Grayslake North’s Peyton Gerdes closed out a difficult week with a moment to remember.
After the Knights’ 71-32 loss to Deerfield on Jan. 31 and a 42-35 setback against Wauconda two days later, the junior forward etched her name in program history on Saturday.
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Gerdes scored 30 points, including her 559th of the season, during the Knights’ 69-52 Northern Lake County Conference win against Grant, breaking the program’s single-season record held by Kendall Detweiler.
The Knights (10-17, 4-8) are in the midst of another losing season, but Gerdes has remained positive.
“It’s a team effort,” she said. “We do everything we can together in practice … and I do whatever I can to encourage my teammates. I hope that next year it will get better.”
Gerdes has put up prolific numbers this season. She is averaging 20.6 points and 11.3 rebounds and recorded a triple-double with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocks during a 53-42 win against Antioch on Jan. 14. She surpassed 1,000 career points in the same game.
Grayslake North coach Roger Lass said he’s given Gerdes, a captain, more responsibility this season.
“We have moved her to the front of our press break so she can handle the ball more and pass over the press,” Lass said. “We have asked her to be more vocal in games and at practice since this is her third year in the program. She knows our system and expectations.”
Gerdes’ AAU team, the Wolverinas, is full of Division I recruits, notably Libertyville’s Emily Fisher (Maryland), Barrington’s Sophie Swanson (Purdue) and Hersey’s Katy Eidle (Michigan).
“The one thing about high school is I get to be a leader,” Gerdes said. “With the Wolverinas, there are so many top, top players on the team. I’m not much of a leader. But I’m excited for the AAU season. I love playing for the Wolverinas. We have such a great time and win all the time. It’s fun to win. I’m super excited to see what comes this spring.”
Gerdes, who has an offer from Indiana State, said she hopes her improved game leads to more offers this year. She’s become a strong pull-up shooter and can attack the basket with either hand.
“I want to play guard in college,” Gerdes said. “High school basketball helps improve my dribbling and guard movement. I used to be a forward, but I’m not that big anymore. So if I want to go to a big school, I’m not going to be a center or forward. I think in high school I can try new things and get better at individual stuff.”
Wolverinas coach Chris Kipley said college programs have noticed Gerdes’ improvement this season.
“She’s definitely playing faster,” Kipley said. “She’s also doing a great job of capitalizing on her offensive versatility. She’s very comfortable in the paint and on the perimeter. She has gotten better at identifying her advantages and exploiting them.”
Another conference title? Heading into the last week of the regular season, Grayslake Central is back in a familiar spot — near the top of the Northern Lake County Conference standings.
The Rams, coached by Steve Ikenn, have won the conference title in five straight seasons. But after a sluggish start with a difficult nonconference schedule and losses to Lakes and Round Lake, the Rams’ streak appeared to be in jeopardy.
Grayslake Central (13-15, 11-2) has rebounded to win eight straight games, however, and plays first-place Round Lake (25-3, 12-1) on Tuesday with a chance to earn a share of the conference title.
“We have gotten most of our players back from injury and illness, and as a result we have been able to build chemistry and get consistency in roles,” Ikenn said. “That helps the offense and defense run smoother.”
Freshman forward Madison Hoffmann sparked the Rams to three wins last week, averaging 11.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals.
Ikenn said his players displayed resolve amid the early season losses.
“Being mentally tough and resilient has also been key to us getting on this second-half run,” he said. “A lot of credit goes to our senior leadership. They showed up every day, worked hard and picked up their teammates when they needed it.”
Tidbits: Stevenson was awarded the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Warren Sectional, with Libertyville (No. 5), Lake Zurich (No. 6), Warren (No. 8) and Round Lake (No. 9) all receiving spots in the top 10.
Carmel got the top seed in the Class 3A Grayslake Central Sectional. Deerfield (No. 2), Lake Forest (No. 5), Grayslake Central (No. 9) and Wauconda (No. 10) also received top-10 seeds.
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Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.