The pressure of a perfect season never tripped up Johnsburg.

As the wins piled on, the Skyhawks remained their same determined and silly selves.

“I was really, really proud of the way these kids competed with so much composure,” Johnsburg coach Erin Stochl said. “That’s a lot to ask for of a group of teenage kids to handle that pressure, so I think that spoke pretty loudly of their maturity level. And, you know, they’re kind of a group that is goofy. They were kind of able to use their silliness and goofiness as a way to counter that pressure. They just kind of took it one game at a time.”

Johnsburg, led by sophomore twins Summer and Skye Toussaint, won their first 34 games, blowing by the previous program single-season record of 28 wins (reached three times, in 2006, 2007 and 2016).

Although the Skyhawks’ season ended on their home court with a 57-38 loss to St. Edward in the Class 2A Johnsburg Sectional final, Stochl, in her eighth year at the school with assistant coach Melanie Hinz, had her team playing almost flawless basketball. Johnsburg won its first conference championship since 2017, going 14-0 in the Kishwaukee River Conference, and captured its first regional title since 2022.

For leading the Skyhawks to a record-breaking season, Stochl, a 2012 Richmond-Burton graduate, has been chosen as the 2026 Northwest Herald Girls Basketball Coach of the Year by the sports staff, with input from area coaches.

Stochl is the third Johnsburg coach to win the award, joining Mike Toussaint (2008, 2009) and Brad Frey (2016).

Stochl recently talked to the Northwest Herald about the Skyhawks’ almost perfect season, filming a commercial with Dwyane Wade, getting tips from Sheryl Swoopes, and more.

What are you most proud of this season?

Stochl: There’s a lot to be proud of with this group. Our record was one thing: to be able to start the regular season 34-0 and finish with a school record for wins, but I think more importantly, this group, they just competed. I think every game was kind of the added pressure of continuing a perfect season. It got heavier and heavier, and they continued to rise to the occasion. They continued to compete like they had something to prove. They never got complacent.

How did you get into coaching?

Stochl: I credit most of that to my dad. I’m the youngest of three, with two older brothers. I started playing basketball when I was 3. My dad was always my coach, and my brothers’ coaches. And so I would get dragged to my brother’s practices at a pretty young age and just be told to kind of dribble on the sideline and watch. That brought me into just loving the game of basketball, and I was fortunate enough to continue on and play basketball at a Division-I level (at Loyola). I knew very quickly there was never a moment where I didn’t want to be around the game of basketball. I think basketball, it builds so many so many relationships, and it teaches you a lot of life lessons. And now, having three daughters of my own and being able to raise them around the game of basketball has been cool, as well.

What is the best part about coaching?

Stochl: Every year, you’re kind of given a new group of kids, and you kind of have to balance everybody’s personalities and kind of see where those pieces fit into the grand scheme. And I enjoy that. I enjoy figuring out what we can get from each kid to bring to the team. I like that competitive aspect of the game. I like being able to build those relationships and kind of have those memories that you can look back to. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the same assistant with me (Melanie Hinz, who coached Stochl in high school) for the last eight seasons, and we look back and we laugh about a lot of the memories or the things that we’ve gone through.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

Stochl: Most people probably don’t know that I played for Sheryl Swoopes. Sheryl Swoopes was my college coach. Some people, unfortunately, don’t know who Sheryl Swoopes is, which is even more sad. So when I say that, some people look at me like, ‘Who?’ She knows the game better than anybody I’ve ever been around. I still have stayed in touch with her, not super regularly. But within the last couple years, there’s times where I’ll reach out and send a text and get some feedback from her. She’s got an incredible mind.

Do you have any rituals or superstitions before a big game?

Stochl: Our team had a ritual this year, it started Game 1 and we carried it to all 35 games. It was a junior, Addie Graf, who thought of it where everybody on the team had to eat a green Skittle. Apparently, that was good luck before every game. So I guess you can say that was the secret to our success. If there was one game we forgot, we were running to the vending machine before the game and grabbing packs.

What scares you?

Stochl: I’m definitely claustrophobic. I do not like tight spaces or close spaces.

Who is your favorite professional or collegiate basketball player?

Stochl: Growing up, it was always Dwyane Wade. I was obsessed with Dwyane Wade. I was in a commercial with him when I was in sixth grade. I got to spend two days with Dwyane Wade and film his commercial (for Converse), go on Fox News and be interviewed about it. Now, though, I would say my favorite player is Caitlin Clark for what she’s done for the game of basketball, and specifically girls basketball. Having young daughters, my oldest is 4, and she loves Caitlin Clark. So being able to watch Caitlin Clark with my 4-year-old daughter, that’s been really special. I’ve kind of jumped on the Caitlin Clark bandwagon.

Who was an unsung hero on the team?

Stochl: I think every single kid had a hero moment at some point this season, which is really cool. I think everybody stepped up. We have a lot of depth on our team. And there’d be times where we would just need, you know, Abby Lane to come in the game and get a defensive stop for us, and she’d do that. Or we’d have Addison Sweetwood knock down a big shot when we needed it. Or we’d have Kailey Delulio make a key defensive play or the Majercik twins (Casie and Carlie) dive on the floor for a loose ball. There were so many kids on our team that just did their role so well and stepped up when we needed it.

What would be your perfect meal?

Stochl: Oh, I’m a pretty picky eater, so this is hard. Probably just something really basic, like fettuccine alfredo, some good bread and an unsweetened iced tea.

What three movies can you watch over and over again?

Stochl: We just introduced my daughter to “Space Jam,” the original, and she loves it. And it kind of reminded me how much I liked it. And then I’d say “Coach Carter.” I’m also big with movies around the house for Christmas, so ”Home Alone.“ It’s one of my favorites.

If you could spend a day with anyone from history, who would it be?

Stochl: Jesus Christ.

What will you miss most about the senior class?

Stochl: This senior class had great leadership, and they were so incredibly unselfish. There was never an argument about playing time. There was never an argument about personal statistics. They were so focused on what they can do to help the team win. They’ve helped create that foundation for us to be successful.

What are you looking forward to next season?

Stochl: We’ve got some different things planned to get some even higher competition, so I’m excited to see us compete. We got invited to Coach Kipp’s Hoopsfest, which is an invite-only showcase. I don’t want our kids to have the mindset of, like, if we lose a game, it’s a failure of a season. There’s a lot to learn in losses as well. We’re going to learn a lot, and we’re going to prepare to hopefully be back in the same position that we were this season and come away with a sectional championship or more.