VERNON HILLS, Ill. – Just two nights ago, the Lake Forest Scouts Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team kicked off its season against the Sycamore Spartans in the first game of the Cougar Classic tournament held at Vernon Hills High School. Showing no signs of slowing down, the Scouts–led by Mr. Kyle Wilhelm–proved to be as dominant a team as they were just a season ago, defeating the Spartans in  convincing fashion.

After a tightly contested first quarter of play, the Scouts seemed to settle back into the conventional style of Lake Forest basketball early on in the second quarter, holding the Spartans to just two points. On the offensive end–led by two-time All-NSC combo guard, junior Halle Douglass–the Scouts put up a quick 17 points of their own, ending the half with a 28-10 lead.

Showing promising signs of the type of play expected in the 2017-18 season, the Scouts ended the game as commanding as they had started in the second quarter, earning Wilhelm and Co. their first win of the season. The Scouts knocked off the Spartans with a final score of 56-35.

Offensively, Halle Douglas had 16 points on 5-12 shooting from the floor, connecting on 2-4 of her shots from beyond the arc. Aside from Douglass’s team-leading output, Lilly Trkla added 12 points, going 6-7 from the free-throw line, and Grace Tirzmalis and Molly Fisher chipped in seven apiece. On the other end of the floor, Tirzmalis collected eight total rebounds while Douglass reeled in an impressive six steals.

Coach Wilhelm’s bunch looks to carry that momentum forward into the remaining games of the Cougar Classic tournament this week, as they head back to Vernon Hills tonight for their 4:30 p.m. tip-off against Lake Forest Academy. Following the tournament, the Scouts travel to Libertyville to take on the Wildcats on November 27, before facing the Stevenson Patriots on the road on November 30. However, the Scouts don’t see their first home game in front of the royal blue stands of LFHS until January 9 when they square off against rival Libertyville at 7 p.m.

Yet in just one game for the Scouts, who went an impressive (22-10, 10-4) just a year ago, the resemblance to the successful unit from 2017-18 season is evidently there. Despite losing seven talented seniors during the offseason due to graduation–one of them being Lake Forest’s All-Time Leading Rebounder, Maeve Summerville–the Scouts seemed to find their own early on Monday night.

“After losing so many seniors last year, people were expecting it to be a rough season for us,” said Douglass. “But after Monday’s game, I think everyone on our team stepped up and filled their roles perfectly, and it was a team win which was really cool to see, especially as the first game of the season.”

Just as Douglass mentioned before, the Scouts sure have the talent and capability to make the 2018-19 their third consecutive 20-plus win season. Not only are the Scouts lucky enough to welcome back three seniors from last season, but the team also made considerable new additions as well, such as versatile all-around guard, sophomore Molly Fisher.

Though it’s still early in the season, it’s safe to say that the team will undoubtedly make some noise in the North Suburban Conference this season. Expect big things from Wilhelm’s group down the road. As mentioned prior, the Scouts look to continue to prove themselves tonight as they take on Lake Forest Academy at 4:30 p.m. at Vernon Hills High School.

2018-19 Girls Varsity Basketball Team

*Halle Douglass, 6’2” guard

*Finola Summerville, 5’11” guard

*Lily Trkla, 5’11’ forward

*Grace Tirzmalis, 6’1” forward

*Ellie Pearson, 6’1” forward*

Molly Fisher, 5’4” guard

Ainsley Allan, 5’5” guard

Sydney Fitzgerald, 5’7” guard

Elise Stanley, 5’9” guard

Courtney Schmidt, 5’11 forward

Alex Flynn, 5’9” guard

Emory Homan, 5’10” forward

Olivia Witte, 6’0” forward

*Starters are denoted