Hersey's Rogowski sisters happy together

At the time, it appeared a midsummer knee injury would greatly lessen the chances of a successful girls basketball season for Hersey.

Three-year starter Kelly Rogowski underwent surgery on July 28 in Chicago and it seemed improbable that she and her sister Megan would be leading the Huskies offense like they did a year earlier.

Lo and behold, Kelly made it back for the Huskies' second game of the season and the Rogowskis have been helping lead the way ever since.

"I was stunned," said the girls' mother, Judy. "I thought Kelly's high school career was over. I thought she'd be lucky to get back by the second half of the season. But she proved us wrong with a wonderful doctor, a great physical therapist and hard work."

The Rogowski sisters are two of the hardest workers Hersey's Mary Fendley has coached in her 11 seasons.

"I've had some really good sisters who have played on the same teams," Fendley said. "But I know I wouldn't trade the Rogowskis for anyone. They're a great pair."

Last year, they led in every offensive category. They're doing just about the same this winter.

Megan is averaging 18.0 points with 62 3-pointers, 61 assists, 55 steals and 121 rebounds. She is shooting a team-high 83,1 percent (69-of-83) from the free throw line.

Kelly is averaging 11.8 points with 81 assists, 45 steals and 76 rebounds. She is second on the team with her 76 percent free throw percentage (57-of-75).

"Kelly is absolutely up there with the best leaders we've had," the coach said. "Ironically, it's almost like she is a big sister to everyone on our team. She stays after practice to work. She is always so supportive and positive. I've never had a better leader."

Kelly Rogowski: With her younger sister Megan and father Casey always in the basketball mode, Kelly found herself eventually following right along.

"I actually wanted to go into gymnastics," Kelly said. "But my dad thought I was going to get taller so I quit. I was mad at the time."

But soon, Kelly found a new passion in basketball.

She'd go to the park and play with her father and Megan. They'd play 1-on-1 games in the driveway.

At St. Emily's, Kelly played on the seventh and eighth grades that made it to the championships of the Northwest Suburban Catholic.

By the time she got to Hersey, Fendley put her in the Huskies backcourt as a freshman.

Rogowski proved she belonged for the next three years and couldn't wait for her senior year.

"Playing with Mr. (Derril) Kipp's travel team in the summer made me so much better," Kelly said. "He taught me the importance of not turning the ball over. I got to play with a lot of major Division I players and that makes you so much better."

However, it was playing with her AAU team when the knee injury occurred and threatened her final high school season to play with her sister.

But with her marvelous work ethic, Kelly rehabbed her way all the way back in less than four months.

Coincidentally, Kelly's father Casey suffered the same injury going into his senior year of basketball at Lane Tech.

But without advanced medical procedures of today, Casey never got a chance to play his final year.

Kelly, on the other hand, is grateful she has had the chance to enjoy her final season with Megan.

"I'm together with Megan all the time and that has made us a lot closer," she said. "She's just so fun to be around. And we know how each other plays on the court. We know when the other wants the ball.

"I love passing, I love getting the assists. Megan is more the scorer. When she gets on a roll, there's no stopping her."

Like the game against Mother McAuley last November when Megan hit five consecutive 3-pointers for a 15-0 Hersey run.

By the fifth one, even Kelly was in disbelief.

"I was saying 'no don't shoot it,'" she recalled. "And then she made it. Those things happen for her. When she's on a roll, she'll throw something up and it'll somehow go in."

Kelly is thinking of going to Loras College or Robert Morris and plans to study secondary education. She owns a 4.83 GPA, is a member of the foreign language honor society and has been an A honor roll student her entire life.

Megan Rogowski: Megan wears the same number (32) her father wore when he played for Lane Tech.

"He taught me everything about the game," Megan said. "He taught me the fish hook shot instead of the two-hand push shot which I used to do. Now I follow through with one hand and have backspin."

And defenders are often spinning around trying to stop her.

"I love to shoot," Megan said. "Everyone probably knows that."

They sure do. That's why defenses often game plan to slow down No. 32

And she always knows her coaches will be there for advice.

"Coach Fendley likes to talk to me individually and tell me what to do," Megan said. "The same with (assistant) coach (Julia) Barthel. And they'll give me hints on the person I'll be guarding."

There's not many hints to stopping Megan.

If she's not hitting from long distance, she makes a slashing move to the basket.

"Megan is so fun to watch," Fendley said. "She can find so many ways to score. She has some shots that you don't think she should take. And they still go in."

Fendley said the two sisters are both kind, sincere and intelligent.

"And they both have a great sense of humor," she added. "Megan might be a little more outspoken, while Kelly is a little lower keyed. Both can be very funny. And there's absolutely no jealousy between them. They are genuinely happy when the other scores."

And that happens quite often.