Submitted photo Bishop Garrigan team members include, front row (left to right): Emma Grandgenett, Meredith Tigges and Ella Mueller. Middle: Colin Schwab, Ashlyn Hovey and Molly Joyce. Back: Mick Elbert, Reagan Murphy, Zoe Montag, Caelyn Capesius, Audi Crooks, Abbie Capesius, Alaina Casey, Molly Peterson, Brandon Schwab and Joe Bartolo.

DES MOINES — It’s no secret that Bishop Garrigan is chasing a championship after two straight trips to the finals, but the Golden Bears aren’t focused on the past.

Garrigan wants to put itself in position to have a shot at the school’s first girls basketball title, and the focus is forward only: one game at a time.

“We don’t talk about (previous performances),” said BGHS head coach Brandon Schwab. “We just go out and play basketball and focus on the current game, then next game.”

The quarterfinal contest is scheduled for Wednesday at 5 p.m. inside Wells Fargo Arena.

“The only thing we are talking about is Burlington, Notre Dame (Wednesday’s opponent). We are prepared to go play our best basketball. We want to get through the quarterfinals and then get to Friday.”

For the past two seasons, the Golden Bears have lost to three-time defending Class 1A state champion Newell-Fonda. The rivals may be on a crash course for a third straight meeting, but the Golden Bears aren’t looking past the quarterfinals.

“This is the toughest team both mentally and physically we’ve had in the last three years,” Schwab said. “The closeness of the players and families are tight. They play with toughness and togetherness.”

This is the fourth trip to Wells Fargo Arena in the last five seasons and seventh overall for the Golden Bears (22-3). When thy take the court on Wednesday, junior Audi Crooks — the 58th-ranked national recruit for the Class of 2023 and top star in Iowa — again takes center stage.

Crooks is the daughter of the late Fort Dodge Senior High graduate Jimmie Crooks and Bishop Garrigan alum Michelle (Vitzthum) Cook.

Crooks is averaging a double-double with 23.5 points and 12.5 rebounds a game. Meanwhile Molly Joyce, the Golden Bear point guard, is the 18th-ranked recruit in the state. Joyce is averaging 18 points and five assists per game.

“Audi is double- or triple-teamed every night,” Schwab said. “She has a great ability to keep moving and use her body, and our guards have the ability to throw to a spot. Nobody is going to sit behind her, so our passes have to be thrown to an area to get her the ball.

“We work on that all the time. We’ve learned to trust the (post entry) pass.”

Crooks (1,773) and Joyce (1,402) have already surpassed the 1,000-plateau for their respective careers. Crooks is Garrigan’s career scoring leader, and earlier this season, she broke the school record for points in a game with 44.

In her career, Crooks has 919 rebounds and 283 career blocks. Joyce has 300 assists and 314 steals.

“As good as Audi is inside, Molly is our motor,” Schwab said. “She can pass so well, and you don’t fully appreciate her speed until you go against it.

“That’s why Molly was the player of the year in our conference. She can distribute the ball and has expanded her game as of late. She’s been really special since Christmas.”

Crooks and Joyce take the main focus of their opponents defense, but there is much more to the Golden Bears.

“We have a saying when we walk into the gym: check your feelings at the door,” Schwab said. “We have a lot of players that accept their roles on this team, which is so important. They are not afraid to take shots and trust each other. Obviously we have two dynamic players that demand a lot of touches, but everyone else has the green light to shoot.

“We don’t have any players that you can just ignored defensively. These girls can hit shots and we don’t hesitate.”

Sophomore Abbie Capesius has come up big for the Golden Bears, averaging 8.8 points per game and seven rebounds.

“Abbie has been playing really well,” Schwab said. “As just a sophomore, she’s playing with athleticism and is wise beyond her years.

“With the focus on Audi and Molly, you could see a big game out of her on Wednesday.”

The Nikes have gone unbeaten through their 23-game schedule. Burlington Notre Dame is led by Megan Harrell (14.4), Reagan Engberg (10.6) and Gabby Deery (9.6).

“They’re long, with a 5-10 point guard who is going to play at a D-II school in Illinois and a center who is going to play volleyball at Iowa,” Schwab said. “Everyone can shoot the three and shoot it well.

“We have to have solid perimeter defense and chase them into Audi with high hands.”

With the recent success of the program, Garrigan has received a great amount of support from their fanbase.

“Our fans are tremendous,” Schwab said. “Our stands have been packed. The kids can’t go anywhere without a ton of support.

“We told them to enjoy the pats on the back, but when the horn goes off, we need to be locked in.”