Hinsdale C. coach: It's always about winning state
Over the course of every season, Hinsdale Central coach Steve Gross makes matter-of-fact references about how his team must improve to win the girls basketball state title.
"It's always about trying to win the state tournament," Gross said.
This season those references have taken on greater resonance as Hinsdale Central has put together its best season since winning the state title in 2002.
Led by the all-around play of sophomore guard Toni Kokenis and the inside strength of senior center Molly Kinsella, the Red Devils have ascended to a No. 1 ranking not only in the Daily Herald Top 20, but the Associated Press Class 4A poll, too.
"It's been a good one in terms of from a starting point to where we're at now, we've improved," Gross said of his team's season. "The one thing that happened earlier that I didn't anticipate is we were a little better defensively than I thought we'd be."
The Red Devils took a 26-1 record into Thursday's West Suburban Silver makeup contest at Glenbard West with their lone loss coming to Fenwick 52-35 in the Sweet Sixteen tourney Dec. 18 in Hinsdale. They'll rely on their trademark bump-and-grind man defense and a selfless spread offense as the state tourney starts next week with regionals.
The Red Devils have a tough road to navigate to reach Redbird Arena. They could have to beat three of the top 13 teams in Class 4A -- No. 7 Bolingbrook, No. 8 Fenwick and No. 13 Waubonsie Valley -- to reach the Final Four.
"It's not an easy path, but that's not necessarily the worst thing," said Gross, noting how his club used a challenging path as a springboard to the '02 title.
Hinsdale Central is the No. 1 seed in the Neuqua Valley sectional, followed by No. 2 Bolingbrook, which placed second in state last season, No. 3 Waubonsie Valley and No. 4 Wheaton Warrenville South.
Waubonsie Valley has relied on teamwork to overcome a string of injuries to go 23-2 and win the Upstate Eight Conference title.
Players such as Danielle Brown, Rachel Bostick, Brittany Upshaw and now again Jessica Morice, who's returned after a month layoff with an ankle injury, have taken turns scoring to keep the Warriors on the winning track through adversity that would have derailed many teams.
"The kids have done a great job," Waubonsie Valley coach Kris Kalivas said. "I think that they've gone into every game very confident, believing that they can win, and I think the nice thing that has happened is we've had a different kid either being leading scorer or kind of helping us be successful and gain that victory in the game.
"The kids have really come together and fought through the holes that we've had. Obviously, we had a deep bench going in, and fortunately enough those kids were able to step up into those starting roles."
Should Waubonsie Valley win its regional and knock off likely sectional semifinal opponent Bolingbrook, it could face a Hinsdale Central team that gave the Warriors both of their losses.
"I'm not saying anything isn't possible by any means," Kalivas said. "I think that the heart of this team and the goals that they've set at the beginning of the season continue to carry them."
The Warriors are 0-5 versus Hinsdale Central since the start of last season.
"Obviously, they're a very good group of kids and well coached," Kalivas said of the Red Devils. "They seem to throw a lot of teams off of their game, and I think they've been able to do that with us as well. Hopefully, we're able to get over that mental block if we are able to face them again."
Fresh off repeating as DuPage Valley Conference champions, WW South heads the Naperville Central regional. Senior forward Sarah Langlas sparks the team-oriented Tigers with her end-to-end play.
"I hope we meet (Naperville Central) in the finals," WW South coach Rob Kroehnke said. "That's the first step. We're ready to play. It'll be fun. I'd like to see how we match up with Hinsdale (Central in the sectional semifinals)."
The Neuqua Valley sectional winner will meet the Lake Park sectional champion in the NIU supersectional.
Defending big-school state champion Fenwick is the top seed at Lake Park, followed by Schaumburg, Proviso East and Conant.
In Class 3A Montini's on a collision course with Chicago Public League champion Hope, unanimously ranked No. 1 in the AP Class 3A poll.
"It's pretty basic," said Broncos coach Jason Nichols, whose club powered by sophomore center Michala Johnson is ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. "If we shoot well, control the defensive glass and do not turn the ball over, I think we can beat anybody."
Montini and Hope would meet in the Nazareth sectional final.
"I think this team can win that game," Nichols said. "I'm not saying that we will because they're pretty darn good, but this team can win that game. I believe that. That's a long way away though."
The Nazareth sectional champion will meet the winner of the Hillcrest sectional -- where the host Hawks are the No. 1 seed -- in the St. Xavier University supersectional.
Three-point launching Fenton is hosting a Class 3A regional. If the fifth-seeded Bison can get by No. 4 seed Elmwood Park, they'll likely run into top-seeded Marshall in the Trinity sectional semifinals.