Now's the hard part for Neuqua Valley

Neuqua Valley finds itself in a familiar spot.

The Wildcats are 12-1 coming out of the holiday break, just like last year.

Just like last season, though, the schedule toughens considerably in January.

Starting with tonight's game at South Elgin, Neuqua plays a five-week run of opponents that includes Bartlett, Waubonsie (twice), Fenwick and Naperville Central. Then there are conference rematches with Metea Valley and Lake Park, who both gave the Wildcats difficult games in the first go-around.

A year ago, Neuqua was blown out by Benet in the first game out of the break, and went 8-7 over its last 15 games.

This team is a year older and a year wiser, though.

"I feel more comfortable this year because of our maturity," Neuqua coach Mike Williams said. "Our kids have been through it. They know what to expect and they look forward to the challenge."

Neuqua has played just one game, a rout of Rosary last week, since winning the Oswego Tournament Dec. 17. Williams didn't practice during much of that time off "to let the kids be kids" during the break but came back with a grueling workout Monday night.

"We turned the stove on full blast and got the heat going," he said. "We got hit pretty hard by Benet last year, and then we had to regroup. This team is looking forward to winning, and proving that they deserve to be ranked among the better teams around."

Montini's rotating posts:

Montini coach Jason Nichols has a luxury of future Division I depth in the post that most coaches would kill for, what with 6-foot senior Tianna Brown and 6-foot-4 juniors Diamond Thompson and Malayna Johnson.

Nichols, though, has steadfastly stuck with his one-post, four-out lineup that won the Broncos two state championships.

That leaves 32 minutes a game to divvy among three posts.

"It's definitely hard to manage," Nichols said. "Some people have said, 'Why don't you run a two-post offense?' We want to run, jump and trap and it's tough with three post players that aren't defensively oriented outside of the block area. I believe whole-heartedly in our four-out offense. We're going to do what's best for the team."

Brown, clearly Montini's best offensive option, is averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 15 minutes a game. Johnson and Thompson, much rawer offensively but greater shotblocking threats than Brown, play the other 17 minutes a game and have accounted for 6.9 points and 4.7 rebounds with 72 total blocks.

"When you add those three numbers, it's an all-state number," Nichols said.

Nichols admittedly will ride the "hot hand" between Thompson and Johnson as to who gets the call to sub for Brown. And with Montini's inconsistent youth on the perimeter, he will bump Brown's minutes up against tougher competition to maximize offensive production.

"Tianna is our best scorer. We gotta have her on the floor," Nichols said. "The reality is that Tianna plays more than the other two because she's offensively gifted. When you have young kids like we do, you need Tianna on the floor."

Benet's unsung heroes:

Everybody knows that Benet boasts some of the better guards in the area, from the Prasse sisters to Madeline Eilers.

Don't forget about that other set of sisters.

Twin seniors Nicole and Taylor Valentine have been just as crucial to the Redwings' run of eight straight wins. Nicole usually guards the opponent's best perimeter player, and at Benet's Holiday tournament she chased around talents the likes of Geneva's Ashley Santos and Wheaton Warrenville South's Meghan Waldron. Taylor also stands just 5-8 but usually must dig in against a team's top post threat.

The Valentines also combine for more than 9 rebounds a game. Benet coach Peter Paul noted that Taylor Valentine has also greatly improved her free-throw shooting.

"They do a lot of the dirty work for us," Paul said. "They pride themselves in playing good defense. The hidden strength of a team, you gotta have someone in there like them. I think they've found their niche."

Donahue 1,000 points and counting:

Naperville Central's Emma Donahue became the 10th girl in program history to score 1,000 varsity points in December. She sits in ninth place all-time.

Donahue has struggled to get touches and points at times this year, but she seemed to find her groove last week.

The Drake recruit scored 17 points in a big win over Prospect at the Dundee-Crown Charger Classic, then had 24 in a double-overtime loss to Mother McAuley in the consolation final.

"She definitely stepped up her play a notch from earlier in the year, which I thought was already pretty good," Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. "She's playing with a little more authority. Even with her teammates, she's demanding the ball more."

There lies the rub about good high school post players; unlike a good guard, their production can't always hinge on their own play. They need guards to get them the ball.

"Post players don't always have their hand on the throttle. It takes her and her teammates," Nussbaum said. "Emma's always had a nice shooting touch. She can be pretty tough to stop when she gets the ball."