Seton coach Justin Domingo was fairly confident the regular season was going to be a struggle.
He was correct.
Competing in the Catholic League South with powerhouses St. Rita, Hales, Providence and De La Salle — along with a challenging nonconference slate that included Crete-Monee and Rich South — proved daunting for Domingo’s inexperienced team.
Even though Seton finished the regular season with a 4-20 record, Domingo was confident there would be a payoff come playoff time.
There was in the form of a Class 2A regional championship.
The surging Sting advanced to the Robeson Sectional and a date at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Hope (10-14).
Seton won its own 2A regional, topping Carver 68-66 on Friday.
“It’s a great feeling,” Domingo said. “We’re a different team than earlier in the season.”
Seton isn’t the only local team competing in the 2A sectionals. Illiana Christian, fresh off a Beecher Regional championship, will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Reed-Custer in the El Paso Sectional.
Leo, which claimed its own regional title, plays at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Hales in the Robeson Sectional.
“I definitely knew this was something the team was capable of,” Domingo said. “At the tail end of the season we were playing better and trusting each other. We played a really tough schedule and now it’s paying off. As much as we want to win all of our games, we especially want to win every game in February and March.”
The Sting are young — only four seniors comprise the 14-man roster. However, it appears Seton is beginning to find its way.
“Anybody can score on any given night,” Domingo said. “That’s how it’s been recently. Somebody different leading us.”
Senior Dylan Snyder led on Friday, pouring in 21 points. Another senior, Tim Townsel, along with juniors Albert Haskins and Franklyn Felix, sophomore RaShaad Williams and freshman Javon Freeman, have the ability to take over at any given moment.
“We’re definitely battle-tested,” Domingo said. “It’s going to come down the rest of the way of who wants it more.”
Illiana Christian (22-6) won its first regional championship since the 2005-06 season. The Vikings, though, hope that achievement is a stepping stone to greater playoff success. The co-conference champions of the Metro Suburban East have higher goals to achieve.
“The mood in the locker room after we won Friday was that there is still work to do,” Illiana coach Tom Roozeboom said. “It’s exciting, but we’re not satisfied.”
The Vikings take on Reed-Custer (24-5), a team that plays an uptempo, frenetic style similar to that of Eisenhower — full-court pressure defense and a reliance on 3-point shooting.
“We can’t take a moment off,” Roozeboom said. “There’s pressure all game. They force you to make good decisions up the floor and you have to finish. I think we’re deep enough to handle it.”
Illiana Christian flaunted its depth during a 71-56 win Friday over Beecher. Matthew Zandstra led with 16 points, followed by Bo Hofstra (12 points, 10 rebounds), Zach Pruim (10 points, 4 steals) and Ryan Barnes (9 points, 11 rebounds). Guard Chandler Kimmel will be a major key Tuesday.
“We have a good rotation of guards and bigs,” Roozeboom said. “We can go smaller if need be. It’s a tough task ahead. But we want more.”
At 10-16, Leo didn’t produce a regular season worthy of its rich history. Similar to Seton, though, competing in the Catholic League prepared the Lions for the 2A postseason.
Leo competes in the Catholic League North, where 20-game winners St. Joe, St. Ignatius, DePaul Prep and Fenwick all reside.
The Lions drubbed Harper 68-44 Friday, setting up a sectional semifinal date with Hales.
Leo spread out the scoring wealth in disposing of Harper and likely will need to so again to conquer Hales (26-5), which finished second to St. Rita in the Catholic South.
Darias Oliver, Darius Branch and Kewan Smith combined for 58 points Friday. The Lions will need additional help from Chris Winters in the paint to have any shot at upending Hales.
Twitter @disabato
