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The Legacy Series: Girls Basketball

The+Legacy+Series%3A+Girls+Basketball

With the winter sports season in full swing, The Forest Scout takes a look at some of the greatest athletic performances in Lake Forest High School history. In this four part winter series, we feature the some of the greatest individual seasons and careers from boys swimming, wrestling, and boys and girls basketball. In part three of the series, we take a look back at the most successful girls basketball players of all time, as the next generation of Scout athletes prepare to make their own history.

Janie Hodgkinson (1998):

The Legacy Series: Girls Basketball 1Janie Hodgkinson’s 1,393 career points are a lot. So much in fact, that she is the leading scorer in Lake Forest girls basketball history. Hodgkinson’s 543 points (19.7 ppg) in her senior season are the best of all time as well. Of course, you can’t really set these kinds of scoring records without being the all time free throw and three point shooter in team history in addition to her prowess in the paint. As her teammates will tell you, Hodgkinson was not a selfish player despite her scoring ability. In addition to her prolific scoring, Hodgkinson dished out a record 157 assists in her senior season, and finished her career second all time for career assists. One of the best scorers and passers in team history, Hodgkinson was indeed an incredible scoring threat whether it was from herself or in assisting a teammate. In addition to her incredible statistics, Hodgkinson was a two-time selection to the All-State team and was voted Lake Shore, a now defunct newspaper publication, Player of the Year in 1998 and led her team to a IHSA Regional Championship under the direction of head coach Jim Thiel.

Delaney WIlliams (2017):

The Legacy Series: Girls Basketball 2Many of you may remember Delaney Williams, who graduated last year ending an incredibly productive basketball career for the Scouts. Williams, much like Sarah Spain whom we will discuss momentarily, was yet another athletic and aggressive player who did it all for the Scouts in here time on the hardwood. Williams, a former guard now playing at Wittenberg University, took up basketball in addition to a soccer career in which she was a part of the 2014 IHSA State Champion team. Her athleticism and hustle carried over from the soccer field to the court as Williams racked up a school record 314 steals and dished out a school record 391 assists. Williams, alongside Maeve Summerville (and Halle Douglass in her senior season), was a key piece for last year’s IHSA Regional Champion team, and a key piece in Lake Forest girls basketball history.

Sarah Spain (1998):

The Legacy Series: Girls Basketball 3Long before joining ESPN as a sports analyst, Sarah Spain tallied multiple accolades for Lake Forest sports, most notably in girls basketball. Spain, remembered for her contributions a as a do-it-all player, averaged a double-double in her senior year with 12.2 points per game and 10.7 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth and third in program history, respectively. In addition, Spain blocked a program best 218 shots in her career and recorded 173 assists. Spain, simply put, was one of the best all around players in program history. Spain’s athleticism and teammate-first mentality allowed her to fill up the stat sheet in nearly every category during her historic career. Spain, who was a teammate of the aforementioned Janie Hodgkinson, was also an IHSA Regional Champion in 1998 for the Scouts.

Maeve Summerville (Present):

The Legacy Series: Girls Basketball 4Last year, you may have remembered Maeve Summerville leading her team to an IHSA Regional title and a Sectional semi-final berth in the playoffs. Summerville was on pace to shatter many career records, and stake her place in Scouts basketball history, but an unfortunate knee injury will keep her sidelined for the first half of her senior year. Even with the injury, Summerville still holds one of the better careers of all time. Thanks to her athleticism and height, Summerville is the all-time leading rebounder in Scouts history with 769 rebounds, and has swatted away the second most shots in program history with 157 blocks. Summerville, a two-time All-NSC player in her sophomore and junior season, has also scored 879 career points, which ranks fifth all time. Remember that Summerville did all of this without a senior season thus far. If she continues on her prolific, record-setting pace, Summerville could easily be the most decorated player in Scouts basketball history. Even without that additional year under her belt, Summerville remains one of the best players to ever come through the program. She will continue her basketball career at DePauw University next year.

Author Opinion:

There are plenty of memorable careers to dissect when it comes to girls basketball. There have been scorers, defenders, and all around players that have all made a strong impact on the girls basketball program. Hodgkinson was undoubtedly the best offensive player in Lake Forest history thus far. As the leading scorer and second best assister, Hodgkinson was responsible for a lot of points in her career, leading her 1998 team to an IHSA Regional title. Summerville was probably the best defender of the bunch with great success in both blocks and rebounds. Williams and Spain were both tremendous all around, do-it-all players, but I think Williams has the edge in this category. Williams’ aggressiveness led her to have the most steals and assists in program history, which indicate a player that is willing to sacrifice for the team defensively and work hard. Interestingly enough, there are some surprising similarities between all the players. Summerville and Williams each played on last year’s team that won a regional title, and Hodgkinson and Spain were on the same team in 1998 that also won a regional title. Clearly, each one of these players had an impact on Scouts history, but in the end I would have to say that Hodgkinson was just a bit ahead of the pack. Her scoring ability and impact on the program is simply unmatched. Summerville definitely could have surpassed her incredible accomplishments with a productive senior season, but with the unfortunate knee injury, we will never truly know what would have happened.

What goes without saying is that current sophomore Halle Douglass–when it is all said and done–will certainly warrant a place in this discussion as well. She was one of the many catalysts that the Scouts had in earning an IHSA Regional crown a year ago and is off to a furious pace at both ends this season. Potentially, if Douglass shows continued improvement and consistent success, she has the potential to break the scoring, rebounding, steals, and assists records at LFHS. Though this discussion would be more valid in 202o when Douglass graduates, Halle’s most stout competition will be Janie Hodgkinson before she is heralded as the best girls basketball player to walk through the halls at 1285 N. McKinley Rd.

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About the Contributor
Kyle Wix, Author
Kyle Wix is honored to join The Forest Scout reporting for the In Between the Lines and In the News section covering important school and world issues. In addition to his writing duties, Kyle is the host of the Daily Dose. He enjoys playing baseball, watching sports, and flying as he is also a pilot.
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