Pioneer Press previews the area girls basketball teams in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference at the start of the 2016-17 season.
RED DIVISION
Fenwick
Coach: Dave Power
2015-16 record: 10-21 (3-5 Girls Catholic Athletic), lost to Marshall in a Class 3A sectional semifinal
Backcourt: Fenwick’s run-and-gun offense will be fueled seniors Mackenzie Berschel and Chance Baggett along with talented sophomore Gianni Ortiz. The 5-foot-7 Berschel suffered a knee injury late last season, but Power is counting on her to be ready for the season. “We’ve always been real young at guard, but now we’re starting to have more veteran players, and that’s important,” Power said. “These girls have a good basketball IQ and come along with their skills and court awareness.”
Frontcourt: McKenzie Blaze, a junior forward, is the leading returning scorer from last season. All-conference performer Kate Moore is poised for a big season. Junior center Charlotte Quinn and forwards Kelly Carpenter and Margaret Planek round out a deep frontcourt that Power said should boost the Friars’ halfcourt sets. “I think we will do a better job of controlling the boards this year,” Power said.
Did you know: Power was handed a game ball during a boys home game for winning his 900th game last season. Power is only the second girls basketball coach in Illinois history to top the 900-win mark. He has 904 career wins.
Loyola
Coach: Jeremy Schoenecker
2015-16 record: 22-8, lost to Glenbrook South in a Class 4A regional final
Backcourt: Three-year starting senior guard Madison Kane is back. She’s one of the team’s on-court leaders, and she’s someone who understands what the coaches ask of players, according to Schoenecker. Also returning is sophomore guard Julia Martinez who played all 30 games as a freshman. “Obviously we’re young in certain areas, but I think we can still be really competitive as well,” Schoenecker said. “Patience is going to play a huge role in terms of some of the mistakes we were making before because we are so young.”
Frontcourt: Junior forward Lilly Wehman, who played on varsity as a freshman, is back this year after a torn ACL in her right knee kept her off the court last season. The Ramblers graduated Liz Satter, who averaged 17.0 points per game last season and is now a freshman forward at Pennsylvania. It’s going to take everyone pitching in to make up for some of that scoring, Schoenecker said. “I think it’s really going to be by committee,” Schoenecker said.
Did you know: When the girls are chosen for the team, all the seniors TP the houses of the players who made it. This year, that meant 17 houses got the toilet-paper treatment, plus signs placed on the lawns. “Something fun that our girls really enjoy doing,” Schoenecker said. “One of the cool things our team does.”
Trinity
Coach: Mike Valente
More Top Picks Bambu Lab A1 Mini
2015-16 record: 30-6 (7-1 Girls Catholic Athletic), defeated Young in Class 4A third-place game
Backcourt: Finding replacements for floor leader Annie McKenna would cripple most programs. At Trinity, junior Lauren Lee headlines a talented young backcourt. Seniors Sheahen Dowling and Emma Hayes are joined by freshman phenom Zyerra Stafford and junior Kelcie Leyden. “We’re young, but deep again,” coach Mike Valente said. “Lauren will be one of the top players in the state, and Zyerra is the next Division I player coming out of our program.”
Frontcourt: Junior center Alex Fanning, at 6-foot-2, is healthy after undergoing offseason ankle surgery. Senior Sinead Molloy can play multiple positions, and freshman Dayjah Chmielewski is a player to watch in the post. Sophomore Kelsey McCormack adds a defensive and offensive presence to the paint. “I think Alex will have a monster year,” Valente said. “Dayjah is going to be a rebounding machine. We’re going to be a lot bigger than last year, and that gives us different options offensively and defensively. We can clog the lanes.”
Did you know: Former Trinity standout Monica Albano, a 2009 graduate, is back after taking an assistant coaching position. Albano played collegiately at Loyola from 2009-13 and ranks among the school’s all-time leading scorers. “She’s been working with the kids and will make a huge difference with the kids, especially with our offense,” Valente said.
WHITE DIVISION
Regina
Coach: Bob Newton
2015-16: lost to Vernon Hills in a Class 3A regional semifinal
Backcourt: The Panthers have a pair of versatile guards in senior Colleen Palmer and junior Kelly French. Newton, the team’s new coach, said that both can shoot from the outside, distribute and play in the post when the situation calls for it. “They really are interchangeable,” Newton said. “They have very similar skill sets … (and) you can see that they really work well off of each other.”
Frontcourt: Newton will employ a committee approach to his frontcourt rotation and at the season’s outset he plans to utilize all 12 players on the roster, who will substitute in waves. But the constant in the frontcourt will be 5-foot-9 senior Regina Trejo. “She’ll roam the paint, block to block and high post,” Newton said. “She’s an excellent passer so she’s good to play an inside-out game, and she has a decent drive from the high post.”
Did you know: Newton was Regina’s head coach from 1990-98, then started the program and coached at Northside until 2006 before retiring. “I stayed in touch with Regina ever since, and when they needed a coach, they asked if I’d help them out,” Newton said. “I whipped a staff together and here we are.”
St. Joseph
Coach: Andrew Winston
2015-16 record: 20-14 (9-3 Girls Catholic Athletic), lost Class 2A third-place game to Camp Point Central-Augusta Southeastern
Backcourt: Davane Gross, a captain and starting point guard from last season’s Class 2A fourth-place team, returns along with shooting guard Maia Marshall to form one of the top backcourts in the GCAC. With a solid perimeter jumper, Kayla Green is slated to play heavy minutes to offset the graduation of Elise Estelle. “My backcourt is pretty much intact,” coach Andrew Winston said. “I feel good about my guards, but we’re small again. We will push the pace, change things a bit. We’re long and very athletic this year.”
Frontcourt: The Chargers no longer can lean on Amber Brooks to patrol the paint. Junior center Dana Johnson was limited to eight games last season due to an injury, but her toughness and size will boost the Chargers. Junior Takyra Jackson can provide back-to-the-basket play and is set to play a bigger role this season. “We’re hopeful that Dana is healthy the entire year, and that will help us,” Winston said.
Did you know: The Chargers have only three seniors on the roster, with the majority of the team filled with 10 juniors and two freshmen and two sophomores. Last year, the Chargers had only two seniors on their roster in advancing to the state tournament for the first time in school history.
Gary Larsen, Bob Narang and Heather Rule are freelance reporters for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press