No. 1 Montini could stand in Hampshire's postseason way
The most interesting change to the IHSA girls basketball postseason in the Fox Valley area will be in Class 3A.
Not only will a Class 3A sectional be hosted by Burlington Central, the defending state champs and top-ranked team in the state could be there.
Montini, which has rolled to an 8-0 start to the season, is in the BC sectional field and will play in the St. Francis regional, along with 9-0 Glenbard South.
Last year, Montini's route to the state title started out east as the Broncos were routed through the Nazareth sectional in LaGrange Park and the supersectional at Loyola University.
But this year Montini and St. Francis have been separated from that group, which was predominantly Chicago schools, and sent a western path. They will play in a regional that includes Kaneland and Wheaton Academy.
The move also will affect Hampshire, which is off to a 9-0 start after going 29-2 and reaching the sectional finals against Oswego last year. Oswego has moved up to Class 4A this year, which is one of the reasons for the changes.
"That's something I didn't see coming," said Hampshire coach Ed Haugens. "Considering where (Montini) is located and where we are, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me but I'm sure there was a reason."
The Whip-Purs will play in the Sycamore regional along with Burlington Central, Crystal Lake Central, Rochelle and the host Spartans. The other regionals that feed into the BC sectional are at Belvidere (Belvidere North, Freeport, Marengo and Rockford East are the other schools) and IMSA, which will entertain Aurora Central Catholic, Rosary, Sandwich and Yorkville.
The Grayslake Central sectional winner will meet the Burlington sectional champ in supersectional play, but no host has been determined for that Elite Eight game yet.
In Class 4A, there are few changes. Jacobs will host a sectional with most of the Fox Valley area teams, while Bartlett will go east again, to the York sectional, where the Hawks, currently 11-0, could meet up with Fenwick again. Fenwick ended Bartlett's season last year in the sectional finals.
Dundee-Crown, Rockford Boylan, St. Charles East and Huntley will host regionals that feed to the Jacobs sectional. The most intriguing matchup right now looks to be a rematch of Streamwood's overtime loss to Cary-Grove in last year's regional finals. They are each assigned to the Dundee-Crown regional along with D-C, Elgin and Larkin. Streamwood is currently 11-0 while Cary-Grove is 9-1. The two could also meet at some point in the Mundelein tournament, where they each won their opening round games Saturday.
The Jacobs sectional winner will play the Mundelein sectional winner in the Barrington supersectional. Libertyville and Stevenson are the top teams at Mundelein.
"I kind of figured it would go the same way again," said Streamwood coach George Rosner. "I really wasn't expecting any changes."
South Elgin is in the St. Charles East regional along with St. Charles North, Batavia and Geneva, while the Huntley regional field includes Jacobs, Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake South, DeKalb and McHenry.
Wheaton North, Trinity, Hoffman Estates, Proviso East and West Chicago are other top teams in the York sectional along with Bartlett and Fenwick.
The York sectional winner meets the Maine East sectional champ in a supersectional at a to be determined site. New Trier, Niles West and Loyola are the top squads at Maine East.
In Class 2A, all the action will be in Elgin as St. Edward hosts a regional that feeds into the Westminster Christian sectional. Included at St. Edward are Westminster Christian, Willows, Woodlands and St. Martin de Porres. The St. Edward winner will join regional winners from Francis Parker, Walther Lutheran and Timothy Christian at the Westminster sectional and that winner will go to the Willowbrook supersectional. Bishop McNamara, one of the top Class 2A teams in the state, will be the heavy favorite to win the Seneca sectional and advance to Willowbrook.
In Class 1A, Elgin Academy will play in the Mooseheart regional along with defending state champion Hinckley-Big Rock.