A four-leaf clover, four of a kind, both things require a lot of luck. But when the Oak Lawn Community High School girls basketball team secured its most impressive fourth-consecutive South Suburban Conference Red Championship on Thursday night with a win over Tinley Park, it had absolutely nothing to do with luck.
This year’s title run took a maximum effort from every girl on the team. Churning their way through the conference schedule, the Spartans won in nearly every way imaginable. They had blowout wins, nail-biters, gritty battles, and come-from-behind celebrations. It was a true testament to the resolve and the focused mindset of the girls.
“Every season is different, and every team is different,” head coach Mark Sevedge said. “When you achieve a level of success, sometimes the pressure to sustain that success is a lot to handle. It is hard because players graduate and new players arrive, but the name on the front of the jersey stays the same, and the expectations are attached to that name.
“We constantly talk about representing our program, our school, our community, our families, and those who wore the uniform before us with pride and humility. The girls have done an honorable job in doing that this season. They battled through the lows and stayed connected as a unit to come out on the other side as champions. Super proud of this group of girls.”
Another outstanding accomplishment for this team is that Teagan Krzystof broke the school record of 71 made three-pointers in a single season that was held by Maddie McGrath and Reagan Cameron. Krzystof made four threes Thursday night in the conference clinching win and has a total of 72 for the year heading into the postseason.
The Spartans finished the regular season 17-13 overall and 11-2 in the SSC. The Spartans have been a model of consistency on the court in conference boasting a record of 45-7 during this four-year run.