year distinction. "I'm happy for the kids who are in the program when they were winning eight games. Especially the seniors who got a chance to go out this year and get some notoriety. We're never going to eclipse what the football program has accomplished, but it's nice to establish the basketball program."

Flaherty did keep an eye on the Bulldogs and was impressed with the way Chappetto's team performed.

"They were outstanding," Flaherty said. "The biggest thing, they seemed to get better each game of the tournament. They struggled a little that first game [Eisenhower], but after that, they were unbeatable."

Mount Carmel nearly proved unbeatable during the postseason, devouring a potentially wicked slate of opponents. The Caravan needed just one more win - -against Evanston -- to advance to the Final Four in Peoria.

"It was a great run that I don't think many people expected us to accomplish," Flaherty said. "For whatever reason, our shots just didn't fall against Evanston. We were 8-of-23 from the free-throw line."

After such a long run with a high-profile basketball power at Thornridge, one might expect the transition to Mount Carmel to take some adjusting. But Flaherty, a 1969 graduate of St. Rita, didn't find the transition from public to private school difficult at all. Maybe it was because he began his coaching career at a private school -- the now-shuttered Mendel Catholic.

"There's really no difference in the public-vs.-private thing when it comes to the kids," he said. "If the expectations are reasonable, all kids are generally willing to work hard."

Since Flaherty's been at this for more than three decades, Caravan supporters are somewhat nervous he might not be in this for long. But he has no plans on retiring full-time.

"I really enjoy coaching and being around kids," Flaherty said. "I'm a part-time teacher here. My schedule allows me to get out of school early, which has been nice. I don't have to take my work home with me anymore.

"I just grade papers at school. I think we're going to have a very good team next year. I think the talent has always been here, but the focus wasn't always there."