Fiedorowicz possesses complete game

Johnsburg's Paige Fiedorowicz was named Northwest Herald Girls Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

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Point guards for opposing girls basketball teams must have had a tough time believing their eyes. Standing at the top of the defense, waiting for the Johnsburg girls basketball team to bring the ball down the floor, they would see 6-foot-1 inch Paige Fiedorowicz rushing the ball upcourt, ready to run the offense. "They probably were not expecting that," Skyhawks coach Mike Toussaint said at a possible reaction from opponents. "But that's what makes (Paige) so special is she does do everything. We did not miss a beat when she was handling the ball." Fiedorowicz already was one of the most dominant players in the post. But the senior wanted to work on her versatility before moving on to play basketball at Marquette next season. Judging from the results from this season, her hard work has paid off. For the second consecutive season, Fiedorowicz is the Northwest Herald Player of the Year. Last week, she was named to The Associated Press Class AA All-State first team. Only five players in Class AA made the team. But for Fiedorowicz, this season was about her team. She led the Skyhawks to their third-consecutive conference and third-consecutive regional championships. She also helped the team to the sectional final, where the Skyhawks were denied their dream of making it to the state tournament by a last-second three-pointer against Warren. Fiedorowicz knew that every time she caught the ball she was going to draw two or three defenders. Instead of trying to fight through the double- and triple-teams, like she said she tried to do too much last season, Fiedorowicz tried to distribute the ball more. With the offensive options the Skyhawks had, that unselfishness played to the team's strengths. She finished with 70 assists for the season, among the top totals in the area. With the offense running through Fiedorowicz, the Skyhawks were unstoppable at times. In a key matchup against state-power New Trier, the Skyhawks trailed by 15 points in the second quarter. Fiedorowicz took over at point guard, running the offense and creating offense on her own. She scored 23 points in the game, including 15 in the first half, and helped the Skyhawks rally and eventually win. "She still wanted the ball in her hands when it counted the most," Toussaint said. In addition to her passing, Fiedorowicz improved her outside shot. She made 26 three-pointers this season, which was among the area leaders, and made 54 percent of her 48 three-point attempts. With her improved shot and ball-handling skills, Fiedorowicz gave area coaches headaches. "With her versatility, you just try and do your best to help on defense," Huntley coach Steve Raethz said. "I don't think you are going to completely stop her. You try and minimize the damage the best you can." Perhaps Crystal Lake South coach Kyle McCaughn said it best about trying to stop Fiedorowicz. "I would put one person on her and just deny her the ball," McCaughn said. Even with the accolades, Fiedorowicz said she will miss her teammates and the interaction with the community. She said one of her favorite activities is coaching the youth teams in Johnsburg and working at the sports camps. Fiedorowicz will leave quite a legacy with the Skyhawks. On his basketball camp forms, Toussaint said there is a section where parents can write additional comments. One parent wrote the following on the form: "I want my daughter to be like Paige Fiedorowicz."