Perfection was the best way to describe Loyola last season. The Ramblers played top competition all season and were battle-tested throughout their run that resulted in a IHSA Class 4A state championship.
Led by Paige Engels and Kelsey Langston — who were seniors — the team consistently outperformed their competition despite not having a player on the roster above 6-feet.
But that was last year; this year’s story has yet to be written. And while the Ramblers want to attain similar success as it did last season, they also acknowledge that last year is in the past.
“It's a newer team,” said senior guard Aubrey Galvan, who is committed to Vanderbilt. “We lost Kelsey and Paige, other players, but we're still going to work as hard as we did last year. We're not going to let last year's success define us. We're going to make a whole new story with this team. I'm still excited to see how it turns out.”
Repeating is hard. It takes buy-in from players, talent, preparation and luck. Loyola got a taste of the spotlight last season amid its undefeated run, receiving every team’s best shot. But for the Ramblers to return to the IHSA Class 4A state finals, they must put last season behind them.
“We're trying not to tell this team it's about a repeat year because we don't have a lot of those drills still left on our team,” coach Jeremy Schoenecker said. “We still have a handful [of returners], and expectations are high for us as always. We're looking forward to the challenge once again.”
Among the returners are senior guards Clare Weasler and Galvan, both of whom played large roles on last year’s team. Galvan, who is committed to Vanderbilt, is a dynamic scorer and nifty playmaker. She’s one of the best point guards in the state and her ability to create easy baskets for her teammates will be needed this season.
Weasler sealed the state championship victory after drawing a charge with 26.1 seconds left and worked over the summer on attacking the basket. Guard Marycait Mackie is a four-year varsity player who will step into a larger role.
Despite the new players, the formula for the Ramblers remains the same. Loyola wants to play at a breakneck pace, constantly pushing the ball to compensate for its size disadvantage. Running in transition and pressuring the ball remain the program’s hallmarks, but after losing seniors who were critical to its success, the team is still trying to find its identity.
Along with their strong play on the court, Langston and Engels were indispensable leaders. Finding out who steps into that leadership role will be key for Loyola.
“Kelsey was sort of that stickler we'll get on our teammates, whereas Paige was that quiet leader,” Schoenecker said. “So I think they're all just trying to feel each other out. We're really excited to see, you know, who's going to take that next step.”
Over the summer, the team held morning beach workouts and team lunches to fortify the bond among the group. What made last year’s team special was the synergy it played with. Backdoor cuts were rewarded with passes, the ball popped around the perimeter and the team played with a selflessness that spread throughout the team.
Creating that on-court chemistry with the newer players will require an adjustment period, but the program is still confident it can coalesce as a group.
“We have a lot of new people on the team, so we have a new group here, but we're still looking to defend that state championship,” Weasler said.
