The Northwest Herald girls basketball preview will appear in print next week, with info on every local team. Until then, here are five storylines to look out for in the 2025-26 season.

What’s in store for Huntley?

Nobody could have predicted what Huntley went on to accomplish last season. The Red Raiders, led by Northwest Herald Player of the Year Anna Campanelli, won their first 35 games and were the last undefeated team in the state.

Huntley ended its historic season with a 57-33 loss to Loyola Academy in a Class 4A supersectional, one win short of its second state appearance ever.

Huntley’s 35 wins not only set a new team high, topping the 30 the 2016 Raiders achieved, but it also was the most by any team in McHenry County history. (Hampshire went 32-2 in 2022-23).

Huntley graduated five seniors, including three starters in guard Campanelli, forward Paula Strzelecki and guard Ava McFadden, but the returning Raiders will be eager to show last year’s season was no fluke.

Who’s the FVC favorite?

Huntley won its fourth straight Fox Valley Conference title last season with a perfect 18-0 mark and will enter the season with an astonishing 70-2 record in FVC play since the start of the 2021-22 season.

Quite frankly, nobody in the FVC has come close to catching the Raiders, whose relentless, in-your-face defense wears opponents out. Huntley won its 18 conference games a year ago by an average of 43 points.

This year’s team may not have the same offensive firepower after losing three of its top scorers to graduation, but Huntley always finds new stars. Senior guard Aubrina Adamik (5.4 ppg, 35 3s), a two-year varsity starter, is the team’s top returning scorer, while senior guard Luca Garlin, also a starter last year, is back to lead the Raiders’ defense.

Cary-Grove was the only team to give Huntley a competitive game in the FVC last year, although both games still ended up as double-digit spreads (50-38 and 49-34). The Trojans graduated their top scorer in Ellie Mjaanes, but bring back senior guards Kennedy Manning (7.4 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.7 spg) and Malaina Kurth (6.8 ppg).

Crystal Lake South is a team that should not be counted out after a 14-win improvement last season. Not only did the Gators get back guard Laken LePage (15.9 ppg, 61 3s) after missing her entire sophomore season with a knee injury, but they also welcomed wing Gaby Dzik (13.5 ppg, 57 3s), who was one of the FVC’s top scorers as a freshman. There may not be a better scoring duo in McHenry County.

Crystal Lake Central could be dangerous, as well, as the Tigers bring back the area’s top scorer in senior Ruby Macke, who averaged 21.5 points a game, including a school-record 43 in a crosstown win against Prairie Ridge.

Hampshire, led by senior Mikala Amegasse (11.1 ppg) and Burlington Central, led by junior Audrey LaFleur (11.9 ppg, 51 3s), both finished at .500 or better in the FVC last year and should again be competitive.

Jacobs, with 6-foot-2 junior center Olivia Schuster (11 ppg, 8 rpg), is hoping to make a jump this season, as is Prairie Ridge, led by senior guards Zoe Nanos (11.7 ppg) and Maia Cassin (9.4 ppg).

Johnsburg’s fantastic freshmen

Crystal Lake South’s Dzik was one of the area’s premier scorers, despite her freshman status, but she wasn’t the only first-year players to turn heads a year ago.

Johnsburg vaulted near the top of the Kishwaukee River Conference after welcoming twin sisters Summer and Skye Toussaint. Both enter their sophomore seasons with verbal offers from NCAA Division-I Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Summer Toussaint, a guard, led the team in scoring at 15.8 points a game. In fact, no freshman at Johnsburg has ever scored more points in a season than her 508 last year. She was a threat to score anywhere on the court, making 63 3s.

Skye Toussaint, too, broke a team record, as her 313 rebounds is the top mark in program history for any age. She trailed only her sister in scoring average on the team at 10.1 points a game, almost averaging a double-double (9.5 rpg).

Is Marengo still the team to beat in the KRC?

Marengo won its sixth KRC title in the past seven seasons, going 13-1 in the eight-team conference, but it’s fair to wonder if the Indians are the favorites again after graduating multiple starters, including guards Gabby Gieseke and Emilie Polizzi and forward Dayna Carr.

The Indians will lean on junior guard Maggie Hanson to lead them after such heavy losses to graduation. She got the most votes from coaches on the All-KRC team last year among Marengo players, averaging 8.5 points a game with 51 3s.

Forward Macy Noe also returns after averaging 8.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game as a sophomore. The start of her season may be delayed, however, after she suffered a foot injury in soccer over the summer.

Marengo went 13-1 in the KRC (its only loss to Plano in OT), followed by Plano (12-2) and Johnsburg (10-4). Plano, though, graduated its best player in Josie Larsen, who was voted KRC Player of the Year.

Johnsburg, led by the Toussaint sisters, likely is the biggest threat to dethrone Marengo atop the KRC.

Can more teams find postseason success this year?

Huntley’s supersectional run in 4A stood out among McHenry County teams finding postseason success last year.

Cary-Grove, meanwhile, almost did the same in 3A, but a 33-31 overtime loss to Grayslake Central in a sectional final after a controversial foul call on a 3-point, leading to a pair of free throws, stopped the Trojans shy of their first Elite 8 appearance since 1989.

Which teams will make a run in 2025-26?

Huntley won its first regional title since 2022 and 12th overall after it had lost its previous two regional finals by a combined four points, and earned its first sectional championship since 2016.

Cary-Grove won its second straight regional title in 3A with a win against Lake Forest.

Crystal Lake Central, too, won its second 3A regional title in a row, beating Burlington Central thanks largely to a 34-point, 12-rebound performance by Macke in a final at Woodstock.

Crystal Lake South, surely, will be looking to end a 10-year regional title drought after last year’s 60-47 loss to Kaneland.

Hampshire, usually among the top FVC teams, hasn’t won a regional since 2012.

Burlington Central has regional titles as recently as 2022 and 2023.

Marian Central, after a 17-win season, fell to Aurora Central Catholic in a 2A regional semifinal. The Hurricanes had won back-to-back regional titles going into last season, and this year will have to rebuild after losing the majority of their starting lineup that included Juliette Huff (17.5 ppg), the program’s second-leading scorer.

Among last year’s top KRC teams, Marengo last won a regional title in 2019 and Johnsburg in 2022.