Geneva's off and running again
Area girls basketball teams who thought this was the year they might finally clear the Geneva hurdle against a Vikings team with a new coach and one returning starter might have to wait a little longer.
Geneva is off to a 5-0 start under first-year coach Sarah Meadows capped by a 55-52 win over defending Class 3A state champion Montini on Saturday to win Geneva's 24th annual Thanksgiving Tournament.
That one returning starter, Ashley Santos, capped her MVP performance at the tournament with 24 points against Montini and said she's enjoying the leadership role as a senior that was held in recent seasons by the likes of Taylor Whitley, Lauren Wicinski and Kat Yelle.
"Everyone is stepping up when we need them to," Santos said. "Everyone is getting along. Our chemistry is there on and off the court. It is very evident."
Rachel Hinchman and Sami Pawlak also made the all-tournament team. Both played key roles off the bench for last year's 25-7 Geneva team and look comfortable shouldering a bigger load this year.
"Sami is a beast and then you have KG (Kelly Gordon) who comes in and is not very tall but she plays like she's tall," Meadows said. "She's physical. Our kids work hard. They are outworking kids. That's one of our cheers is outwork and they are doing a nice job of that."
Pawlak said the transition to Meadows has gone well because players know her so well from her previous years as Geneva's sophomore coach.
"She wants to win," Pawlak said. "She is very competitive and she knows how to do it. Any play or problem we have she has an answer to."
Gordon isn't the only bench player that has given Geneva a lift. Meadows was especially pleased with their play in another early-season marquee win over Morgan Park.
"It's (the tournament title) huge," Meadows said. "It's a confidence-builder for us. The best part is Morgan Park our bench played so well. If some of our top kids don't play or are in foul trouble we have kids who can step up and that's going to be huge for us. To win this tournament will go really far for us. The expectations are up here (Meadows raised her hand up high) and we rose and we filled them and we just have to stay there."
Busy Bulldogs: Batavia gets going on a 3-game in 4-day stretch Wednesday night when the Bulldogs kick off Upstate Eight Conference River Division play at St. Charles North.
Batavia follows that by coming home Thursday to play St. Edward and playing at home again Saturday against St. Charles East.
That's nothing to how much basketball Batavia played in a two-day stretch at Morton last weekend. Batavia got in four games in two days, playing a pair of doubleheaders Friday and Saturday.
Batavia split the four games, beating Freeport 62-57 and Moline 41-39 and losing to Normal 42-39 and in the only game of the four that wasn't close, 61-36 to Morton.
Sophomore Liza Fruendt hit double figures all four games with 22, 11, 14 and 15 points for the 3-2 Bulldogs.