Ah yes, the girls get to finish off the season on a Monday night. Awesome, right?
The best two teams in the state meet for the 2nd time this year and somebody will be winning their first state title.
Caravel earned the top seed with a ton of two-point opponents and taking care of business against many an in-state team. The transfer of Kendra Warren from Sanford to Del Laws Road gave them a scoring post presence to go along with Kaylee Otlowski and the three-headed guard monster of Sasha Marvel, Maia Bryson and Karli Cauley have won games at different times for them this year. Caravel is of course coached by Bucs alum and of the greatest scorers in state history, Kristin (Mills) Caldwell. This isn't even her most talented team, but it is her deepest and I feel her best coaching job. They took care of business all the way through and are in the Final for the 2nd straight year.
Conrad is the team of the future - if you're old enough to remember the '86 Rockets punching the Lakers in the mouth and giving the 67-win Celtics hell in the Finals, you understand where I'm going with the comparison. The Red Wolves have Stefanie and Julie Kulesza, two prodigies who will be the first pair of sisters maybe ever in Delaware to be first-team all-state. Ja'Nylah Whittlesey has turned into a bona fide post problem, scoring in bunches and protecting the lane/the glass for her team. Role players like Alyssa Faville, Jordan Rook and Alexis Oakley help keep teams honest. Conrad's coached by John Kulesza, who has the benefit of two outstanding daughters and was a key member of Sanford's first boys' hoops title way back when.
Conrad won their regular season meeting, but it was still up in the air until the final minutes. What Caravel must do different is try to make anybody but the Kulesza sisters beat you. Whittlesey's a dominant presence, but if she's in foul trouble, that opens things up for Warren/Otlowski. They need big games from their backcourt. Marvel/Bryson/Cauley have to show up and show out, no questions asked.
Momentum favors both teams coming in - Caravel took care of business in their bracket while Conrad should be coming on a high after dethroning three-time champ Ursuline.
I've gone with Conrad all season. I simply can't back away from that prediction now. It'll be close, but Caravel's experience could swing this game in their favor.
That said, I'll take Conrad to win their first (of possibly a few) state titles, 65-59.
