Cary-Grove, Jacobs hope for all-FVC sectional final

Could an all-Fox Valley Conference girls basketball sectional final happen?

Well, it could, but it will take yeoman's efforts on the part of Cary-Grove and Jacobs to make it happen.

The Trojans and Golden Eagles are in opposite brackets in the Class 4A Hononegah sectional with Cary-Grove (26-3) opening the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Monday against the host Indians (25-6). On Tuesday, Jacobs (17-11) will take on Upstate Eight runner-up St. Charles North (21-5) at 7:30 p.m. and the winners will return Thursday for the right to advance to the Elgin Community College supersectional against the winner of the Mundelein sectional.

Cary-Grove vs. Hononegah: The Trojans have recorded their second-best wins in program history under second-year coach Rod Saffert, but now must beat a team that handed them one of their three losses, 51-36 back at the Dundee-Crown Thanksgiving tournament.

"They shoot 3s like mad and we need to contest those 3s," said Saffert of Hononegah. "This will be the biggest challenge we've had all year."

Hononegah has a new coach, as Tim Bukoski moved up from Stillman Valley, but the Indians' game plan hasn't changed from longtime coach Randy Weibel. It's called shoot, press, get turnovers, shoot some more. The Indians made 10 3-pointers in their regional title-game win over Rockford Boylan.

"We really haven't changed much that Randy did," Bukoski said. "We like to play 84 feet. We have a four-guard lineup and a 5-9 kid whose a slasher and dasher."

Senior cousins Whitney Carroll and Kelsey Carroll, along with senior Kate Young and 5-9 senior Courtney Shelton (NIU signee) have all registered between 30 and 40 3-pointers this season. Senior Chelsie Logan is the 5-9 post player and freshman Lindsay Carroll, Whitney's sister, comes off the bench to add to the 3-point barrage. Junior Natalie Johnson, a 5-8 forward starter who has been out several weeks with a broken finger, could return Monday, Bukoski said.

Bukoski looks at his team's Thanksgiving win over Cary-Grove as nothing more than a scouting report.

"Cary-Grove is a team that is big and likes to get up and down the floor," he said. "They're very physical. They like to take the ball to the hole and they like to run. They don't like to gun but they do like to run. They're a very solid team that plays great defense. They score a lot of points off their defense. We know what they're capable of. They haven't won 26 games by luck."

Bukoski feels there's more pressure on his team than the Trojans.

"There's a little more pressure on us since we beat them once and we're playing at home," he said. "We've got to hit our shots and stay out of foul trouble. We can't compete with their size inside. We'll take a track meet. We want to control the tempo"

With seven players on the roster 5-10 or taller, the Trojans, who are on a 15-game winning streak, do have a decided height advantage. Seniors Jamie Kuhl (6-2, 9.6 ppg), Danielle Smith (6-0, 12.3 ppg, 16 3-pointers), Breanna Smith (6-0), Jill Cole (5-10, 9.9 ppg), junior Tori Sandstrom (5-9) and freshman Claire Jakubicek (5-10) lead the Cary-Grove charge, which has also been bolstered by the return from injury of freshman point guard Meg Straumann.

"We're going up there to give them a run for their money," said Saffert. "We have to get the ball inside. They don't have anyone taller than 5-9. But Shelton is a heck of a player. Boylan keyed on her but the other four are so good, you have to guard them all. But they have to stop our five too. It's their court and that helps them tremendously but we're going to go out there and gave them a game and we expect to win."

Jacobs vs. St. Charles North: Jacobs coach Ed Haugens knows all about late-season runs, like the one his 2004 team go on all the way to the Elite Eight. But can the Golden Eagles do it again? Well, if they are to advance past Tuesday's semifinal with St. Charles North, they'll have to stop one of the best big players in the state in 6-4 junior Kelsey Smith (15.6 ppg, 61.8 percent shooter, 8.4 rpg).

"Kelsey Smith is a phenomenal post player," said Haugens. "They have great guards that can penetrate and hit the 3. On defense they basically put Smith in the middle and dare you to shoot. We've been working on the 3 but if that's not falling … we'll probably have some new adjustment for this game. We'll need to open up some outside shots."

While Smith stands 6-4, the Golden Eagles don't have a player on their roster taller than 5-9. But Jacobs is noted for being athletic and quick.

"They're aggressive and quick," said North Stars coach Katie Sauber. "They have quick guards who are a little bigger than us but we have great ballhandlers that can handle the pressure.

"What we're mostly expecting from Jacobs is a zone and our girls have been shooting great."

The North Stars won the Larkin regional, their first regional title in program history, by beating Larkin and then rival St. Charles East.

In addition to Smith, SCN relies on seniors Nika Sircher (5-8 guard, 5.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, 2.8 spg) and Caitlin Winkelman (5-6 guard, 5.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), junior Anna Conrad (5-6 guard, 7.6 ppg, 25 3-pointers, 3.8 apg) and sophomore Kiley Hackbarth (5-6 guard, 9.2 ppg, 27 3-pointers, 3.0 apg, 83.6 free throw percentage).

The Golden Eagles have been led offensively all season by 5-8 senior Markie Rahn, the only player on the team averaging in double figures at 15.6 ppg. Sophomore guard Maria Tamburino averages 8.6 per game. Haugens lauded the consistent all-around play of 5-7 senior Stephanie Leddy as well.

The Golden Eagles have won their last 5 games, including beating DeKalb and Rockford Auburn to win the Rockford Jefferson regional.

"A lot of it has been team chemistry," said Haugens, now 96-47 in his fifth year at Jacobs. "They're really starting to mesh. A lot of our youngsters have started to grow up and have gotten better. They're playing with more consistency."

Rahn and Leddy are the only two seniors on the Jacobs roster. Juniors Sam Votjsek, Keri Bultman, and KC Roller and sophomore Hailey Cnota have all contributed.

"We're starting to step up more and more," Haugens said. "Earlier in the year we relied too much on Markie but now we're getting some consistency."