Huntley able to regroup nicely
It's never easy for a team coming off a record-setting season to keep its level of play the same.
But the Huntley girls basketball team hasn't skipped a beat.
The Red Raiders have opened the season 5-2 heading into tonight's Fox Valley Conference crossover matchup at Crystal Lake South.
"I've been real pleased with the way we've picked up our level of play, especially in the last few games," said ninth-year Huntley coach Steve Raethz, whose team set a school record by winning 25 games last year.
Huntley came away from the Waubonsie Valley Thanksgiving tournament 2-2 -- losing to undefeated Class 4A Waubonsie Valley and once-beaten Class 4A Conant -- but has won three straight since then. A big FVC crossover matchup against 6-1 Cary-Grove was iced out Tuesday and will be made up this coming Wednesday.
"We came away from there knowing what we had to work on," said Raethz, whose team will be Class 3A in the postseason. "We were put in some situations in that tournament that will help us down the road."
Huntley's two main threats so far have been 5-11 senior Katie Bergquist and 6-0 classmate Daisy Jara. Bergquist leads the team in scoring at 15.0 per game while Jara averages 8.1. She had a 13-point, 13-rebound double double last week in a 52-42 win over a Woodstock team that came in 7-1.
"Katie has been a real mainstay for us," said Raethz of Bergquist. "She's really developing more of a scorer's mentality. Last year she relied a lot on the 3-pointer. This year she's looking to find other ways to score.
"And Jara has done a real nice job in the post. You can't beat having the experience of three-year varsity starters."
Raethz also credited the contributions of players like Shannon Callahan, Allyson Stellmach, Hillary Johnson and Megan Martinez, among others, as being a key to the Red Raiders' success.
"Everyone has contributed," said Raethz, whose team will play in the expanded Mundelein Christmas tournament, which now has 16 teams.
Another good start: Dundee-Crown has also gotten off to a nice start to the season, going 6-2 heading into Thursday's nonconference game at Mundelein.
"We've won some games but I honestly think we can still play better," said Chargers coach Joe Komaromy, now just 5 wins shy of 450 for his 26-year old career. "I still think we can get back to the level that's been elusive for us the last couple of years."
D-C has been led this season by the return of senior Robyn Staudenmaier (12.9 ppg) from an ACL injury, the emergence of starting center Kate Pilson (11.0 ppg) and steady guard play from senior Kathleen Collingbourne (7.8 ppg).
But what Komaromy has been most pleased with is the total team effort. He lauded the efforts of players such as junior Melissa Summaria, sophomore Sierra Dunner, seniors Rachel Wilhelmi and Beth Nowicke and juniors Tori Scarpelli, Alex Lococo and Jill Gantz.
"They're all contributing and having a lot of depth like we do this year is a good problem to have," said Komaromy.
Komaromy figured on Staudenmaier and Collingbourne to carry the team scoring-wise but the emergence of Pilson as an offensive threat has enhanced the Chargers' scoring ability. She had 18 points in the team's win over Grayslake Central last week.
"Pilson has really worked hard," Komaromy said. "(Assistant coach Melissa) Tarrant has really taken her under her wing and worked hard with her and Pilson has really matured."
The Chargers play Grayslake North tonight and then take 12 days off prior to the 25th Charger Classic Christmas tournament, where they will meet one of the Mid-Suburban League's top teams in Prospect in the opening round on Dec. 26.
"Hopefully we can keep it going," Komaromy said. "We just take it one game at a time. We have to come to play every night. We've got a good group of 14 kids and they're all working hard."
Tournament season begins: The Christmas tournament season kicks off Saturday with Hampshire playing at the Harlem Christmas Classic and Burlington Central and Crystal Lake South playing two games each at the Woodstock/Richmond-Burton tournament.
Both those tournaments continue through next week and the Mundelein tournament, which includes Huntley, Cary-Grove, Streamwood and Prairie Ridge, starts next Saturday. All other tournaments involving area teams begin Dec. 26. The Daily Herald will preview all the area Christmas tournaments late next week.
Reskeds: Some of the games called off due to Tuesday's ice storm have been rescheduled. Cary-Grove will play at Huntley next Wednesday, South Elgin will host Glenbard East Jan. 29 and St. Edward will play at Immaculate Conception on Feb. 2 at 8:30 p.m. Also, the Grayslake Central at Cary-Grove game postponed on Dec. 1 will be played Jan. 19.