Scouting the Class 4A Jacobs sectional
Lori Drumtra and Kyle McCaughn have common goals for their girls basketball teams - to not rest on what's been accomplished but to strive for more.
Drumtra's St. Charles East squad and McCaughn's Crystal Lake South team will match up Monday at 8 p.m. in the second semifinal of the Class 4A Jacobs sectional, and it's uncharted waters for both the Saints and Gators. None of the current St. Charles East players were on the varsity the last time the Saints won a regional - 2006 - and most of the Gators were still in diapers when CLS last won a regional in 1993.
The Saints advanced to the round of 32 by beating rival St. Charles North 41-37 in overtime to win the South Elgin regional, while South pushed into the sectional with a 32-29 win over Jacobs in the South regional final.
"We've discussed that it's not all about just beating North," said Drumtra. "They have a great opportunity now to take it further. We've been encouraging them not to be satisfied and I think they all want to go further."
Said McCaughn: "We were very businesslike at practice (Saturday). Our girls know what's ahead of them and they know we need to be prepared for Monday. It comes quick. There was no celebrating (Saturday). We did that (Friday night) and they came (Saturday) ready to work."
The Gators (25-4), who have set a school record for wins, will have a decided size advantage over the Saints. South starts two 6-footers in senior Caitlin Mize and junior Jenny Hanrahan, and two 5-9 players who play bigger than that in juniors Michelle Gaede and Katie Burton. Defensive specialist Carly Juliano, a 5-6 senior, also appears to play bigger than 5-6 much of the time.
"They've got a lot of height and they're scrappy. They remind me a lot of South Elgin," said Drumtra, whose team beat South Elgin twice, including in a regional semifinal. "It isn't something we haven't seen before. I think it will be a good matchup."
While South has the size advantage, Drumtra is confident her guard-oriented offense can get the job done. With senior Natasha Lalos and juniors Lexi Baltes and Jaime Rust carrying much of the ball-handling duties, the Saints have rebounded from a somewhat disappointing 2-2 showing at the Wheaton North Christmas tournament, which included a 10-point loss to Jacobs, to go 8-7 since then and come into Monday's game 16-13.
"We had a chance to see them play St. Charles North and they're a very scrappy and talented team," said McCaughn of the Saints. "They can shoot the outside shot and they handle the ball very well. They pass well and they move well without the ball. We'll have to concentrate on taking away their dribble penetration."
Drumtra feels the battle of the glass will be a key to the game.
"Rebounding will be a key factor," she said. "We're a small lineup. Pretty much every team we play we're giving up inches. Our strengths are on the perimeter. We've got some really good athletes on the perimeter. Most teams only have one player who can handle the ball and I feel we have three."
The 6 p.m. game at Jacobs Monday pits Huntley (18-11) against Rockford Boylan (29-1), a team whose only loss this season is to Class 3A power Freeport.
"They're a very good team," said Huntley coach Steve Raethz of the Titans, who breezed through their regional with winning margins of 33 and 27 points. "They have a lot of offensive weapons and one of the keys will be limiting their conversion on fastbreak opportunities."
Huntley won the Woodstock regional by holding Prairie Ridge to 21 points in the semifinals and Hononegah to 34 in the title game.
"That's been our calling card so far this postseason," said Raethz of his team's defense. "I'm very pleased with our collective defensive effort so far."
Senior guard Megan Martinez sparks the defense for the Red Raiders, who are in their third straight sectional and first in Class 4A. Sophomores Kadie Lowery and Carly Goede can light it up from outside, while senior Allyson Stellmach and junior Hillary Johnson give the Raiders a threat inside.
The Titans, coached by Schaumburg grad Kim Connell, are led by returning senior starters Maria Luedke, Devin Mack, Kierra Valentine and Deborah Hilby, but also have four talented sophomores in Brea Edwards, Kelsey Cooling, Suzie Broski and Maloree Johnson.
Raethz said that while beating Boylan, ranked No. 6 in Class 4A, will be "no easy task," his team has set a goal to at least reach the sectional final. Huntley has been ousted in the sectional semifinals the past two years and has never played in a sectional final.
"We want our kids to get past this step and I believe our kids have a good mindset to do that," Raethz said.
The winner of the Jacobs sectional advances to the Elgin Community College supersectional hosted by Larkin and will play the winner of the Barrington sectional. Wheeling plays Hersey and Lake Zurich takes on Mundelein in the semifinals at Barrington.