Girls' basketball midterm report
Bam -and just like that, we're halfway through another girls basketball season.
Which gives us cause to shake off the cobwebs of a college football New Year's Day - by the way, Happy New Year everyone! - and put together a midseason report card of sorts on the Fox Valley area's girls basketball teams, along with some other thoughts on the just completed holiday tournament season (Yes, fans, it's finally over).
We won't dub this a best to worst order, let's just say it goes from the most successful so far to those still seeking to improve.
Crystal Lake South (13-2): The Gators are the hottest team in the Fox Valley, despite the fact they haven't played in nearly two weeks. South enters 2009 on a 10-game winning streak, the last four of those coming in the way-too-long and way-too-confusing Northern Illinois Holiday Classic. While the Gators' scheduled may be somewhat suspect, they are 13-2 and playing well. The addition of retired Dundee-Crown coach Joe Komaromy to the staff has brought some offensive variety and CL South is thriving right now around a balanced offense and a defense that has allowed more than 50 points just three times this season. Key dates ahead include a Jan. 17 game against Bartlett, followed by back-to-back road games against Cary-Grove and Jacobs to open the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division schedule.
Jacobs (12-5): The Golden Eagles were on a pretty good roll, having finished second at the Harlem tournament and then knocking off seeded teams St. Charles East and Glenbrook South at the Wheaton North tournament. But then losses to Waubonsie Valley in the semifinals and Hersey in the third place game brough Jacobs back to earth. Still, the Eagles have shown to be an athletic team that opponents have to prepare well to play against. Jacobs jumps right into a tough schedule with a road game at Johnsburg Jan. 10. Johnsburg is coming off an impressive fifth-place finish at the Dundee-Crown tournament and has one of the best sophomores around in guard Melissa Dixon.
Hampshire (10-2): The Whip-Purs are also coming off a long layoff today when they play at Oregon in a Big Northern crossover. Hampshire was on a good roll through the Harlem tournament when the Whips were upended by Jacobs in the semifinals, but make no mistake, Hampshire is the clear favorite in the Big Northern East and it's a safe bet coach Sue Ellett will have her troops ready for a run through the Class 3A postseason.
Cary-Grove (11-4): The Trojans, like several area teams, had a nice roll going through the Mundelein tournament with three straight wins when they were derailed in their final two games by tough squads from Hoffman Estates and Libertyville. After a nonconference game with Buffalo Grove on Jan. 8 and one last FVC crossover with Crystal Lake Central, the Trojans jump into FVC Valley play, where they expect to fight it out with Crystal Lake South and Jacobs for the title.
St. Edward (11-5): It almost sounds like a broken record but St. Edward was another team that had visions of a tournament championship floating through its heads after winning its first two games at the Lisle tournament. But losses to Newark and Wheaton Academy left coach Michelle Dawson's club knowing it must get more offensive help for senior standout Katie Yohn to get back on the winning track. Tough Suburban Catholic Conference tests await next week at 14-2 Montini and then home against 12-3 Rosary.
South Elgin (9-6): The Storm had a strong fifth-place finish at the Oswego East tournament, falling to Oak Park-River Forest in the second round but coming back to beat Addison Trail and Oswego East. But South Elgin's best win of the season -and maybe the best in its still short history -came on Dec. 20. After losing to Oak Park at Oswego in the morning, South Elgin came home to pull off a 75-71 Upstate Eight Conference upset over previously unbeaten Waubonsie Valley that night.
Bartlett (6-7): What started out so promising for Bartlett turned a little sour at Dundee-Crown. The Hawks played well enough in all four of their games at D-C but only came away with one win, that over Fremd in the opening round. They then suffered losses to New Trier, Johnsburg and Buffalo Grove by an average of 7 points each. Yes, they're close, but not quite there yet. The Hawks' next three games are at home -today against East Aurora then next week against York and St. Charles East -and are all winnable.
Huntley (7-7): The Red Raiders have been on a rollercoaster of sorts, having not won or lost more than 3 in a row all season. They went 2-3 at the Mundelein tournament but did finish with a 54-53 win over a decent Waukegan team. Huntley certainly expects to contend in the FVC Fox Division, so look for key games at Grayslake Central on Jan. 16 and at Johnsburg Jan. 27 to determine if they're going to be in the race.
Elgin (3-10): The Maroons were riding high after beating Larkin on Dec. 6 but they've lost 6 straight since, including four in a row at the Wheaton North tournament. After a 46-44 loss to Lyons in the opener, Elgin suffered defeats by 14, 11 and 14 points respectively. Elgin has three games next week -home with St. Charles North and Streamwood and then at Waubonsie Valley.
Dundee-Crown (2-13): The Chargers had a rough go of it at their own tournament, going 0-4, but did play a quality game in a 44-43 loss to Maine West. D-C returns to action next week at McHenry and at Grayslake Central.
Streamwood (2-11): The Sabres had high hopes coming into the Mundelein tournament on a 2-game winning streak but they went 0-5 over Christmas. They play at Neuqua Valley today.
Larkin (2-11): The Royals were 1-3 at the Oswego East tournament but did finish with a win, knocking off Plainfield East 55-32. They'll return to action next week at Lake Park.
Others: Elgin Academy and Westminster Christian didn't play in holiday tournaments this season. The Hilltoppers return to Independent School League action next week against Chicago Latin while Westminster is at Timothy Christian in the Private School League.
Christmas tidbits: The Dundee-Crown Charger Classic will be a one on, one off, three on next year. The tournament will open Saturday, Dec. 26, take Sunday off, then resume Dec. 28-30. All 16 teams in this year's field have indicated they wish to return.
And the best still is: Dundee-Crown. OK, so Hillcrest, and maybe even Wheaton North, can claim they were pretty even on the competitive scale this year, but that's this year. Year in and year out there is no better tournament than Dundee-Crown. And to put an end to whatever rumors remain, there are no plans to pull the plug on the Charger Classic, not now and not in the near future. D-C athletic director Dick Storm, "retired" D-C coach Joe Komaromy and their crew are to be commended again for running the best high school tournament in the state, bar none. From A to Z, these guys do it right and always have.
Speaking of Coach K: Komaromy may have sounded like a broken record at times if you hung around him long enough at D-C this year. Retried from teaching and coaching, Coach K still ran the tournament this year like he has for 26 years now. Everyone would come up to him and ask, "So, Joe, how's retirement?" Joe would just laugh and say something like, "I don't know how I ever did all this when I was teaching and coaching. I'm busier now than ever." Komaromy and his family will make a mid-January trip to Alaska to see son Scott, a former Daily Herald Athlete of the Year, and his wife, Lindsey, who just gave birth to the couple's first child, Jackson Scott. It's also Joe and Kathy Komaromy's first grandchild and Kathy was happily displaying photos to many at the D-C final Tuesday night.