Must-see: Timothy Christian junior Jordyn Strube. She caught the attention of conference foes last season when she emerged as one of the Trojans’ go-to options on offense as a sophomore. This year she should be the main attraction for Timothy Christian and one of the top players in the Metro Suburban. “She’s going to have herself quite a season,” said Ridgewood coach Amanda Nolan, who is entering her sixth season at the helm. “She’s all-encompassing as far as skill and court leadership. She has great vision on the court and she really pushes the ball into the paint and isn’t afraid to drive and make contact with players to score.” Jordyn’s mom, Michele, is the Trojans head coach. She also is bullish on her daughter’s potential this season. “Jordyn is my leader of the team,” Michele Strube said in an email. “She is strong, she is aggressive and loves to score.”
Beyond the box score: Ridgewood will look to utilize its quickness and athleticism to frustrate opponents. Nolan said the Rebels pride themselves on being a well-conditioned team. Thus, it is fitting that they play an up-tempo style and a harassing brand of defense. “Teams know to expect the trap defense from us,” Nolan said. “Our girls are really quick and they’re very scrappy. We’re trying to be in our best shape possible on our first conference game against Guerin (on Nov. 28). We just know we’re going to run the floor and teams are going to be tired against us.”
#ThrowbackThursday: Last season, Ridgewood and Timothy Christian matched up in a compelling conference clash, which resulted in a 59-54 overtime victory by Timothy Christian on Jan. 24 in Elmhurst. Despite the loss, Nolan said it was one of Ridgewood’s better games of the season. “We fought hard, but unfortunately the score didn’t reflect our effort,” Nolan said. “It was just a fun game. We really enjoyed playing them. They play the game right, they coach the game right and the girls respect one another at the end of the game.” Ridgewood, which was swept by Timothy Christian in two meetings last season, will look to find some redemption when the two teams meet on Dec. 7 in Elmhurst and Jan. 23 in Norridge.
On the rise: Despite winning just three games last season and going 1-11 in the conference, Elmwood Park found some momentum at the tail end of the 2016-17 season. The Tigers won their final two regular season games, defeating Ridgewood 47-29 and beating Fenton 42-40 on senior night. Elmwood Park faced Regina in the opening round of Class 3A regional tournament. The Tigers lost to the Panthers by 13 at the beginning of the season. In the rematch, Elmwood Park took Regina down to the wire before falling 48-43 in the regional quarterfinals. Elmwood Park returns the bulk of last year’s roster, which has coach Kelly Guilde optimistic about this year. “We only lost one senior in Analise Hernandez, which is a big loss,” Guilde said. “But the rest are returning. So hopefully we can kind of roll with that game (against Regina) and how we finished the season and just keep going into this year.”
Oh Captain! My Captain!: Elmwood Park got some bad news before the season: Senior captain Sam Garcia injured her knee playing indoor soccer. The extent of Garcia’s injury was not yet known at press time, but Guilde said Garcia would likely miss at least the first month of the season. Garcia was the Tigers’ leading scorer last season, so Guilde will be looking to junior center Kersten Brayton, sophomore guard Samantha Brayton and junior guard Emmie Larson to fill the void. “It’s definitely a big loss if we lose her for the year,” Guilde said. “She’s a leader and our top scorer and top rebounder, so we’ll be looking at some younger girls to step up for us this year.”
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This and that: IC Catholic coach Kelsey James took her team to St. Joseph, Mich., in late July for a mix of fun and competition to cap summer workouts. IC Catholic scrimmaged against St. Joseph High School in the morning and then headed to nearby Lake Michigan afterward for a beach day. “That was our team-bonding experience,” James said. “I think the girls really enjoyed that. It was a chance for them to relax a little bit and just enjoy the time.” … IC Catholic reached the regional finals in Class 3A a year ago. Playing in Class 2A, Guerin also reached the regional finals in 2017.
Brett Christie is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press