Benet senior Bridget Rifenburg still remembers the five minutes she played in the 2023 Class 4A state championship game.
The 6-foot guard is the only remaining player who got on the floor in that game, which the Redwings lost to O’Fallon 62-57 in double overtime. Teammate Emma Briggs was on the roster but didn’t play.
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“I was so excited I was hyperventilating,” Rifenburg said. “When I went out for the few minutes I played, I was so overwhelmed. I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know what it meant.”
Rifenburg knows now. Three years later, she’s eager to lead the Redwings back to Normal. They lost to Waubonsie Valley in the sectional final in each of the past two seasons.
“Obviously, if we went back to state, it would be a whole new experience because I would actually be contributing,” Rifenburg said. “I don’t think I could process what was going on when I was a freshman.”
Processing is no longer a problem for Rifenburg. As Benet prepares for the season opener against visiting Lyons on Tuesday, the Richmond commit is leaving no stone unturned trying to find an edge.
“She’s grown up as a person but also as a player, and she’s slowed down,” Benet coach Joe Kilbride said. “She’s taking what’s there, reading the defense and reacting.
“Whereas I think she was a little more ‘I’m going to do X,’ now she’s attacking and seeing what’s there and deciding what makes better sense, X or Y. That’s been huge for the start of the season.”
Rifenburg was an instrumental all-around player last season, when she averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 block for the Redwings (29-3). But stats don’t tell the whole story.
“Bridget is a really talented player, but even if she wasn’t so skilled, her activity level alone impacts the game and makes her elite,” Kilbride said. “She’s one of those kids who is cutting and running the floor, all the things that impact winning without the ball in your hand, without even taking a shot.”
Junior guard Ava Mersinger has learned that and more by playing with Rifenburg for the past two seasons.
“She’s great,” Mersinger said. “She has grown and adapted so much, and it’s super cool to watch because I kind of look up to her as a player.
“She’s always been a leader and pushes everyone on our team to be great players. She loves basketball, and it’s so easy to see her passion and love for the game.”
Rifenburg’s passion for basketball extends to film study.
“Oh, my gosh, she watches as much film as me,” Kilbride said. “She’s very deliberate and intentional about ‘what am I not doing well, what do I need to do to get better.’
“When you combine film study with a very consistent, high level of effort in our practice and individual work outside of what we do, all of that just builds over time. I think we’re going to see this year the fruition of all of her film study and hard work.”
Rifenburg loves watching game film so much that she even does it where she shouldn’t.
“We have our iPad in school,” she said. “This is bad to say, but sometimes in class I will watch film from last year, when we’re going over the math. I feel like if I can sort of know what’s going on in class, I can kind of have (the film) on the side.”
Rifenburg’s film habits haven’t affected her grades. She’s a straight-A student.
“I’m very much a visual learner,” she said. “Freshman year, I remember all these plays were thrown at me, and I was so confused, Lenee (Beaumont) came in and she drew them out and showed me them.
“I definitely have to watch it or do it to fully understand it. Watching film the day after a game helps me process it. It helps you improve because then you’re seeing your mistakes and fixing them after that.”
Rifenburg had more time than she wanted to study film recently. She missed a month of action after she suffered a broken finger while playing for Benet’s flag football team. She returned to practice Monday.
“It was so cool to see her back, and she did amazing,” Mersinger said. “You could see the smile and light.
“I love playing with her. She’s a great player and a great teammate.”
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Rifenburg wants to play in another state championship game. It would be the first one for her teammates.
“Being able to win a state championship in the last game of your high school career is the biggest goal,” she said. “If we can figure out how to click at the right time, I think we can definitely make it back there.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.