Fremd beats Hersey for 21st Mid-Suburban League championship

Fremd came into Wednesday's Mid-Suburban League girls basketball championship as the most dominating team in the history of the showcase event with 20 wins and 4 losses since it started in 1974.

The host Vikings added to that mystique with victory No. 21, the 10th under current hall of fame coach Dave Yates, who took over in the 2006-07 season.

Led by Utah recruit Ella Todd (game-high 21 points) and Portland pledge Brynn Eshoo, the Mid-Suburban West champs (24-6) led nearly start to finish in a 58-49 triumph for their second straight title and fourth in six years.

"It's important for us," said Eshoo, whose first 8 points of the final quarter were very important, pushing the Vikings' advantage to 48-41 after leading by only 3 after three quarters. "Our coach has created such a great program."

Yates followed in the footsteps of 30-year hall of fame coach Carol Plodzien, who went 11 of 11 in the title game.

"It's been our goal (winning the MSL title) since the start of the season," Todd added. "But this is just one victory. Now the postseason is starting and we are just focusing on our next game."

Yates liked what he saw in Wednesday's game.

"It was really a great, competitive game," he said. "'I hate to say it, but it was good for us to be in this environment where we were forced to make plays. I told the kids it's been a while since we ve been in that situation."

Fremd took its biggest lead at 24-13 when Eshoo hit from 10 feet midway through the second quarter. Hersey drew to within 26-25 on two free throws by Kristin Wentling late in the half before Todd's layup with 4 seconds gave Fremd a 28-25 lead at the break."

After Eshoo's string of 8 points got Fremd the 7-point lead early in the third quarter, back-to-back 3-pointers by Grace Grabowy cut it to 50-47 with 3:31 left .

But Fremd outscored the Huskies 8-2 the rest of the way, ignited by a big driving layup by Isabelle Zavilla to make it 52-47 with 2:10 left.

Ellie Thompson added 9 points for Fremd, while Greta Thompson had 6. Coco Urlacher had her usual strong all-around game with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

"Hersey was really scrappy the whole game," Todd said. "It was a fast game and we were just kind of telling ourselves to stay together and play as a team."

Todd and the Vikings defeated Hersey by 31 points last Nov. 28.

Huskies coach Courtney Ludois was Yates' assistant the last nine seasons.

"It's a testament to what she has done," Yates said. "She took a group of kids who barely played last season and got them to the championship game, so hats off to her."

Grabowy hit four 3-pointers to lead Hersey with 12 points while Annika Manthy and Wentling each had 10. Freshman Sadie Marks had 7 and sophomore Kate Donovan added 6.

"Grace (Grabowy) had some huge 3s," Ludois said. "I don't know how many points Ella (Todd) had but I thought Kiki Craft did a great job on her. Kate (Donovan) was a one-man press breaker and I think everyone did a lot of good things."

"I still love those (Fremd) girls," Ludois said. “It's hard to play against them when you know them so well, but it's really fun to be on the other side playing against them in a MSL title game with basically a brand new team. We are really proud of that."

And Ludois felt it was a new team from that one that lost 62-31 to Fremd.

"This was a completely different team than that one," she said. "It's not even close to being the same team. We came out and battled and I'm just so proud of our kids."

And the Fremd players were proud of their former assistant coach.

"We love her," Todd said. "We gave her hugs before the game. Then you get on the court and you are competitive, but afterward we still love her as a person."

Ludois loved how her team competed.

"Obviously, we wanted to win," said Ludois, whose Huskies (20-9) had won nine straight games. "But I'm very proud of what's to come and the work we've done so far."