Trinity coach Ed Stritzel is looking beyond a possible rematch with Young in a Class 4A sectional final.
“Our one and only goal is a state championship and getting to state,” Stritzel said. “The girls are on board.”
Junior guard Annie McKenna stood next to Stritzel Wednesday and nodded as the veteran coach reconfirmed the team’s goals after the Blazers defeated Lincoln Park 85-43 in the Lyons Regional semifinals.
Trinity (24-4) is scheduled to play 10th-seeded Fenwick (14-17) at 7 p.m. Friday in the regional final.
The Blazers are the No. 2 seed in the Young Sectional behind the top-seeded Dolphins. Trinity reached the sectional final last season behind then-senior Lauren Prochaska, who was the Pioneer Press Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Stritzel now is counting on the leadership of McKenna and junior forward Kaitlin Aylward.
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McKenna and Alyward are two of four captains for Trinity, along with senior Patricia Stritzel, Ed Stritzel’s daughter, and injured senior Christine Olijnyk.
McKenna and Aylward hope to prove their on-court leadership in the postseason. Trinity’s only regular senior on the court is Patricia Stritzel, who had six points against Lincoln Park. Trinity used five freshmen and three sophomores in the rout.
Regardless of the big gap in ages, Aylward said she feels this is the closest Trinity team she has been a part of.
“We have to make sure when we are leading the team that the freshmen know what plays (we are running),” Aylward said. “If we don’t do that, we are not going to get where we want to be.”
The junior duo delivered in Trinty’s playoff opener. Aylward scored 13 of her game-high 21 points in the second half. McKenna had 15 of her 20 points in the first half, with three 3-pointers.
“It’s always a work in progress,” McKenna said. “I felt they needed us to show more leadership this year. Kaitlin, Patricia and I lead on the floor as best as we can do.”
Trinity lost the last two times it’s played Young. The Dolphins won 58-45 in last year’s sectional final, then beat Trinity 60-49 on Jan. 31 in Chicago.
Aylward had one of her best games last season against Young, when she scored 14 points and had four 3-pointers.
“I’ve been looking forward to the playoffs so much. It’s like a dream,” Aylward said. “I hope we can go as far as possible.”
Twitter @geomwilcox