Athletic News

After a year without a season in 2020, Head Baseball Coach Andrew Bonnette and his coaching staff began the 2021 season with one goal – take each game one at a time and learn from each experience. In his third year as head coach, the strategy paid off. Bonnette and the Knights made school history, earning Hoban's first baseball state championship.

“We had a growth mindset and adjusted even practice plans throughout the season to grow and move forward,” Bonnette said. “We were more focused on becoming the best possible team that we could be rather than wins and losses. The entire team trusted us and bought in.”

The Knights began the season with an 8-4 record and then lost five consecutive games. Those five losses showed Bonnette and his staff the adjustment opportunities and how to play in tough games. Following that, the Knights went on a 16-game winning streak, ending the season 24-9.

“We were seeded low for playoffs–10th in the district,” Bonnette said. “Every game was a fight. We were the underdog throughout, but the team constantly came together and had each other’s backs the whole year.”

Following a 2-1 victory against Vermillion in the state semifinals game, the Knights met Bloom-Carroll on June 13. The team dug deep the entire game, which went into 10 innings. In the end, Hoban clinched the Division II state championship in a 2-1 win.

Bonnette credits the team’s hard work ethic and the success of the season to the six senior leaders–Connor Butler, Thomas Crowe, Dylan Feltovich, Alex Givens, Dylan Snyder and Dillon Walsh.

“This year felt a lot like my freshman year,” Snyder said. “We practiced last year and then the season was shut down. This year, there was a lot of anticipation because we were starting all over again. We worked hard in preseason and hit the ground running. As a pitcher, I had trust in the team to back me up on the mound. This year taught me a lot about trusting the process and working together as a team, which will help me in the future as a player.” Next year, Snyder will attend and play baseball for Baldwin Wallace University, Feltovich will join John Carroll University and Givens committed to the University of Findlay. While Butler will attend Kent State University, Crowe will be at the University of Notre Dame and Walsh will matriculate at Ohio State University.

“I have so much appreciation for my family, the other Hoban families, the student section–everyone who came out to support us this year,” Feltovich said. “It helped us a lot to have that support in the stands. It helped give me the energy, to take it one pitch at a time and ease the pressure. Dr. Congeni and the strength and conditioning team also helped us stay healthy. We couldn’t have been this successful without Dr. Congeni, Coach Winkler and his team.”

The team was also complemented by three freshman student-athletes who quickly gained the coaching staff’s attention and earned starting positions by the end of the season. Freshman Michael Ciavolella, Parker Falkenstein and Noah LaFine all proved themselves and helped bring home the title.

“Coach Bonnette wouldn’t let us talk too far ahead of ourselves,” LaFine said. “But, we knew we had a great team. We struggled midway through the season but came together. The energy from the stands and the dugout helped a lot. Landon Ladany and Dylan Feltovich helped to get us all hyped.”

Following a state title, the future of the program and next season is on everyone’s mind. For Bonnette, consistency and simplicity are key.

“My goals are to continue to build on the established culture and push for growth,” Bonnette said. “Winning the state championship was a relief because now, as a team, we’ve been there. We know what we have to do and we have a recipe to follow moving forward.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL WIN REGIONAL TITLE

After a somewhat slow start, the 2020-21 girls basketball team finished the season as regional champions, with a final record of 20-4 and as a Division I final four team. As the season progressed, the Knights found their groove and were a powerhouse on the court.

With nearly half the team made up of freshmen and transfer students and the team’s two seniors Karli Anker and Abby Stephens, the team's first challenge was cohesion. Building a team bond was further complicated for Coach Pam Davis and her staff by COVID-19 restrictions.

“It took a while to learn how to play with each other,” Stephens said. “Karli and I played together on AAU, but we both were scared to speak up too much in the beginning. We had to figure out how to play together and it eventually clicked. Once we started winning, it made the sport and the season so much better."

This was Davis’s second year as Hoban’s head coach. Last year, Davis led the Knights to a district title with a 20-5 record. She set a goal to defend that title and wanted to take the next step closer to state. The Knights accomplished that goal on March 5 with a 59-46 win over the Glenoak Eagles. “We want to take the program to the next level,” Davis said. “Hoban had a great foundation when I took the position, and we want to take it to the next level to be a state wide and even nationally-known girls basketball program.”

With two seniors who transferred to Hoban this year, the team elected juniors Lanae Riley and Grace Schill as team captains. Together, the four girls helped lead the team on the court and worked to get everyone playing as a cohesive unit.

“People don’t see all the work that goes into the season,” Schill said. “We worked every day beginning in the summer. We practiced for two and a half to three hours a day. We learned at least 50 new plays just for the playoff run.”

The Knights’ first three losses of the season came in the first nine games. Davis remained diligent in building a united team, and after their third loss, the girls went on a 14-game winning streak.

"Our coaches are great," Riley said. "They are experienced and fastpaced. They work with a lot of plays and it is a lot to get used to. They kept pushing us until we started working together."

During her junior year, Riley averaged about 22 points, nine rebounds, two steals and one assist per game. She led Hoban past Canton McKinley and GlenOak in Division I regional tournament games with 25 points and 15 rebounds in a 63-56 win over McKinley in the regional semifinal. She then scored 26 points and had 15 rebounds to lead Hoban to a 59-46 win over GlenOak in a regional final.

"Last year, I had to sit the bench during the second half of the season," Riley said. "I helped our team from the bench, encouraging them and helping them improve during practice. This year, (sophomore) Rylee Bennett had the same situation and has done a great job. She's a talented and versatile player, and she's hard to guard. She helped us play together as a team and always has a positive attitude."

On March 11, amid cheers from parents and families, the Knights left Hoban's campus for the semifinal game at the University of Dayton. They played No. 2 in the state Newark High School. The Knights were in the game until the very end, but their season came to an end with a 41-55 loss.

“Even though we were all disappointed with losing in the final four, it was an accomplishment to get there,” Schill said. "And, we're looking forward to next year's run."

MOVING FORWARD

Both Anker and Stephens have earned full college scholarships to play basketball next year. Anker will continue wearing blue and gold at Cedarville University, and Stephens will continue her education and play at Purdue Fort Wayne, Ind.

“I feel like Hoban lays out the red carpet for student-athletes to achieve their goals,” Davis said. “College coaches tell me they don’t need to ask about academics because they know their test scores will be good. They know they will be respectful to their professors. Sports are not everything. We know we can only play for a short time, but education goes a long way.”

Not many rising seniors would decide to transfer for senior year. Stephens’s and Anker’s decision was a leap of faith.

“I was scared to transfer, but I have felt welcome from the first day," Anker said. "I tell so many people what an amazing experience it has been. I have learned so much, and I feel very prepared for college.”

For Davis, Riley, Schill and the rest of the team, their eyes are set on a state championship next year.

"It's all about focus," Riley said. "We need to help the incoming freshmen and sophomores be prepared because they will continue to play a key role on the team if we have a shot at winning states."

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RESULT SCORE

L 67-73 W 73-59 W 92-83 W 77-69 W 77-46 W 87-51 W 76-36 L 57-74 Minster L 53-57 CITC vs Dublin Coffman, Sheridan W 75-68 Gilmour Academy W 61-43 Lutheran East W 63-35 Olmsted Falls W 66-52 Northland W 70-27 St. Joseph Academy W 71-53 STVM W 56-45 Kenmore-Garfield W 68-34 Andrews Osborne Academy W 76-58 OHSAA Div. I Sectional Final: Madison W 69-37 Aurora W 74-56 OHSAA Div. I District Final: Canton McKinley W 63-56 OHSAA Div. I Regional Final: Glenoak W 59-46 OHSAA Div. I State Semifinal: Newark L 55-41