Coach Corry Irvin has moved on to the college ranks, along with some big-name players.
Other programs such as Simeon and Kenwood have emerged as Public League and state powers.
But the expectations haven’t changed at Young. Even when the immediate circumstances look bleak, as they did early in Saturday’s Public League final against Kenwood at UIC’s Credit Union 1 Arena.
With Power Five prospect Skylar Jones leading the way, the Dolphins rallied from 11 down in the first quarter to edge Kenwood 57-55 for their first Public League title since 2019.
Young (19-5) lost to Kenwood in the 2020 semifinals and the pandemic wiped out last year’s Public League playoffs. That gap between titles, plus the perception that Young was slipping, made Saturday’s win sweet for Jones.
“Since coach Corry left, everybody doubted us from the jump,” Jones said. “It means a lot to show that we could bring the tradition back.”
Current coach Krissy Harper, who took over when Irvin left for St. Xavier (she’s now an assistant at Illinois), is part of that tradition. She won two city titles as a player for Irvin.
“It means so much to win with these girls,” Harper said. “If you guys only knew the battles that we’ve been through this year. ... They deserve it.”
It starts with Jones, a speedy 5-11 junior who causes opponents headaches on both ends of the floor. On Saturday, she scored a team-high 17 points and had five of Young’s 11 steals.
The defensive effort helped the Dolphins regroup after falling behind 17-6 late in the first quarter.
“We [tried] slowing down,” Jones said. “Our nerves were kind of bad because of the atmosphere. But I think we got ourselves together.”
Harper credits that to Jones, whose scholarship offers include Miami, Illinois, DePaul and Syracuse.
“I’ve told her this since she was a freshman,” Harper said. “She brings everything. She is the most versatile player, I believe, in the state. And I say that humbly, but I say that realistically as well.”
Freshman guard Destiny Jackson, who played all 32 minutes, added 11 points, five assists and three steals for Young (19-5). Senior forward Maia Downes, who also played every minute, had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Young got back into the game with a 9-0 run spanning the first and second quarters. It was close most of the way till the Dolphins opened 54-47 lead with 3:11 remaining. The closest Kenwood (19-6) got after that was the final margin.
Brianna McDaniel, the state’s top-ranked senior and a Texas A&M recruit, led the Broncos with 25 points.
It’s been a challenging time for McDaniel, who not only had to navigate the pandemic like everyone else, but also had to rehab after tearing her ACL last March.
“It has been a hard roller coaster just off the simple fact I didn’t know if I was going to play this year,” McDaniel said. “Just coming back and knowing that I can help my team in any kind of way was just amazing to me.”
The teams could meet again in less than two weeks. If the seeds hold, they’ll play in a sectional semifinal at Lyons on Feb. 22.
