The girls basketball playoffs tip off Saturday with first-round games in Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A. Here are some key storylines to watch in McHenry County.

How far can Johnsburg go?

The Skyhawks, ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press Class 2A poll in Illinois, survived against an unfamiliar opponent in Warren last week, coming away with a 42-41 win on a game-winning free-throw by Addison Sweetwood to keep their undefeated season alive.

Johnsburg then beat Willows Academy (61-17) and Harvard (63-32) this week, wrapping up a perfect regular season at 31-0. The 31 wins are the most in program history, as the state’s only undefeated team now looks ahead to making noise in the playoffs.

On top of winning its first conference championship since 2017, the Skyhawks will look to add their first regional title in four years.

Led by sophomore twin sisters Summer and Skye Toussaint, Johnsburg opens the postseason at the Class 2A Regina Dominican Regional in Wilmette. The top-seeded Skyhawks are heavy favorites with a semifinal against either Wheaton Academy or North Boone. Willows Academy, the regional’s other best seed (No. 4), and Regina Dominican will play in the other semifinal, with the title game scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday.

Should the Skyhawks make it through, they’ll head home for its own sectional. Johnsburg last won a sectional championship in 2016.

Will Huntley add to its postseason success?

With the Red Raiders winning the FVC five straight times (with an impressive 85-4 record in conference play during that time), it’s a bit surprising that last year’s regional championship was the first for Huntley since 2022. The Red Raiders lost regional title games by a combined four points in 2023 and 2024 but won a regional last year during a program-best, 35-win season.

The Red Raiders would like nothing more than to add its regional title success under 27-year coach Steve Raethz, who recently surpassed 500 career wins – becoming just the 39th coach in the IHSA girls basketball history to reach that mark (according to IHSA records).

Huntley has won 12 total regional championships in its history, with all 12 coming since 2003.

Led by seniors Aubrina Adamik and Luca Garlin, the Raiders, a No. 2 seed, travel to Machesney Park and will face FVC rival Jacobs in the semifinals of the Class 4A Harlem Regional. Should they win, they’ll face either Guilford or host Harlem in the final.

Streak busters

This season could see some long regional title droughts end, with only Huntley, Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake Central returning as regional champions. C-G and Central own the longest regional title streaks with two in a row.

Teams like Crystal Lake South (No. 1 seed in Class 3A) and Marengo (No. 3 in 2A) have great opportunities to end their droughts. South, led in scoring by Laken LePage and Gaby Dzik, haven’t won a regional championship since going back-to-back in 2015 and 2016 and are the favorites in the Woodstock North Regional, while Marengo will look for its first regional titles since 2018 and 2019 and gets the added benefit of playing at home.

The Gators will face Crystal Lake Central or Harvard in the semifinals and could match up against Woodstock or Woodstock North in the final. South has beaten Central three times this year, while it handed Woodstock a 71-36 loss late last month.

Marengo, meanwhile, plays Genoa-Kingston in the semifinals and could match up against No. 2 St. Edward in the final, a team they just defeated 52-46 last week.

Hampshire, too, gets home cooking as the fourth-seeded Whip-Purs host Auburn in the semifinals of their Class 4A regional. Top-seeded Hononegah could await Hampshire, which last won a regional championship in 2012, in the championship game.

Burlington Central, which gave Huntley a run for the Fox Valley Conference championship this year, is another team to look out for in this year’s playoffs. The Rockets enter the postseason as a No. 2 seed in the Class 3A Sycamore Regional, where they’ll face Rochelle in the semifinals. Central, which more recently won regional titles in 2020, 2022 and 2023, could see Sycamore or Freeport in the championship.

Can Cary-Grove make it 3 in a row?

The Trojans, who recently beat FVC champion Huntley on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Kennedy Manning, can extend their regional title streak to three if they come out of their Class 3A Belvidere North Regional unscathed. Only Crystal Lake Central could potentially match C-G’s regional title streak, although the Tigers have a much tougher hill to climb as a No. 9 seed.

Cary-Grove, led in scoring by Malaina Kurth, is a No. 3 seed in the Belvidere North Regional and will face the host Blue Thunder in the semifinals. Should the Trojans win, they’d face the winner of No. 2 Boylan or No. 7 Prairie Ridge for the title.