Girls basketball: Fox Valley All-Area team

This article has been updated. An incorrect photo of Cary-Grove's Candace Cunningham has been replaced with the correct photo.

Ali Andrews HuntleyThe honorary co-captain of the Fox Valley All-Area team, this 6-2 junior set the school record (breaking her own from last year) for points scored in a season with 694 (per game average of 21.0). Also averaged 8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.1 blocks in leading her team to a 28-5 season, which set the school record for wins in a season. The first-team AP All-State selection, who scored a single game record 34 points against South Elgin, was an 89 percent free throw shooter, 50 percent from the field and added 37 3-pointers as her team won its second sectional title in 3 years. "She's a winner and she loves to compete," said Huntley coach Steve Raethz of the Illinois recruit. "She puts aside individual things for the success of the team." Now a 3-time all-area player and two-time honorary co-captain, she will enter her senior season with 1,805 career points.

Katie Barker Cary-GroveThis repeat all-area selection finished her senior season averaging 15.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 deflections per game, while shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line. Barker was an all-Fox Valley Conference Valley Division selection and also earned all-tournament accolades at Lake Zurich (Thanksgiving) and Mundelein (Christmas). An Ohio University commit, Baker finished her career at Cary-Grove with 1,092 points (5th all-time in school history) and a program-record 145 3-pointers. "Katie Barker is just another example during my 22-year career with this program of what is possible when a player dedicates herself to becoming a basketball player," Trojans coach Rod Saffert said. "She is arguably the best shooter I've ever seen in all my years of coaching. She brought a deadly outside shooting presence to our team, the past two years in particular, which forced teams to devise a game plan to stop her, which certainly was not easy. In addition, she also could post up and dominate players inside the paint. Katie's overall basketball acumen has no equal and that is what made her the player she became for four years."

Jennifer Barnec JacobsBarnec's freshman year, Jacobs won 3 games. This season the 5-9 senior guard/forward helped the Golden Eagles to 12 wins and an appearance in a regional title game for the first time since 2010. The repeat all-area selection averaged 8.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while hitting 32 3-pointers and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line. "She was a four-year varsity starter who became a mainstay and a constant in our program," said Jacobs coach Joe Benoit. "It's difficult for me to imagine a team without Jenny Barnec. She was steady and consistent and this year she stepped up her scoring, which was huge for us."

Kayla Barreto HuntleyRed Raiders' 5-4 junior point guard came into her own this season as the perfect compliment to junior teammate Ali Andrews and helped her team to a school-record 28-5 season, its second straight Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title and its second sectional crown in 3 years. Averaged 9.1 points per game, 1.6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals and led the team with 52 3-pointers. Also made 76 percent of her free throw attempts. "She did a great job of handling the point guard position this season," said coach Steve Raethz. "Her level of confidence has really helped her game. She shoots with confidence and handles the ball with confidence. Her ability to step up and knock down 3s in big moments has been great."

Emma Benoit HampshireA 6-foot-2 junior, Benoit had some breakout games for the Whip-Purs this season, helping the team to a 21-8 season and the co-championship of the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division. Averaged 13.8 points and 8 rebounds per game. "She continues to get her points even as teams continue to key on her," said Whips' coach Mike Featherly. "There were many games, especially early on in the year, she carried the load for us scoring-wise. I was impressed with her ability to finish around the basket more consistently this year. She continues to improve every year by putting the work in during the off-season." The repeat all-area selection will begin her senior season with 1,074 career points.

Kaitlin Brohan BartlettOn a team with only one senior, someone had to emerge as the leader and that one was the 5-9 Brohan, who helped Bartlett to a 20-10 season and a regional championship. She averaged 14.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game and also hit 39 3-pointers. "Kaitlin led our team in many stat categories and very often had the toughest defensive assignment as well," said Hawks' coach Denise Sarna. "She's a hard-nosed hardworking kid and she never wanted our team to lose. She sparked us with her scoring, her defense and her rebounding. She always found a way to help our team win and she got better and better with every game. I see great things coming from her in the future."

Paulina Castro Harvest ChristianCastro, who played her first two years at Montini and was part of last year's Class 3A state-championship squad, was an Associated Press Class 1A all-state first-team selection and was named the MVP of the Northeastern Athletic Conference. Castro averaged a team-high 20.8 points per game and connected on 122 of 275 3-point attempts (44.4 percent), while also shooting 87.9 percent from the foul line. She added 107 assists, 107 steals and 92 rebounds. "Paulina is the purest shooter I have ever coached," said Lions coach Rich DeTamble, who labels Castro a Division I college player. "She loves the gym. Paulina is an athlete who you can build a program around. She is so unselfish and never gets rattled."

Kianna Clark CL SouthClark averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.0 assists per game for 22-win Crystal Lake South. She shot 44 percent from the field and 71 percent from the foul line en route to earning all-Fox Valley Conference Valley Division honors. "Kianna took advantage of her strength and quickness and ended up being one of our best defenders as well as someone who was hard to stop close to the basket," coach Mark Mucha said.

Alison Colby Burlington CentralA 3-time all-area player, the 5-11 Rockets' senior center is also the honorary co-captain of the Fox Valley All-Area team this season after helping her team to a 25-4 season that included its third-straight Big Northern East championship as well as a huge upset win over No. 1 ranked Montini. A 4-year varsity player she finished her career with 993 points, contributing to 92 wins in her 4 years, including a 79-15 mark the last 3 years. Averaged 9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and shot 44 percent from the field. "She showed tremendous leadership on the floor and was totally unselfish," said BC coach Mark Smith. "Her rebounding was out of this world and she always thought about the team first." Will attend Indiana University in the fall.

Candace Cunningham Cary-GroveA two-year starter, Cunningham averaged 8.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 deflections, 1.9 steals and 1.4 assists while shooting 44 percent from the field. Cunningham, an all-Fox Valley Conference Valley Division selection, also earned the team's best rebounder and best defender honors. In her two years on the varsity, Cunningham played in all 59 possible games. "Candace played with a reckless abandon for two years yet never missed a game. She was one of the most durable players I've ever seen," coach Rod Saffert said. "Candace was our best defender, usually guarding the other team's best player all while running the floor as fast as she could for us on the fast break. She stepped in a big way when Katie Barker was out for seven games due to an injury and became the player we all knew she could be."

Nikki Dumoulin HampshireWhile the 5-8 junior forward didn't have flashy stats, she was the rock of a 21-8 Hampshire team that shared the championship of the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division. Averaged 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. "She is one of the hardest workers and unselfish players on the team," said coach Mike Featherly. "She is the anchor of our team. The girls look to her for leadership on and off the court. She has improved her jump shot considerably throughout the year and will be one of the top returning players in the area."

Chanel Fanter CL SouthAn all-Fox Valley Conference Valley Division selection and repeat all-area pick, Fanter averaged 17.2 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 2.0 assists per contest. She shot 46 percent from the field, made 47 three-pointers and connected on 73 percent of her free-throw attempts. The junior has 1,126 career points and is 91 points away from breaking the school career scoring record. "Chanel is an ideal team player," said South coach Mark Mucha. "Not only could she score but she distributed the ball well and came up with big defensive stops when needed. She wanted the basketball in her hands at the end of games, which isn't something you can teach."

Creighton Fed Dundee-CrownIt's never easy to transfer your senior year but this 5-7 guard made the most of it and then some when she came to Charger Country from Yorkville for her final high school season. She averaged a team-high 13.4 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free-throw line for a 17-16 team that won the program's first regional title since 2003. Also made 30 3-pointers, averaged 3.8 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals per game. "She made a huge difference for our team," said D-C coach Sarah Miller. "The girls embraced her from day one and she stepped in right away as a leader. She was very attentive and coachable. She walked in talented but really progressed and did a lot of the little things. We were a different team with her this year."

Kiana Jeremiah StreamwoodStreamwood's 5-7 point guard had a stellar senior season in running the Sabres' offense. She led the 10-win team with a 12.9 per game scoring average, shooting 44 percent from the field overall and canning 32 3-pointers. She also had 4.4 rebounds per game and led the team with 103 assists (3.7 average). "She had a great season," said coach George Rosner. "We put her into a leadership role not only scoring but being our primary ballhandler and she did a nice job. She had a little different role for us this year and did well with it." Graduates as the program's fourth all-time leader in assists and No. 19 in school history with 620 career points.

Kylee Knox Harvest ChristianKnox concluded her four-year varsity run at Harvest by averaging 16.3 points per game. Knox, an honorable mention all-state and first-team all-NAC selection, made 68 3-pointers and had 176 rebounds, 81 assists and 150 steals for a Lions team that went 25-7 and reached a Class 1A supersectional. "Kylee is a natural athlete who played every position on the floor during her four years at Harvest Christian," coach Rich DeTamble said. "Kylee is a prolific scorer who has wonderful court vision and is fearless. She rarely gets tired. She played more minutes this year than any other player. She will be dearly missed next season." A repeat all-area selection, she finished her career at Harvest with 1,555 points, 168 three-pointers, 696 rebounds, 320 assists and 502 steals.

Marlee Kyles LarkinKyles averaged 18.8 points in 25 games for Larkin this season. She topped the 20-point mark in 11 games and had a season-high of 30 points in one contest. Kyles was named to the all-tournament team at Burlington Central's Thanksgiving event. "Marlee has a very high basketball IQ and can see the floor very well," Royals coach Ruben Flores said. "Her motivation to succeed makes her the player she is. She enjoys her teammates and wants them to be involved, but on many occasions she sees a crack or opening and drives the ball."

Jesania Laboy Dundee-CrownOne of the most improved post players in the area, the 5-10 senior was a key part of the Chargers' 17-16 season that included the program's first regional title since 2003. Averaged 10.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. "She was the hardest worker on our team and it showed in her play," said Chargers' coach Sarah Miller. "She really put the team on her shoulders the second half of the season, consistently going double-double. We challenged her and she embraced it and really became a leader for us. She was just a beast on the boards and I'm really proud of how she finished the year."

Samantha Pryor Burlington CentralThe Rockets' 5-11 junior forward missed the first four games of the season due to a knee injury but came back to average a team-high 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for a 25-4 team that won its third straight Big Northern East title and upset top-ranked and defending state champion Montini along the way. Has been a part of 79 wins in three varsity seasons. A repeat all-area selection she also shot 47 percent on 2-pointers and 39 percent on 3-pointers, making 51. Became just the fourth player in program history to score more than 1,000 career points and will begin her senior season with 1,025. "She came back from the injury and ended up being our leading scorer," said Rockets' coach Mark Smith. "She has great shooting ability and did a nice job rebounding this year, adding another dimension to her game. We're looking forward to having her back for another great season."

Cecile Rapp St. EdwardA repeat all-area selection, the 6-3 senior center led the Green Wave to their second straight 19-win season. She averaged 17 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. Also blocked 84 shots (3 per game). "She really had a good career at St. Ed's and I think she'll be a dynamic college player," said Wave coach Michelle Dawson. "The possibilities are endless for Cece on what she can accomplish in college. She helped us to two 19-win seasons and she was always energizing her teammates. It's going to be hard to replace her next year. She always had a positive outlook on things." Rapp will play on scholarship at Division II Lindenwood University.

Kayla Ross Burlington CentralNow a 3-time all-area selection, the Rockets' 5-7 junior guard played a key role on both ends of the floor for her 25-4 team that won its third straight Big Northern East title, beat top-ranked Montini, and has now gone 79-15 the last three seasons. Averaged 9.8 points per game and showed her versatility by averaging 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game, always drawing the opponent's top player as her defensive assignment. Also shot 48 percent overall and hit 21 3-pointers. "She can stop anybody," said Rockets' coach Mark Smith. "It's nice going into games knowing you have that kind of a defender. You can't teach the quickness and speed she has and I think she's only scratched the surface of how good she can be."

Carly Sidor JacobsOne of the top young players in the area, this 5-7 sophomore led Jacobs in scoring with a 9.2 per game average. Also had 3.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game and made 18 3-pointers as the Golden Eagles managed 12 wins and a regional title game appearance for the first time since 2010. "She was the future and now she's the present," said coach Joe Benoit. "She stepped up huge all year. We asked her to guard the other team's best player every night and she became a tough defender. She could score off the dribble and step back and hit the 3."

Maddie Versluys Westminster ChristianVersluys led the area in scoring at 23.4 points per game (538 points) and broke the school career scoring record this season (stands at 1,312 career points). Versluys also averaged 9.1 rebounds per game and shot 48 percent from the field. Versluys, who also had 140 steals (5.0 per game), was an IBCA third-team all-state selection, a Class 2A Associated Press all-state honorable mention pick and an all-Northeastern Athletic Conference first-team choice for the third year in a row. "Maddie is a scorer and a complete player on both ends of the court," coach Fred Versluys said. "She is a tireless competitor who handles herself with grace and humility."

Bridgette Williams South ElginA 5-10 junior forward, Williams averaged team highs of 12 points and 7 rebounds per game for a Storm team that went 19-10, finished third in the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division with a 10-4 mark and lost to Conant in a Class 4A regional championship game. "Bridgette, although not tall, has a knack for rebounding with effort and desire," coach Dan Mandernack said. "She is ultra-athletic and played multiple positions for us."

Jenejah Williams StreamwoodA blossoming star, the 6-2 sophomore center had a breakout season for the Sabres. Averaged 11.6 points and 12 rebounds per game while refining her inside presence and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the paint for future Streamwood opponents. Shot 42 percent from the field and also blocked 119 shots, which is the third best for a season in Streamwood history. She also now ranks third in career blocks behind Hannah McGlone and Angie Oates. "It was like night and day difference from the girl who walked in as a freshman and this year," said Sabres' coach George Rosner. "She became more assertive and stronger in the post and became a force offensively and defensively. She works hard, she's coachable and she got a lot more physical this year which really upped her game. I think she's going to be an amazing force the next two years."