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Looking back at a banner season

Basketball was alive and well in the area this past season.

On the boys side, Geneva (30-5), St. Charles East (24-4), West Aurora (22-9), Aurora Christian (20-7), St. Charles North (18-9) and Marmion (17-12) combined for a 131-46 record (.740 winning percentage) with 4 conference championships, 3 regional titles, 2 sectional crowns and a supersectional plaque.

Meanwhile, the girls teams from Geneva (23-7), St. Charles East (22-8), Aurora Christian (20-9), St. Charles North (19-9), Kaneland (18-10) and Aurora Central Catholic (17-11) combined for a 119-54 mark (.688 winning percentage) with 4 regional titles and a sectional championship.

Here's a recap of the 2014-15 season:

Super season

Congratulations to Geneva basketball head coach Phil Ralston, assistant coaches Rob Wicinski and Scott Hennig, and the entire team on its fourth-place Class 4A state finish last weekend at Carver Arena. Led by 6-foot-7 all-state forward Nate Navigato, the Vikings matched their all-time single-season victory standard (30-5) and earned their first downstate berth since 1963.

Starters Pace Temple, Daniel Santacaterina, Loudon Vollbrecht, Bennett Fuzak and Navigato guided the team on a 16-game winning streak and through a rugged postseason road filled with potential potholes all the way to Peoria.

Top boys games

Geneva 63, Rockford Auburn 60: Played before a raucous standing room only crowd at DeKalb High School, the Vikings edged third-ranked Rockford Auburn on Navigato's 3-point play with 9 seconds remaining to earn their first sectional championship in 52 years.

Geneva 73, St. Charles East 70: The much-anticipated showdown between the co-Upstate Eight Conference River Division champions and neighboring rivals didn't disappoint. Led by Navigato's game-high 31 points, the Vikings held on to claim back-to-back regional titles with its second win in 3 tries over the Saints before a jam-packed house in Geneva's Contest Gym.

St. Charles North 78, St. Charles East 70, OT: Senior guard Jake Ludwig swished a 25-foot, 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left in overtime to lift host St. Charles North to a dramatic UEC River victory over St. Charles East on Jan. 17. Mick Vyzral had a career-high 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Saints, who had their 13-game winning streak snapped. "That's as good as any game we've ever had, that's for sure," said North Stars coach Tom Poulin.

Top girls games

Geneva 60, St. Charles North 58: With starters Janie McCloughan and Abby Novak on the bench in foul trouble and 6-2 sophomore center Grace Loberg sidelined for the second half with an ankle injury, Geneva reserve Emma Peters took a charge from the North Stars' Nichole Davidson on a drive to the basket at the buzzer as the Vikings hung on for the UEC River victory.

St. Charles East 66, Geneva 54: Senior guard Katie Claussner scored a career-high 30 points while sophomore guard Samantha Munroe added a season-high 16 points with four 3-pointers as the Saints stunned the Vikings in Mack Olson Gym on Jan. 24.

Huntley 66, Geneva 63, 2 OT: The Red Raiders converted 26 of their 29 free throws to slip past the Vikings during the Montini Christmas Tournament. Geneva senior guard Kate Rogers (team-high 14 points) sent the game into overtime with her buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner.

Double vision

Geneva's girls basketball team played back-to-back double-overtime games to finish the 2014 calendar year, losing to Huntley (66-63) and Kenwood (61-57) at Montini. Nearly 3 months later, Geneva's boys basketball team survived a 57-52 double-overtime victory over Lake Park in the Class 4A supersectional at NIU.

Top individual performances

West Aurora senior guard Marquis Howard shattered a school record by hitting 14 3-pointers on the way to a 46-point effort during the Blackhawks' 82-64 win over South Elgin last month. Howard's efforts - second-best amount of 3-point baskets in state history - also came in legendary coach Gordie Kerkman's 800th career win.

At the 2:45 mark of the second quarter, Nate Navigato became the all-time point scorer in Geneva history with his resounding dunk during the Vikings' 54-44 victory over Elgin. Navigato eclipsed a 54-year-old record set by 7-foot Haskell Tison (1959-61) with his 1,589th career point.

St. Charles East senior guard Cole Gentry scored 16 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter during the Saints' 79-71 season-opening victory over East Aurora at the Ron Johnson Thanksgiving Tournament. Less than a month later, the 5-10 Gentry recorded 29 points and 7 steals during the Saints' 77-69 win over Geneva.

Batavia junior guard Canaan Coffey established a new York/Jack Tosh Holiday Tournament record with 22 3-point baskets during the Bulldogs' 3-2 run that included a berth in the consolation championship against Conant.

Last November, Batavia junior forward Hannah Frazier scored 32 points and grabbed 18 rebounds during the Bulldogs' 48-47 triumph over Zion-Benton.

St. Charles East senior guard Katie Claussner enjoyed a pair of career-high 30-point games in the same week against Conant and Geneva.

St. Charles North senior forward Nichole Davidson became the school's second player to reach 1,000 career points when she connected on a 3-pointer from the wing during the North Stars' 74-43 victory over Hoffman Estates.

Believe it or not

I saw a Glenbard North player foul out in the first quarter during St. Charles North's 53-29 girls basketball victory. I've been covering high school basketball for 30-plus years and I can honestly say this was a first.

Another personal first came in February when West Chicago's boys basketball team didn't commit a single foul during St. Charles East's 87-56 road triumph.

Outside touch

No team made more 3-point baskets than St. Charles East did this season.

Led by Jake Asquini (64), Cole Gentry (59), Mick Vyzral (47) and Jake Clodi (38), the Saints connected on 272 of 696 (39 percent) shots from beyond the arc.

All-senior boys

Chasen Peez, Batavia; Nate Navigato, Geneva; Cole Gentry, Mick Vyzral, St. Charles East; Jack Callaghan, Jake Ludwig, St. Charles North.

All-senior girls

Natasha Brown, Aurora Christian; Abby Novak, Janie McCloughan, Geneva; Katie Claussner, Kyra Washington, St. Charles East; Nichole Davidson, St. Charles North.

All-underclass boys

Brett Czerak, ACC; R.D. Lutze, Aurora Christian; Canaan Coffey, Batavia; Loudon Vollbrecht, Geneva; Ryan David, Kaneland; Evan DiLeonardi, St. Charles East; Griffin Hammer, St. Charles North.

All-underclass girls

Gabby Galbato, Aurora Christian; Hannah Frazier, Batavia; Stephanie Hart, Grace Loberg, Stephanie Hart, Geneva; Sara Rosenfeldt, St. Charles East; Claire Jakaitis, Morgan Rosencrants, St. Charles North.

All-underrated boys

Brett Czerak, ACC; Jordan Glasgow, Marmion; Jack Bronec, Evan DiLeonardi, St. Charles East; Jack Callaghan, St. Charles North.

All-underrated girls

Hannah Frazier, Batavia; Camri Conley, Kaneland; Quincy Kellett, Rosary; Chloe John, St. Charles East; Ashling Davern, St. Charles North.

All-glass cleaners-boys

Mario May, ACC; Loudon Vollbrecht, Geneva; Mick Vyzral, St. Charles East; Jack Callaghan, St. Charles North; Roland Griffin, West Aurora.

All-glass cleaners-girls

Natasha Brown, Aurora Christian; Hannah Frazier, Batavia; Abby Novak, Grace Loberg, Geneva; Sara Rosenfeldt, St. Charles East; Nichole Davidson, St. Charles North.

All-outside shooters-boys

Brett Czerak, ACC; Canaan Coffey, Batavia; Nate Navigato, Geneva; Jake Esp, Marmion; Jake Asquini, Cole Gentry, St. Charles East; Mikey Schroeder, St. Charles North.

All-outside shooters-girls

Gabby Galbato, Aurora Christian; Jessica Koch, Batavia; Margaret Whitley, Geneva; Sam Munroe, Kyra Washington, St. Charles East; Kyla Helsel, St. Charles North.

First off the bench-boys

Kyle Czerak, ACC; John Fitch, Batavia; Mike Landi, Stephen Moyer, Geneva; James McQuillan, St. Charles East; Armon Osborne, St. Charles North.

First off the bench-girls

Courtney Reynolds, Kate Rogers, Geneva; Hannah Vitkus, St. Charles East; Anna Davern, Sam Novak, St. Charles North.

All-floor burn-boys

Danny Pieczynski, Batavia; Daniel Santacaterina, Geneva; Jordan Glasgow, Marmion; Evan DiLeonardi, St. Charles East; Jack Callaghan, St. Charles North.

All-floor burn-girls

Janie McCloughan, Abby Novak, Geneva; Katie Claussner, St. Charles East; Nichole Davidson, Morgan Rosencrants, St. Charles North; Megan Conlin, Rosary.

You can reach Craig Brueske at csb4k@hotmail.com

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