Eager to work

Johnsburg junior Melissa Dixon is the Northwest Herald Girls Basketball Player of the Year. ((Lauren M. Anderson – landerson@nwherald.com))

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Ask Melissa Dixon what she would like to improve about her game, and she does not hesitate.

“My ball-handling and my dribbling,” the Johnsburg junior guard said. “I’m always going to be either a point guard or a guard because of my size, so I want to get as good at those things as possible.”

Take note, coaches. And start your defensive strategies now.

Dixon already is difficult to stop. Sharpening already razor-sharp skills will make the dangerous guard lethal.

“If you tell her to work on something, she goes right in and corrects it,” said Ralph Gesauldo, Dixon’s AAU coach at Bannockburn-based Full Package Athletics.

“She’s one of the hardest working kids ever to come through our program.”

Johnsburg coach Mike Toussaint values his prized guard not only because of her skills, but because of her determination as well.

“She works as hard as anyone I’ve ever coached,” Toussaint said. “ ... She’s our go-to person; someone that has a scorer’s mentality and is willing to switch her direction if a shot isn’t working here or a move isn’t working there.”

For her versatility, her tireless work ethic, her scoring prowess and her ability to take over a game in seconds, Dixon is the Northwest Herald Girls Basketball Player of the Year, as selected by the sports staff with input from local coaches.

She is joined on the All-Area first team by Jacobs senior guard Hailey Cnota, Cary-Grove forward Claire Jakubicek, Hampshire forward Chrissy Heine and Johnsburg senior point guard Megan Lopez.

The season did not end the way the Skyhawks wanted, and last week’s IHSA Class 3A supersectional loss to Oswego won’t stop stinging for a long time.

Still, the season was a success, not only for the Skyhawks but for Dixon specifically.

The junior led the area in three major statistical categories, averaging 19.1 points a game, shooting 85 percent from the free-throw line and hitting 84 three-pointers.

Dixon had 95 rebounds and 81 assists and shot 47 percent from the field. In December, Dixon scored the 1,000th point of her three-year varsity career and finished this season with 1,345 career points.

In the postseason, Dixon scored 115 points in five games; she was the leading scorer in four of those games.

“She showed a lot of poise in a very hostile environment,” said Hampshire coach Sue Ellett, who watched the Skyhawks beat St. Viator in a 3A sectional semifinal. Dixon scored 24 points.

“She was very impressive to watch.”

“She is extremely efficient with the basketball and makes you pay if you make one mistake,” Crystal Lake Central coach Matt LePage said. “I also like the fact that she plays the game with a lot of class and shows a high level of respect for her teammates and her opponents.”

The class is in Dixon’s nature. It’s difficult for the humble star to talk about her own accomplishments, although she admits she is proud of what she has been able to do.

It’s easy to compliment the players around her, though, and even easier to talk about how lucky she feels to play for Johnsburg.

“When I was in eighth grade, I was debating between playing here or at Carmel (in Mundelein),” said Dixon, “but I wanted to come here because the program is so great, the community is totally behind you, and I love playing for Coach Toussaint.

“ ... My teammates, playing here, it’s all been incredible.”

It’s been incredible to have her for three seasons, Toussaint said, and it’s going to be incredible to have her for another.

“That girl can flat-out play,” Toussaint said.