Listening to scuttlebutt before the girls basketball season began, the Class AA championship trophy might as well have been engraved and shipped to coach Dorothy Gaters of Marshall before a game was played.
The consensus was that Gaters` Lady Commandos were once again a powerful lot, one giant step above the rest. Besides, after falling to Washington in last season`s Public League playoffs to end a string of 13 straight Public League titles, wouldn`t Marshall have plenty to prove?
”At the beginning of the season, I would have said Marshall was the favorite,” said Hoffman Estates coach Tom Kendall. ”Now, I still think they`re a good team, but they can be beaten.”
While Marshall has been No. 1 in the Tribune Top 20 all season, the Lady Commandos enter post-season play this week with a few chinks in their armor. A loss to defending state champion Mother McAuley spoiled what many believed would be an unbeaten season. A recent close victory over Maine West could easily have gone the other way.
Those factors and a fairly even field are reasons to believe Marshall might not be as invincible as was once thought. Regionals begin Monday, with Public League playoffs starting Tuesday, as the quest for a trip to the state finals March 6-7 at Redbird Arena in Normal begins.
With a pack of teams having fought for the No. 2 spot behind Marshall all season, competition looks good and no longer does anyone concede anything to Marshall.
”You`re going to see a repeat of last year,” said Willie Byrd, coach of second-ranked Washington. ”Going into the (Public League) playoffs, I think I have a better team than last year. I`m able to play 10 players, where last year I could rely on only five or six.”
Byrd could be right. With players like Nicole Cole and sophomore Tangela Smith, the Minutewomen appear poised to play David to Marshall`s Goliath once again. But Morgan Park, Whitney Young and even Robeson may have something to say about that.
Competition isn`t restricted to the Public League playoffs.
”All over, it`s a pretty open field,” said Maine West coach Derril Kipp. ”The Public League field is strong, as are many of the sectionals. If teams play well, you never can tell who`ll win anywhere. There are going to be some good fights this year and, maybe, some surprises.”
Regional/sectional complexes for Niles West, Willowbrook and Barrington will showcase some exceptional talent.
Niles West has No. 3 Maine West, No. 10 Marillac, 19th-ranked Resurrection, and possible spoilers like New Trier and Evanston. Maine West could face Resurrection in Thursday`s regional final, with Marillac possibly meeting New Trier or Evanston.
The Willowbrook complex has No. 8 St. Ignatius, 16th-ranked Argo, No. 11 Lyons Township, 12th-ranked Immaculate Heart of Mary and always-tough Proviso West. St. Ignatius could wind up facing Argo or Proviso West Thursday, with an IHM-Lyons matchup another possibility.
Host Barrington, in the same regional bracket as Fenton, could meet Fremd or Buffalo Grove in Thursday`s finals. From there, the winner will likely meet tough Hoffman Estates.
”Regionals are tough, but if we get into sectionals, we`re talking landmine there,” said Kendall.
Hoffman has been impressive, with the likes of Katy Winski and Lisa Caraballo. Buffalo Grove has Michele Ratay, while Barrington relies on sisters Ashley and Erica Berggren, and three-point specialist Carolyn DeVolder.
Maine West`s key is Kerry Wegrzyn. If she doesn`t get in foul trouble, the Warriors are solid and almost unbeatable. Resurrection has 6-3 junior center Mary Connolly, a dominant player, while Marillac is led by Heather Walsh and Lucy Ratzki.
Claire Molloy paces St. Ignatius, while junior Mimi Olson leads IHM. Lyons has sisters Anne and Katie Clark for opponents to contend with.
Rich South`s Keila Flagg and Aimee Geiger of Warren are other players who could help their teams advance.
”I`m just concentrating on our (Shepard) complex and not looking too far ahead,” said Rich South coach Sandy Love. ”It`s easy to do that, but you can`t.
”Last year, we made it to state and we were the team no one knew about, or worried about playing. Now, we`re expected to win.”
