Presenting the 2021-2022 Fox All-Area Girls Basketball Team

It takes more than a slap to the face to rattle Montini’s Sam Mogilinski.The senior shrugged off an inadvertent blow late in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Class 3A Kaneland sectional semifinal while her timely long-range shooting helped the Broncos blow past Burlington Central, 54-35 in Maple Park.

Burlington Central’s Lauren Knief did not attempt a shot through almost three full quarters in Friday’s Class 3A Boylan regional final against host Boylan but came up with the biggest shot in one of the game’s biggest moments.

While cliché in nature, the old “everybody is 0-0 at the start of the playoffs” is a truthful statement.A deeper meaning, as South Elgin girls basketball coach Dan Mandernack explained, is don’t overlook anybody or uniforms might be turned in the next day.

Motivated and ready well before opening tip, Huntley stormed out to a 14-0 lead against Fox Valley Conference rival Burlington Central and never looked back.

A loss to Fox Valley Conference leader Huntley on Saturday didn’t sit well with Burlington Central.

Players from both Huntley and Burlington Central knew what was at stake in their Saturday afternoon matchup.

Who has the hottest of hot hands right now in the Fox Valley area?

South Elgin likes to shoot the 3-pointer, and Burlington Central made sure not to give up many open looks in a 44-34 victory.

Burlington Central’s Taylor Charles has the capability to dominate a game at both ends of the floor. Posting a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, Charles was a main cog in Burlington Central’s 48-28 win over Crystal Lake South in Fox Valley Conference girls basketball action in Burlington.

Taylor Charles envisioned a different ending to her final game in Montini’s venerable gymnasium.After playing two seasons for the a pair of elite Montini teams, including helping lead the Broncos to a third-place trophy in Class 3A in her sophomore season, Charles transferred to Burlington Central before her junior season. With long-time coach Jason Nichols also leaving to accept the head women’s basketball coaching job at Morton College, the Broncos lost several talented players due to a transfer exodus.As Charles walked off Montini’s court with 74 seconds left in regulation following Saturday’s 49-24 defeat to Class 4A powerhouse Young in the 32nd Annual Coach Derril Kipp Hoopfest, she admitted it was a strange feeling.

Burlington Central girls basketball coach Collin Kalamatas has noticed another level of play from 6-foot-2 forward Taylor Charles in recent games.“She’s made some big-time steps in the last few weeks,” Kalamatas said. “She is just a special player. Her impact on the defensive end is one thing, but she’s starting to get things going offensively, too. When the ball is in her hands, she looks sure of herself and everyone feeds off that.”

Mike Miazga takes a look at some of the highlights for girls basketball teams over the Christmas break, including stops at Batavia, South Elgin and Huntley, among others.

Nazareth’s Danielle Scully didn’t have the easiest assignment on Tuesday.The 6-foot-1 sophomore was tasked with trying to score points against Burlington Central senior center Taylor Charles, a 6-foot-2 Princeton commit.With Charles dominating in the lane, Scully was forced to shoot mostly from the perimeter and the results were not good at first as she started 1-for-9.But Scully kept firing and eventually found the mark, sinking two key shots down the stretch as the Roadrunners pulled out a 32-28 victory on the second day of the truncated Montini Christmas Tournament.

York (8-4) will play Montini, which rolled over St. Francis Monday, at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday while Burlington Central will face Nazareth at 11:30 a.m. With four teams dropping out of the tournament because of COVID protocols, it has switched to a shootout format.

Here’s a look at where Fox area schools are headed for girls basketball holiday tournaments, including St. Charles East, Huntley and Burlington Central playing at Montini, and Dundee-Crown hosting its annual Komaromy Classic.

Burlington Central desperately needed someone to get going offensively after the Rockets missed their first seven shots and fell behind, 11-0, to Prairie Ridge in the first five minutes Wednesday night. That someone was Rylie DuVal.

Batavia coach Kevin Jensen knew someone would have to step up.Without Wisconsin recruit Tessa Towers and Dubuque commit Claire Nazos Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs were, without a doubt, going to rely heavily on sophomore point guard Brooke Carlson as they hosted Burlington Central.While Carlson led the way for most of the afternoon, the Bulldogs got a huge spark late from Ava Ahrens and Nicole McLaughlin as Batavia held off a late Rockets rally in a 53-52 nonconference victory.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the first few weeks of the girls basketball season in the Fox area, including a 6-0 start for South Elgin and updates at Geneva, Batavia, Huntley and more.

Senior center Taylor Charles scored 15 points, 10 in the first quarter including three 3-pointers, as Burlington Central knocked off pesky Hampshire 47-38 in the Fox Valley Conference girls basketball opener for both teams in Hampshire Wednesday night.

Burlington Central made 4 of 5 shots from the field, including 3 of 4 3-pointers, and hit 6 of 9 free throws in the first quarter. Yet the Rockets still found themselves trailing Geneva, 20-17, after 8 minutes. That’s how tough the Vikings were. Geneva then proceeded to blow the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Central 18-4 en route to a 69-48 win and a spot in the championship game of the Burlington Central Thanksgiving Tournament.

Becca Carani swooped in for a layup midway through second quarter Monday, but it was just the start of the sequence that portrayed what her impact could be in her senior season for Burlington Central. After Burlington Central forced another Marengo turnover, an outlet pass found Carani again for another bucket. A few possessions later, Carani helped force a turnover, showcasing in a small sample that it’s not just her offense that the Rockets can rely on this season.

Here’s a look at the girls basketball season in the Fox Valley

Burlington Central senior Taylor Charles has committed to playing basketball in the Ivy League at Princeton.