Entering a season without two of the top scorers on the team from the year before is not ideal. That was the scoring challenge facing Mark Sevedge, the head girls basketball coach at Oak Lawn Community High School. They lost one to graduation and one to season-ending injury. Plus, the Spartans also faced the added pressure of being back-to-back South Suburban Conference Red champions.
Hard practices, dedicated players, and the determination to get the job done was the approach the Spartans took to climb that hill. They stuck together when times were tough early in the season, and they maintained focus.
Senior Rose Savaglio stepped up as a leader. Junior Maeve Hassett improved her long-range shooting. And a host of sophomores like Jacky Canales, Danielle Dempsey, Teagan Krzystof, Lamia Quinones, Annie McGrath, Kaitlyn Berkery, and Sinead Conroy all developed into veteran players at the varsity level. The defense was intense, and the scoring improved across the board.
Tuesday night they surmounted all the obstacles, they claimed their rightful glory, and they cut down the victory nets after winning their impressive third SSC Red Championship in a row. They needed to knock off crosstown rival Richards on the road in order to do it, but that just made it sweeter. In the end, they beat the Bulldogs 45-25 for the crown.
“It was a special night for us as we defeated the crosstown rival for our third-straight conference title,” Sevedge said. “It was an all-around team effort, balanced scoring, and stifling defense that got it done. It was a bumpy road at times, but it was well worth the struggle.”
The Spartans are now 14-15 overall and 9-4 in the conference.
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