Geneva's postseason draw filled with challenges
The Geneva girls basketball team learned exactly what its road back to the state tournament will be when the IHSA released postseason pairings Friday.
The Vikings already knew they were in the St. Charles North regional. Now they know who they will play there, and also what the sectional matchups could be for whichever team prevails at St. Charles North.
Geneva opens play on Feb. 17 against either Batavia or South Elgin, who square off Feb. 15. In the other regional semifinal St. Charles North plays St. Charles East in a rematch of the North Stars' 33-21 win last Saturday.
The regional winner advances to the Huntley sectional. Two of the toughest sectional opponents for whomever wins the regional figure to be Rockford Boylan and Cary-Grove.
Boylan started this week ranked No. 7 in the state's Class 4A poll with a 19-1 record. Geneva sits No. 4 in the same ranking.
Cary-Grove brought a 19-2 record into this week and a No. 10 ranking in the Daily Herald Top 20. Geneva is second in that same poll behind Class 3A power Montini. If both Cary-Grove and Geneva win their regionals, they would meet in the sectional semifinals on Feb. 22.
The other sectional semifinal pits the winners of the Rockford Jefferson and McHenry regionals, where Rockford Boylan and Jacobs, respectively, are the No. 1 seeds.
The sectional final is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
The Huntley sectional winner faces the winner of a loaded Libertyville sectional at the Streamwood supersectional.
Wheeling, who defeated Geneva in last year's state third-place game at Illinois State, leads the way with the No. 1 seed.
No fewer than three of the top seven teams in the Daily Herald Top 20 are at that sectional: Wheeling (20-3 starting this week) is No. 3, Hersey (15-6) No. 4 and Libertyville (19-4) No. 7. There's also No. 11 Prospect and No. 14 Fremd.
Geneva finished fourth in Class 4A last year with a 32-2 record, the first time in school history the girls basketball team reached state. If the Vikings can navigate their way back there, a likely state semifinal opponent is defending Class 4A state champion and this year's No. 1 ranked (and nationally ranked) Bolingbrook.
The Vikings, who defeated Yorkville 55-13 Friday night to improve to 24-0 and run their regular season winning streak to 51 games, are led by Kat Yelle's 13.5 points per game and 12.6 from Lauren Wicinski.
Elsewhere in Class 4A, West Aurora (part of the Oswego East sectional) is hosting its own regional. The No. 12 seeded Blackhawks play No. 7 Oswego East on Feb. 16, with the winner likely facing No. 2 Waubonsie Valley.
In Class 3A, Rosary (18-5) is on a collision course - again - with Oswego. The Panthers, who came from behind to defeat Rosary back in Geneva's Thanksgiving tournament, are the No. 1 seed in the Yorkville regional, with Rosary at No. 2 and Aurora Central No. 3.
The winner of the Yorkville regional advances to the DeKalb sectional where they will face the Prairie Ridge regional winner.