Girls basketball: Lake County sectional preview
Girls basketball Sectional previews
Mundelein sectional
Lake Zurich regional: Feb 12: play-in: St. Viator (12) vs. Hersey (18), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 13: semifinals: Wheeling (2) vs. winner St. Viator-Hersey, 6 p.m., Lake Zurich vs. Lake Forest (10), 8 p.m., Feb 15: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Stevenson regional: Feb 11: play-ins: Stevenson (13) vs. Barrington (20), 6 p.m.; Highland Park (12) vs. Rolling Meadows (21), 8 p.m.; Feb 12: semifinals; Grant (4) vs. winner Stevenson-Barrington, 6 p.m., Mundelein vs. winner Highland Park-Rolling Meadows, 8 p.m., Feb. 14: Championship , 7:30 p.m.
Warren regional: Feb 11: play-in: Libertyville (14) vs. Palatine (19), 7:30 p.m. Feb 12: semifinals: Warren (3) vs. winner Libertyville-Palatine, 6 p.m., Waukegan (6) vs. Carmel (11), 8 p.m.; Feb. 14: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Buffalo Grove regional: Feb 11: play-in: Zion-Benton (16) vs. Deerfield (17), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: semi-finals: Buffalo Grove vs. winner Zion-Benton-Deerfield, 6 p.m., Round Lake (7) vs. Fremd (9), 8 p.m.; Feb 14: championship , 7:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Maggie Mocchi, Allison Mocchi, Ellen Ayoub (Buffalo Grove); Lana Rukavina, Janelle Cannon, Ashley Wilson (Wheeling); Sarah Boothe, Lory Shaw, Shana Shepherd (Warren); Jamie Swanson, Heather Ruetsche, Tori Ziegler (Grant); Peggie Parhas, Olivia Allen (Lake Zurich); Samantha Panitch, J.J. Sawchuk, Kelsey O'Connor (Mundelein); Tiffany Hendrickson, Erin Glogovsky (Carmel); Labrenthia Murdock, Amber Phillips, Brittany Kucia (Round Lake); Dani Videka, Taylor Glassman (Fremd); Jenny Muench, Susan Hohenadel (St. Viator); Sarah Stoltzner, Kelly Rogowski, Megan Rogowski (Hersey); Katie MacFabe (Palatine); Samantha Beach (Barrington); Alexa Bennett, Maddy Urban (Rolling Meadows)
Summary: Wheeling (24-3), Buffalo Grove (27-3) and Warren (24-2) have been state-ranked most of the season and are the teams to beat. BG has won eight sectionals and supersectionals under Hall of Fame coach Tom Dineen (671 career wins), whose Bison have made it to the state quarterfinals the past two years and won the Class AA state crown in 2000. Wheeling, which made it to the Mid-Suburban League championship game for the first time, has never won a sectional, but coach Shelly Wiegel has directed the Wildcats to four straight seasons of at least 20 wins, including 28-4 two years ago. This season, the Wildcats and Bison split during MSL play. Wheeling defeated Warren 47-44 for the championship of the Blue Devils Christmas tourney. Rukavina, who is an Illinois recruit, did not play against Warren because she was in Croatia on a vacation. Like Rukavina, Purdue-bound Wilson, a junior, also scored 1,000 points in her Wheeling career. Maggie and Allison Mocchi and Ayoub have also scored 1,000 points for BG while 6-foot-4 Stanford-bound Boothe has done likewise for Warren, which lost the last two years to BG in the Loyola supersectional. This year's sectional winner will advance to the Elgin Community College supersectional to meet the winner of the Rockton Hononegah sectional. Fremd will be entering the state tourney on a roll, having won nine of its last 10, including a victory over one-time state-ranked Schaumburg, which is now listed among those receiving votes in Class 4A. The Vikings also stopped Central Suburban North champ Maine West over Christmas. Fremd is young with three underclassmen starting, just like Hersey, which also starts a trio of underclassmen, including the Rogowski sisters, Megan and Kelly, who were named to the Season's End all-tourney team earlier this week. Frend draws Round Lake (21-5), which is having its best season in years. The flashy Murdock leads the Panthers in scoring, while the 6-foot Phillips provides an inside presence. Kucia has developed into a leader who hit the 3 and do a lot of other things well. Urban of Rolling Meadows was another Season's End all-tourney selection. The Mustangs also feature Bennett, whose 42 3-pointers rank among the area's best.
Lake Park sectional
Willowbrook regional: Feb 11: play-in: Willowbrook (13) vs. Addison Trail (19), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: Proviso East (4) vs. winner of Willowbrook-Addison Trail 7:30 p.m.; Feb 13: Lake Park (6) vs. Glenbard East (11), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 15: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Fenwick regional: Feb, 11: Proviso West (16) vs. Glenbard North (17), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: Fenwick (1) vs. winner of Proviso West-Glenbard North, 7:30 p.m.; Feb 13: Wheaton North (8) vs. Oak Park River Forest (9), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 15: Championship ,7:30 p.m.
Conant regional: Feb 11: Glenbard East (14) vs. West Chicago (20), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: Conant (4) vs. winner Glenbard West-West Chicago, 6 p.m. Hoffman Estates (5) vs. York (12), 8 p.m.; Feb 14: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Bartlett regional: Feb 11: Bartlett (15) vs. Morton (18), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: Schaumburg (2) vs. winner of Bartlett-Morton, 6 p.m., Batavia (7) vs. Geneva (10), 8 p.m.; Feb 14: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Players to watch: Kaitlin Payne, Tricia Liston (Fenwick); Ariana Zades, Michelle Rawleigh, Lisa Parisi (Conant); Kylie Castans, Gabrielle Blackwell, Drewann Pancratz (Schaumburg); Megan Fischer, Carol King (Hoffman Estates); Erica Spear (Addison Trail), Michelle Scandora, Allie Cerone (Wheaton North); Courtney Owens (York); Kelsey Taylor (Glenbard East); Samantha Arnold (Lake Park); Colette Williams (Willowbrook)
Summary: Schaumburg (24-4) and Fenwick (23-5) are the top two seeds. Both have been state-ranked this season and the Friars came away with a 76-50 victory over the Saxons at the Sweet 16 tourney at Lake Zurich High School. But both teams will be more concerned about getting to the title game. The Saxons will open against Bartlett or Morton while Fenwick takes on the winner of Proviso West and Glenbard North. Friars coach Dave Power was the head man at Proviso West when he first started as a varsity coach and has since won state crowns at Immaculate Heart of Mary and Fenwick. Saxons coach Bill Murmann, who took St. Viator to its only sectional title five years ago, has directed the Saxons to four straight 20-win seasons, including its first Mid-Suburban League divisional title since 1998. The Saxons were West co-champions with Conant, which earned its first divisional crown since 1998. Coach Dan Travers' Cougars are 21-6. In his first season at Hoffman Estates after serving as the head coach at Prospect for 11 seasons, Mike Nocella has guided the Hawks to their finest record since the early 1990s. The Hawks (20-7) started out 0-5 in the MSL West then won four of their next five, including wins over Schaumburg and Fremd. Megan Fischer is one of the top scorers in the area (18 ppg). The winner of this sectional advances to the Northern Illinois supersectional to face the winner of the Neuqua Valley sectional, whose top seeds are Hinsdale Central, Bolingbrook, Waubonsie Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South.
Maine South sectional:
Niles North regional: Feb 11: Niles North (15) vs. Mather (17), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 13: Loyola (1) vs. winner of Niles North-Mather, 6 p.m., New Trier (8) vs. Prospect (9), 8 p.m.; Feb. 15: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Glenbrook South regional: Feb 11: Leyden (16) vs. Taft (19), 7:30 p.m.; Feb; 12: Resurrection (3) vs. Leyden-Taft, 6 p.m., Glenbrook South (6) vs. Glenbrook North (11), 8 p.m.; Feb 14: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Maine West regional: Feb 11: Maine East (14) vs. Steinmetz (20), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 12: Maine West (4) vs. Maine East-Steinmetz, 6 p.m.; Evanston (5) vs. Niles West (12); 8 p.m.; Feb 14: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Northside regional: Feb 11: Northside (13) vs. Roosevelt (18), 7:30 p.m.; Feb 13: Von Stueben (2) vs. winner of Northside-Roosevelt, 6 p.m., Maine South (7) vs. Elk Grove (10), 8 p.m.; Feb 15: Championship, 7:30 p.m.
Player to watch: Michelle Tourtillott, Karen Solari (Maine South); Ashley Capotosto (Elk Grove); Brittany Begrowicz, Mary Kusner, Colleen Vana, Erin Baumstark (Maine West); Megan Murray (Prospect); Deanna Ortiz (Resurrection); Ashley Thomas; Atanga McCormick (Loyola)
Summary: Maine West coach Derril Kipp, who has won 10 sectional titles in 27 seasons, sees this sectional as wide open. The Hall of Fame coach with 671 triumphs believes any of the top teams can beat anyone on any given night. His Warriors, champs of the Central Suburban North, have stopped CSL South leaders Glenbrook South, New Trier, Maine South and Evanston this season and are shooting for a perfect 10-0 league campaign tonight when they visit Maine East. Last year, the Warriors won the sectional final over Schaumburg, before falling to Sterling 61-47 in the Northern Illinois supersectional. Prospect is 15-11 under first-year coach Martha Kelly, who guided the Knights to third place in the MSL East with a 6-4 record. Their only division losses were to state-ranked Wheeling and Buffalo Grove. Coach Jim Wills' Elk Grove Grenadiers were fourth behind the Knights in the East and feature one of the area's top scorers, Ashley Capotosto (20.5 ppg). Loyola coach Tanya Johnson has a talented team that includes Wisconsin recruit Thomas and Air Force-bound McCormick. Johnson and Kipp (1988) have won Class AA state crowns. The winner of this sectional advances to the Loyola supersectional to face the champion of the St. Ignatius sectional, whose top seeds are Whitney Young, Mother McAuley, Bogan and St. Ignatius.
-- John Leusch