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St. Charles East Class 4A Regional

No. 1 South Elgin (15-12) vs. No. 3 Bartlett (17-14)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Elgin: Sammy Sutter (sr., 6-1, G); Jake Maestranzi (soph., 5-7, G); Dillon Gardner (sr., 6-1, G/F).

Bartlett: Lance Whitaker (soph., 6-3, G); Matt Chaltin (jr., 6-3, G); Femi Oyewole (sr., 6-6, F).

CONFERENCE FINISH

South Elgin: T--3rd Upstate Eight Valley

Bartlett: T-4th Upstate Eight Valley

REGIONAL HISTORY

South Elgin: 0 regional titles

Bartlett: 3 regional titles (Most recent: 2010)

SEASON SERIES

The Storm and Hawks split their two regular-season meetings. South Elgin won 44-36 on its home court on Jan. 7. Bartlett returned the favor with a 52-51 win on its home court Feb. 19.

WINNER GETS

Rockford Auburn or Rockford Boylan on Wednesday at Jacobs Sectional

OUTLOOK

Not only does tonight's game represent the rubber match for the season series between these School District U46 rivals, but it's alsoalso also a rematch of last year's regional championship game between the teams. Bartlett won that contest 66-61 on its home floor, propelling a postseason run that included a sectional title.

South Elgin is making an appearance in a regional title game for the third year in a row and hoping to break through to sectional play for the first time. Sutter is averaging 18.9 points per game for the Storm, which held off St. Charles East 41-37 win in the regional semifinals Tuesday.

The Hawks lost several key contributors from last year's sectional title team, but Whitaker and Chaltin have helped spark a late-season surge. Bartlett won for the ninth time in its past 11 games when it knocked off No. 2 St. Charles North 67-58 in the regional semifinals Wednesday. The Hawks are in search of their third regional title in four years.

Prairie Ridge Class 4A Regional

No. 1 Huntley (23-4) vs. No. 2 McHenry (15-11)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Huntley: Tyler Brunschon (sr., 6-3, G); Troy Miller (jr., 5-11, G); Dylan Neukirch (sr., 6-3, F).

McHenry: Brian Madson (sr., 6-5, F); Jimmy Preston (sr., 6-4, F); Robert Tonyan (jr., 6-4, F).

CONFERENCE FINISH

Huntley: 1st FVC Valley

McHenry: 6th FVC Valley

REGIONAL HISTORY

Huntley: 4 regional titles (Most recent: 2008)

McHenry: 6 regional titles (Most recent: 2009)

SEASON SERIES

Huntley swept the regular-season meetings between the teams, winning 63-56 at home Jan. 22 and 48-41 at McHenry on Feb. 15.

WINNER GETS

Elgin or Dundee-Crown on Tuesday at the Jacobs Sectional

OUTLOOK

The Red Raiders and Warriors were hurtling in different directions at the end of the regular season, but none of that will matter when they square off in Crystal Lake tonight.

Blistering-hot Huntley is in the midst of an 11-game win streak and hasn't tasted defeat since Jan. 14. The balanced Raiders get steady contributions from all eight members of their regular rotation and count Brunschon and Neukirch as the only seniors on their roster. Huntley topped Cary-Grove for the third time this season with a 44-27 victory in the regional semifinals Wednesday and will now go for the trifecta against McHenry.

The Warriors limped into the postseason with five straight losses as they dealt with a series of injuries and the arrest of point guard Kyle Melton on charges of armed robbery, according to a report. McHenry's 11-2 start to the season is proof that the Warriors can be tough when at or near full strength, and they backed that up by beating Crystal Lake South 61-58 in overtime in the regional semifinals Wednesday.

Larkin Class 4A Regional

No. 1 Elgin (21-6) vs. No. 3 Dundee-Crown (13-13)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Elgin: Kory Brown (jr., 6-4, F); Dennis Moore (jr., 5-11, G); Jordan Dean (sr., 5-11, G).

Dundee-Crown: Ryan Smith (sr., 6-4, F); Jamel Kimbrough (sr., 6-4, F); Dylan Kissack (soph., 6-2, F).

CONFERENCE FINISH

Elgin: 1st Upstate Eight River

Dundee-Crown: T-3rd Fox Valley Valley

REGIONAL HISTORY

Elgin: 40 regional titles (Most recent: 2008)

Dundee-Crown: 7 regional titles (Most recent: 2009)

SEASON SERIES

This is the first meeting between the teams this season.

WINNER GETS

Huntley or McHenry on Tuesday at Jacobs Sectional

OUTLOOK

What a difference a year makes. A season ago Elgin won only seven games and Dundee-Crown notched only five wins, and now the two squads are squaring off with a regional title on the line.

The talented Maroons have only senior in their regular rotation, and a victory tonight would solidify the team's place as a major force to be reckoned with in the coming weeks and beyond. Elgin has won nine of its past 10 outings, but nothing has come easy lately as its past three games have been decided by three points or fewer. The Maroons needed a circus shot at the buzzer from Brown on Tuesday to beat No. 4 Streamwood 60-58 in the regional semifinals.

The Chargers won for only the second time in their past seven games when they knocked off rival Jacobs 50-43 in the regional semifinals Wednesday. This team might not have the pedigree of the D-C squad that made a run to the Class 4A State Finals in 2009, but the defensive-minded Chargers are perfectly capable of pulling off the upset.

Genoa-Kingston Class 2A Sectional

Rockford Christian (29-0) vs. Genoa-Kingston (14-15)

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Rockford Christian: Brayden Teuscher (sr., 6-3, C); Riley Teuscher (jr., 6-2, F); Arthur Ford (sr., 6-3, F).

Genoa-Kingston: Bryan Baumgarten (sr., 5-11, G); Andrew Oplt (jr., 6-0, G); Bret Lucca (sr., 5-11, G).

CONFERENCE FINISH

Rockford Christian: 1st Northeast Athletic

Genoa-Kingston: 5th Big Northern West

SECTIONAL HISTORY

Rockford Christian: 0 sectional titles (program's first sectional appearance)

Genoa-Kingston: 0 sectional titles (program's third sectional appearance)

SEASON SERIES

Rockford Christian drubbed Genoa-Kingston 57-30 in the only meeting between the teams at the Oregon Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 26.

WINNER GETS

Rock Island Alleman or Chillicothe Illinois Valley Central at the NIU Super-Sectional on Tuesday in DeKalb.

OUTLOOK

Rockford Christian would be wise to ignore Genoa-Kingston's record and instead focus on the Cogs' recent body of work going into tonight's game, which regardless of the winner will produce a first-time sectional champion.

The Royals have used a balanced attack to remain unbeaten as no player on the team averages more than 15 points per game. Rockford Christian's Northeast Athletic Conference competition wasn't exactly fierce, but the Royals rose to the occasion against every tough test, including a 53-50 win over Byron in the sectional semifinals Wednesday.

Genoa-Kingston equaled its longest win streak of the season at three when it upset Rock Falls 62-49 in the sectional semifinals Tuesday. The Cogs lost six of their final seven regular-season games, but they have gotten hot at the right time and have a chance to win a sectional crown on their home court.

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