The Trinity High School basketball team has won five consecutive regional championships. But the Blazers are still looking for their first sectional title since 2016, when they finished third in the Class 4A state tournament – the best finish in program history.
Far from being discouraged, eighth-year head coach Kim Coleman is optimistic that this could finally be the season for extensive postseason success.
“I’m excited to coach this group,” she said. “We’re shifting into a player-led team where our veteran players have become more vocal. This team is really versatile, we have the ability to play different styles such as fast where we can get up and down, and more in the half-court where we have some kids who can bang on the block.”
Trinity, which went 23-11 last season and lost twice to eventual Class 3A champion Montini Catholic – including at the DePaul Prep Sectional semifinal, returns five players: senior guards Armante Dambrauskas and Zaria Goins; senior forward Chloe Santos; junior guard Destiny Sacluti; and sophomore wing Keyera Gamble.
Goins, who averaged 12.6 points per game in 2024-25, and Santos (9.8 ppg) are in their fourth varsity seasons, and Coleman is appreciative of their presence.
“It’s really nice. They’ve helped establish and maintain the program,” she said. “They know what needs to happen for us to get over that [sectional] hump we talk about every year.”
Trinity has several newcomers looking to make an impact on this year’s squad: freshman guards Jazmyn Ratliff and Lailah Ward; freshman wing Destinie Roe; freshman post Ijeoma Conley; sophomore post Danae Hickman, a transfer from Hope Academy; and junior guard Alondra Alvarenga, who spent the past two seasons playing junior-varsity.
“Destinie is going to playing everywhere for us. She can play inside or on the perimeter, she can guard inside or out. She’ll pair up well with Keyera in giving us some length,” Coleman said. “Jazmyn has been around the program for a long time; she always came to our games as a grade-schooler. She can shoot the three really well, which is something we need. Laila is going to be learning a lot from Destiny and she can also shoot the ball well. Ijeoma is getting college interest, and Danae can bang inside. We have a lot of new pieces that we need to put together and see what we can do.”
Among the schedule highlights are the Elmhurst Classic, which takes place during Thanksgiving week; Butler in the Chicago Elite Classic on Dec. 7; the State Farm Classic in Bloomington-Normal over Christmas break; and the annual Trinity MLK Showcase on Jan. 19.
“Truthfully, every game matters and we’ll treat it as such,” Coleman said. “They all matter in helping us to get better and present different challenges that we feel will prepare us for our ultimate goal – state.”
Coleman makes no bones about it, the Blazers’ main goal is to be playing at Illinois State University in the state finals. She believes if Trinity can overcome adversity that develops from its rugged schedule, that will pay dividends in February.
“I want a sectional and a supersectional. I want to get downstate,” Coleman said. “I feel we’ve got the roster to do it. The last couple of years, we’ve been so close, and that’s our focus – we don’t talk about anything short of that.”
Trinity opens the season at home versus Evanston Township, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. Coleman is eager to see how her team looks.
“We’re going in with an open mind and focused on us and how we want to play,” she said. “We’re eager to see where we’re at and what needs to happen for us to grow and peak at the right time.”