Tom Ptak coaching another generation at St. Bede: NewsTribune girls basketball notebook

In the mid 1990s at noon ball at the YMCA, St. Bede JV girls basketball coach Barney Hydrock kept asking Tom Ptak to attend a game.

Finally, Ptak agreed to go to watch the Bruins play Marquette in the regional championship.

Ptak recalls that Marquette’s Stephanie Kaufman poured in 38 points in a one-point win, while St. Bede’s Bridget Heuser made an impression, as well.

“In the second half, Stephanie and Bridget squared off to go at it after scrambling for a loose ball,” Ptak said.

That game helped spark Ptak’s interest in coaching girls basketball.

“Barney had it all figured out that I would love it, and the next year I was his assistant and have been at it since,” Ptak said.

Bridget Heuser is now Bridget McClain, and almost 30 years later has three daughters playing for Ptak on this year’s St. Bede varsity team: Quinn, a senior, Lili, a junior, and Parker, a freshman.

Quinn averages 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, a team-best 2.6 assists and 1 steal per game; Lili leads the team in points (10.9 per game) and steals (1.9 per game), and averages 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists; while Parker averages 1.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.6 steals and recently had a game-winning free throw against Midland.

“What a thrill it is to coach her three daughters and it makes me appreciate the time spent coaching,” Ptak said. “Every once in a while, I see the feistiness that their mother had playing ball, and it makes me smile.”

Closing in on 1,000

Two area players are closing in on 1,000 points for their careers.

Princeton junior Keighley Davis, who averages 14,1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 steals and 2.8 assists per game, needs 32 to reach the milestone.

Henry-Senachwine senior Kaitlyn Anderson, who averages 12.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, is 84 points away from 1,000.

Earlier this season, Fieldcrest junior Macy Gochanour joined the 1,000 point club. She’s leading the area in scoring at 22.5 points per game.

Gochanour set a school record - boys or girls - with 46 points in a game.

Dishing it out

Hall senior Kennedy Wozniak is setting up her teammates better than anyone in the area this season as she tops the area leader board at five assists per game.

Wozniak has been particularly strong creating scoring opportunities in recent games with double-digit assist games in her past four outings with 11 against Princeton on Monday and 10 against Fulton on Dec. 28.

“Kennedy’s really taken on a leadership role this year both on and off the court,” Hall coach TJ Orlandi said. “She’s been playing her best basketball of the year since our holiday tournament.”

Setting the tone

Senior Ava Eddy and junior Laylie Denault are leading the charge for Mendota this season.

Eddy is 5-foot-2, but is second on the team in rebounds at 3.7 per game. Her scoring average (7.7 points per game) has about doubled from last season and she’s averaging 4.6 steals per game, which is leading to transition baskets.

Denault averages 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.8 assists, and leads the defense as she plays the point of the Trojans’ trap and press and “75% of our steals are caused by her chaos or deflections at that spot.”

“They take turns playing 1 and 2 guard,” Mendota coach John Hansen said. “They do not leave the floor for us aside from end of game subs. We can’t afford to not have their leadership and athletic abilities. They are the perfect examples of our team identity. No insane basketball skills. They can score, but aren’t going to consistently light you up. They just show up and do everything else you possibly could ask extremely hard.”

Returning to make an impact

Several players in the area missed last season but are making an impact this winter.

St. Bede junior Ava Balestri, who tore her ACL in the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, is back this season, averaging 3.9 points, 5 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.4 assists.

Mendota’s Cassie Gonzalez also is back from an ACL injury and is leading the team in rebounding with 8.1 per game, which ranks fourth in the area, coming off the bench.

Bureau Valley’s Kadyn Haage did not play last season after transferring from Somonauk midyear. She averaging six points and recently set the school record with seven 3-pointers in a game.

Henry’s Harper Schrock did not play last season but has worked her way into the starting lineup.