Girls basketball notes: State-ranked Huntley enjoying one of its best starts ever

After running the table and knocking off Maine South in the title game of Dundee-Crown’s Komaromy Classic on Dec. 30, Huntley rang in the new year with another signature win Saturday.

The Class 4A No. 10 state-ranked Red Raiders, like they did in their 49-48 win over Maine South, rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off Prospect 55-51 for their second win in a row over a state-ranked opponent.

The win also was the 15th in a row to start the season for Huntley – one of the best starts ever under Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Raethz.

The Raiders feel like they’re in every game regardless of the score. Huntley didn’t let Prospect score for the final 3:59 Saturday.

“That’s the one thing about this group, they don’t hang their heads when they face adversity,” said Raethz, in his 26th season at Huntley. “They keep finding ways to recover and to claw back. I know I speak for all of our coaches, it’s been a pleasure to coach these kids every day.

“They work extremely hard and compete every day. They’re very deserving of the start they’ve had.”

Huntley returned four of five starters from last season’s 24-7 team that earned its third straight Fox Valley Conference crown. For a team looking to play deep into the postseason after losing in a regional final a year ago, signature wins this early in the season are a huge confidence boost.

“We have the ability to play with really high-level teams, and I think they’ve proven that,” Raethz said. “This is probably one of the best defensive groups I’ve ever coached. There’s a lot of players who can guard different positions. That allows us to have people come off the bench and not lose much with our effort defensively. We have a lot of players who really commit to it. That’s been a huge advantage for us.”

Senior guard Anna Campanelli, a Division I Kent State commit, leads the team in scoring at 18.5 points a game and also is the team’s leader in assists and steals. Senior forward Paula Strzelecki is second in scoring (10 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg).

Campanelli recently became the eighth player in team history to hit 1,000 career points, reaching the milestone on a post move with her left (off) hand in the opening game of the Komaromy Classic.

“There’s been a steady progression with her skill set from her freshman year to senior year,” Raethz said. “She’s such a complete player with her ability to score at all three levels. As a coach, it’s been great to watch her develop. She’s been such an important part of our program these last four years and a really important part of our success.”

Strzelecki, who finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds in the win against Maine South, is one of many Raiders who have had their big moments during the team’s undefeated start.

“She’s been a real force down low for us,” Raethz said of Strzelecki (6-foot). “It’s been a real collective team effort. Ava [McFadden] did a great job defensively on Prospect’s best player, and she’s picked up right where she left off last year with shooting the ball really well from 3.

“There’s 13 players, and they all do a great job of embodying that – playing together, pulling for each other and playing for the same end goal. Luca Garlin, Aubrina Adamik, Avery Suess, Alyssa Borzych, Lana Hobday and Madison Diaz have each stepped up at different moments and provided us with a big spark.

The Raiders will look to add to its spotless record when they host Crystal Lake South at 7 p.m. Tuesday in a battle of the last two undefeated teams in the FVC.

“The goal is to hopefully use this as a springboard for the second half of the season,” said Raethz, whose Raiders are allowing only 32.3 points a game. “Continue to work and improve and be playing our best basketball when we get to the postseason and February.”

Talk of the school: Johnsburg senior Ava Jablonski wasn’t the only one excited about the incoming addition of freshmen twin sisters Summer and Skye Toussaint to the Skyhawks (9-5) this winter.

The pair already have been praised by many coaches in the Kishwaukee River Conference, and they’re just getting started. Summer Toussaint already has a 33-point game on her high school résumé.

“Everyone knew [the Toussaints] were coming up this year and we were all excited,” said Jablonski, the team’s lone senior starter. “They are definitely both very big scoring threats for us. They both know the game very, very well. It’s very impressive to all of us what they can do.

“People talk about it to me at school all the time. They’re the talk of the school during girls basketball season.”

Skye Toussaint said the transition to varsity as a freshman is made easier with teammates like Jablonski.

“She makes me more confident in my game, giving me open looks,” Skye Toussaint said. ”She brings lots of energy to the team. She’s a really great player and a great teammate."