As expected, it has been a pretty busy month for Batavia’s Brooke Carlson.
Carlson signed her national letter of intent on Nov. 8 to play Division I basketball at Colorado State. And then the fun really began for the 5-foot-8 senior guard.
Suddenly, Carlson noticed a certain trend.
“I feel like teams have been more aggressive on me,” she said. “Kenwood was all over me.”
There’s only one problem for opposing teams. The tactic isn’t working.
Carlson is off to a blistering start for the Bulldogs (3-1), averaging 26.3 points with 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals. As a junior, she had an all-state season, averaging 19.7 points and earning honors as the DuKane Conference’s player of the year.
“It’s hard to say we want to expect it, but it’s what’s happening,” Batavia coach Kevin Jensen said. “Kenwood is very talented, but they still couldn’t keep her in front of them.
“She had 34 points, and not even on a good shooting night. They did have people all over her, but she played a really good game and stayed under control.”
With 105 points already this season, Carlson sits at 1,545 for her career in 87 games. This despite having only a 16-game season as a freshman due to the pandemic.
It puts Carlson on pace to surpass 2,000 career points and even threaten Hannah Frazier, who set the program record with 2,046.
“If she does just as good as she did last year, she’ll go over 2,000 points,” Jensen said. “She’s done a lot. She would gladly trade that for a deeper run at the end of the season.
“We’re all hoping for that.”
Carlson said the personal milestones and accomplishments will sink in more after her high school career ends.
“I just stay in the moment,” Carlson said. “If it happens, it happens. I want to win games and go as far as I can. That’s what I look forward to the most.”
Batavia won its second straight regional title last season and reached the sectional championship game. With a wealth of experience returning, Carlson feels like a deeper run is possible.
“We have so many other people that can step up,” Carlson said. “Everyone has found themselves as a player and is more comfortable with how they play. It’s been really cool to see it develop.”
Senior guard Kylee Gehrt, who has played with Carlson since middle school, has emerged as Batavia’s secondary scoring option. She averages 12.3 points.
Gehrt also has seen the maturation of the Bulldogs’ roster.
“All through high school we’ve all been young on varsity, so we really have experience on all levels,” Gehrt said. “This being my senior year, I think we’re all ready.
“It’s our last hurrah. We’re really excited.”
Playing with the talented Carlson isn’t something Gehrt and the Bulldogs take for granted, either.
“It is a lot of fun,” Gehrt said. “She’s a great player. She and I just connect. We’ve grown up together. I look up to her.”
The early results have been encouraging. The Bulldogs started the season with an impressive 76-48 win over Benet, then lost 70-63 in the Naperville Central Tipoff Tournament championship game to Kenwood, one of the state’s top teams.
“It shows we can play with anyone,” Carlson said. “We want to play the best because it will make us better in the future.”
Carlson’s signing day was not only a significant step toward her future. It allowed her to focus on this season without the weight of a college decision looming.
“That day was so memorable,” Carlson said. “My whole team was there. The whole day was amazing. In that moment, it showed all of my hard work paid off.
“I can just go out and play without having to stress about anything.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
