Leyden’s Herrera sets new school mark for consecutive free throws

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Leyden's Alex Herrera knocks down a three-pointer, during the Eagles' game against Downers Grove South on Friday. Herrera set a school record for most consecutive free throws made. | Vincent D. Johnson~for Sun-Times Media.

Updated: February 20, 2012 8:34AM

Leyden boys basketball coach Bill Heisler knows firsthand what it’s like to be a high school player with outstanding shooting skills.

As a senior at Warsaw High School in 1997, Heisler’s ability to shoot resulted in a 36-point effort during a win in the IHSA Class A state championship game.

Yet even Heisler is impressed with what he’s witnessed from Eagles’ senior guard Alex Herrera at the free-throw line this season.

When Herrera made good on all five of his attempts from the foul line in Leyden’s 40-38 win over Hinsdale South on Dec. 10, he broke the oldest remaining Leyden boys basketball individual record: Jim Rodgers’ mark of 30 consecutive free throws, set in 1961.

Herrera finished the game against Hinsdale South with his streak sitting at 33 in a row, and then made his only attempt at the line in Friday’s loss to Downers Grove South, running it to 34 straight.

“Alex spends a ton of time in the gym,” Heisler said. “It’s a matter of technique, confidence and repetition. He just has so much confidence when he steps to the line, and we have a ton of confidence in him. We want him to have the ball in crunch time because we know he’s going to make his free throws when he gets fouled.”

Herrera knew he was closing in on the record before the Hinsdale South game, but had no idea he set a new mark until after the fact.

“I knew what the record was, but I wasn’t keeping track during the game,” he said. “I had a feeling I was going to break it because I do feel confident when I go to the line.”

Herrera said he sometimes feels pressure at the foul line, especially late in a close game.

“I try to stay calm and just concentrate,” he said. “I just relax and feel like I’m never going to miss.”

Heisler said Herrera’s claim that he feels as though he’s never going to miss a free throw is not a comment made out of arrogance.

“Alex is just a great kid,” Heisler said. “The other players just love him because of how he is. He is confident at the line, and that’s what you want. Our other guys love to see him going to the line because they all feel it’s automatic.”

Herrera’s marksmanship at the foul line this season shouldn’t come as a surprise. As a junior, he made 62 of 67 (92.6 percent). Through Friday’s game against Downers South, he had converted 64 of 72 (88.9 percent) in 2011-12.

Jack Gregg has been keeping statistics for Leyden boys basketball since February 1952. He was there when Rodgers set the record for consecutive successful free throws in ’60, and when Herrera set the new standard Jan. 10.

“Things are a lot different than they were 51 years ago when Jim Rodgers set the free-throw mark,” Gregg said. “Officials called a lot more fouls back then; it wasn’t uncommon for each team to have 18 to 20. Obviously, both Rodgers and Herrera mastered the art of free throwing.”