Young’s reputation precedes itself with three consecutive city championships and 76 wins over the past three seasons, and it has the gravitas of one of the premier programs in the state. Max Preps ranked the program as the 22nd-best team in the country.
Expectations are high for the Dolphins, but they’re used to the pressure as one of the preeminent powers of the public league. Despite the success, Young has fallen short in the state playoffs, failing to go downstate each of the last four seasons.
With another season on the horizon, the Dolphins are focused on the one goal that has eluded them: state playoff success.
“It would mean the world because that was the number one goal, even coming into high school, be a state champ,” Illinois commit Destiny Jackson said. “That would just complete my high school experience.”
Young lost last season in the sectionals. The year before that, the Dolphins bowed out in the super-sectionals. Despite sporting talented teams, the Dolphins haven’t won a state championship since 2014. Armed with a talented and versatile roster, the Dolphins believe they have a roster that can return the program to state glory.
Last year, the Dolphins were reliant on Jackson, and for good reason. Jackson is one of the best players in the country and is liable to have a high-scoring game any night. But the further Young went in the playoffs, the more it needed players to step up and alleviate some of the scoring burden on Jackson.
While Jackson garners the headlines, the Dolphins return the entirety of last year’s roster. Senior guard Kiaya Johnson averaged 14.3 points last year, knocking down three-pointers consistently. Junior forward Lysa Jones was a key contributor, and she sharpened her game over the summer by developing some go-to post moves. Her ascension is critical because it gives the Dolphins a reliable post presence, which they’ve missed in the past, and allows them to run a more diverse set of offensive actions.
Sophomore guard Gaby Domercant averaged 8.4 points last season, showing how potent of a shooter she is. The returning players taking the next step is paramount for Young to have a shot at Bloomington.
“I told them a few days ago, ‘If this is the year to win city and state, this is the team that’s going to do it because of how multifaceted we are,” Dolphins coach Krissy Harper said.
Harper raved about freshman Jordyn Ellis and how she attacked the offseason. She said Ellis will be an “essential part of the team.”
The Dolphins’ roster versatility has the team bullish about this season.
“We’re not only relying on Destiny; we’re not only relying on our guard play,” Harper said. “We can now open up and do a lot of different things that teams are not going to expect from us.”
The Dolphins know it’s going to be challenging to reach the state finals. Execution and focus are imperative. In past years, the Dolphins tended to drift away from what they did well throughout the regular season. They’ll have to execute all season to reach the lofty goals they’ve set for themselves.
“I feel like we got a chance to go undefeated as well,” Jones said. “[We] know it’s going to be hard. That’s why we got to come in and practice every day and grind it out. We’re working towards another city championship, so we can say four-time champs, and then we want to be state champions as well so that we can let the seniors go out with a bang.”