Elgin-area teams fit to a scale

We're more than a month into the high school basketball season, and by now it's pretty clear which local teams are contenders and which are pretenders.

Holiday tournaments are over and conference championship races are about to heat up. Before we know it, March will be here with all its madness.

Although the outlook going ahead is brighter for some squads than others, the good news is that everybody has some reason for optimism.

From my perspective, the area's 16 teams fit nicely into four categories:

1. Regional Title Material: The name of this group says it all. These talented teams look like they have what it takes to make a deep run in the postseason.

2. Potentially Dangerous: This group is made up of teams that appear poised to finish the regular season with a surge after enduring an up-and-down start.

3. Middle of the Pack: These teams have seen varying degrees of success so far, and it's unclear whether they'll be going up or down over the next few weeks.

4. Maybe Next Year: As their unimpressive records suggest, teams in this group face an uphill challenge the rest of the way.

To help give you an idea of where your favorite local team falls, here are my local rankings:

Regional title material

1. Huntley (10-2)

By winning the Sycamore Thanksgiving Tournament and advancing to the championship of the Jacobs Holiday Tournament, the Red Raiders left little doubt they have what it takes to succeed.

Senior Tyler Brunschon and juniors Troy Miller and Justin Frederick have been steady contributors all year. Senior Dylan Neukirch joined the starting lineup at the Jacobs Tournament after missing the first month with a broken hand, and his presence should help Huntley contend with McHenry for both the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division and Prairie Ridge Class 4A Regional titles.

2. Elgin (9-3)

If the Maroons go on to big things this year and next, point to their run to the championship game at their own Elgin Holiday Tournament as their official coming out party. Elgin ultimately lost to Neuqua Valley 56-53 in that title contest, but during the tournament coach Mike Sitter's defensive-minded squad proved it can hang with anybody when playing at its best.

Senior Jordan Dean, juniors Kory Brown and Dennis Moore and sophomore Arie Williams are all capable of handling a heavy scoring load for the Maroons. They can claim front-runner status in the Upstate Eight Conference River Division title race by beating St. Charles North in a showdown Friday, and all signs point to the Maroons being heavy favorites to win the Larkin Class 4A Regional in March.

3. Hampshire (8-4)

The Whip-Purs boast the area's top post duo in 6-foot-7 junior Tyler Watzlawick and 6-6 sophomore Shane Hernandez. Add in a group of capable guards, and coach Bob Barnett has a recipe for success.

Hampshire looks like a lock to win the Big Northern Conference East Division championship. The key for the Whips is to stay sharp going into the postseason as they will host a challenging Class 3A regional that includes formidable Crystal Lake Central and Marmion squads.

4. Westminster Christian (9-4)

A solid inside-outside game that centers around 6-foot-8 senior Ian Dutcher makes the Warriors dangerous. They stumbled to a 1-3 mark during their three-day trip to the Richmond (Ind.) Tournament last week, but coach Bruce Firchau hopes the experience pays off down the road.

Westminster moves up to Class 2A for the first time this year, but the Warriors have already beaten two of their four potential opponents at the Plano Regional and should be ready to play with the bigger boys.

Potentially dangerous

5. South Elgin (7-6)

When the Storm is at full strength and playing at its best, coach Chaz Taft's team is tough to beat. The problem is South Elgin hasn't been at full strength this year and as a result has lacked consistency.

Senior Sam Sutter is averaging 20 points per game and has a group of hard-nosed teammates around him. The Storm might take some lumps in the ultra-competitive UEC Valley, but this team should contend in what is shaping up to be a wide-open St. Charles East Class 4A Regional.

6. Bartlett (8-7)

The young Hawks have endured some growing pains after suffering a few notable losses from last year's sectional championship squad. With that said, this looks like a team that will only get better with time.

Bartlett is 0-3 in the UEC Valley, but don't be surprised to see coach Jim Wolfsmith's team pull off some surprises in league play. The Hawks also figure to have a shot in the St. Charles East Regional.

St. Charles North (7-7)

No team has been as disappointing as the North Stars, who largely haven't lived up to the hype they attracted before the season. Fitting sophomore standout Quinten Payne into a lineup that already included senior star Josh Mikes, senior guard Chris Conrad and junior post presence Kyle Nelson has proven tougher than expected.

With that said, North has played a tough schedule and still has plenty of time to right the ship. A UEC River Division title is well within reach, and the Stars should be equipped to contend with Bartlett and South Elgin at the St. Charles East Regional.

8. Dundee-Crown (6-4)

After a 5-1 start to the season, the Chargers came back to reality a bit with three losses in four games at the Elgin Holiday Tournament. Nonetheless, D-C has already surpassed its win total from last year's 5-22 campaign.

Seniors Ryan Smith and Jamel Kimbrough form a solid 1-2 punch, and the team has plenty of younger role players capable of chipping in. Winning the FVC Valley title might be a stretch, but coach Lance Huber will likely have his team ready to make some noise at the Larkin Regional.

Middle of the pack

9. Jacobs (6-5)

The Golden Eagles are in a similar situation as their arch rival Dundee-Crown. So far Jacobs has beaten the teams you'd expect but hasn't mustered a victory against a more talented opponent.

Senior Nick Hofman is a dynamic scorer who will help the Eagles hang tough in the FVC Valley and the Larkin Regional.

10. Burlington Central (7-5)

Good luck finding a team as inconsistent as the Rockets. Six of Central's seven victories have come by at least 17 points. On the flip side, coach Brett Porto's team has endured losses by 46, 20 and 13 points.

With junior Ray Hunnicutt and senior Sam Klein leading the way, don't be surprised to see the Rockets rack up more big wins than losses the rest of the way. Whether they can contend for the BNC East and Hampshire Regional titles is another matter.

11. Genoa-Kingston (7-6)

The Cogs haven't been able to build any momentum so far this year. Their longest winning streak is two, but they also haven't lost any more than two games in a row.

Senior Bryan Baumgartner is the top scorer for G-K, which will likely continue to struggle with consistency in the BNC West.

St. Charles East (4-9)

Of the five local teams with a losing record, the Saints look like the one with the best shot of turning things around. Solid wins against Elgin, Metea Valley and Maine South offered a glimpse of how good coach Brian Clodi's team can be.

With sophomore Kendall Stephens continuing to develop into one of the area's top scorers, regard the Saints as a dark horse in their quest to win both the UEC River and St. Charles East Regional titles.

Maybe next year

13. Streamwood (4-10)

An influx of newcomers to the varsity team hasn't worked out as well as expected for the Sabres, who will try to steer clear of last place in the UEC River.

There isn't a clear-cut leader on the squad, but that could keep opponents guessing as seven players have scored in double figures at least once this year.

14. St. Edward (4-8)

Senior guard Mike Ellis and his 19.4 point scoring average has been a bright spot so far for the Green Wave. The key going forward will be finding more steady contributions from other players.

Things are still a work in progress for first-year coach P.J. White, and St. Edward faces a tough road ahead in the Suburban Christian Conference Gold Division.

15. Larkin (3-11)

Building for the future will be a primary goal for the Royals for the rest of the season. A handful of seniors will still be in the mix, but don't be surprised to see coach Deryn Carter lean heavily on juniors Adarion Mahone and Blake Grantham, sophomores Quantice Hunter and Vincent Sarangaya and freshman Derrick Streety down the stretch.

That group of youngsters has looked good at times and could be a factor next year and beyond. For now, though, Larkin will probably continue to struggle.

16. Elgin Academy (2-7)

Senior Aaron Thomas and junior Connor Flexman give the Hilltoppers a formidable scoring duo, but that hasn't translated into much success.

Elgin Academy's margin of defeat in its seven losses has been 24.3 points, illustrating just how far the team has to go to contend in the Independent School League.

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