Geauga High School Basketball Preview 2023

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Berkshire Badgers

Badgers Seniors Will Build Up Younger Players

By Rich Kelly sports@karlovecmedia.com

The Berkshire Badgers boys basketball team got off to a slow start last year in its first season under Head Coach Joe Montanaro.

The team finished on a strong note, however, and the learning experiences from that new arrangement have raised a team with a rock-solid starting five that will look to blend a big sophomore class into a solid 8-10 man rotation.

“If the kids can just learn to trust the process we started last

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Hipp @Fairport Crestwood Kirtland Grand Valley Chalker @Geneva Garfield Wickliffe @Cardinal @Crestwood Independence @Kirtland @Grand Valley Cuyahoga Hts. @Wickliffe Chardon Andrews Cardinal @Madison Lakeview @Lakeside

year, we will be able to compete with anybody we play,” Coach Montanaro said. “We have some great athletes to build on. Our senior leadership is good, so as we blend in our young kids with the upperclassmen, if we can foster team unity at all times between the players, we will be able to focus on our rebounding.”

The starters will be quick and aggressive, but not very tall. Mason Mendolera, a 6-foot guard, brings quickness to both ends of the floor — and a good shooter’s touch from outside.

“Mason is like having a player coach on the floor at all

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Miller

times,” Montanaro said. “He’s a leader on the floor and can play at any position for us.”

Miles Miller is 5-8 in height, but his leadership roles in all of his sports will help the group of five sophomores meld into the total top-team concept.

“I’m really excited for my senior year here,” Miller said. “I’ve learned so much here, and I want to build a legacy to be proud of for the kids and for myself as well. My grandfather was a big part of helping me get to where I am now, so I want to be a good example that he and my teammates will be proud to be part of.”

That grandfather is former Burton High Coach Ken Janssen, and the athleticism which Janssen taught so long ago still runs deep in the community and its team.

Miller acknowledged the problems with a new environment last year, in a new gym, but sees a great opportunity this season for major improvement. Senior Jack Hastings, at 6-1, will be an active part of everything the Badgers get done.

“Last year was tough at times with the new facilities and all,” Hastings said. “Getting to know Coach more and what he expects of us, we built up a lot by the end of the year, and now we want to build on that.”

Junior Gavin Hipp, at 6-1, got

into game action a lot over the second half of last season, and begins this year with a bigger role as a starter.

“Last year I was just getting a small taste of the system Coach runs here,” he said. “Now I am more comfortable with everything, so I want to work harder on my rebounding and defensive play to help the team out.”

Montanaro has high expectations for Hipp to be more of a scorer this season. The Badgers have a fifth starter in sophomore Cameron Beam. At 6-1, he brings athletic abilities galore.

“We just want to build on our team goals,” Beam said. “I’ve got some individual goals as well that I want to work on, too. I want to be a good, productive part of our team. I need to be better offensively by helping us to start off better than last year and finishing better as well.”

The sophomores Coach Montanaro looks to build into his team are not big, but they are big at heart: Billy Verbic (5-10), Caden McGranahan (6-1), Chase Wardle (6-0), Jake Patterson (57) and Luke Stute (6-0).

All have had a chance to see these upperclassmen in every Berkshire team system this year, and if the example sets in, this team will be a force in CVC action.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Berkshire Badgers

Young Badgers Roster Still Has Plenty of Bite

By Rich Kelly sports@karlovecmedia.com

Berkshire girls basketball had a very good year last season.

The team competed with everybody it played. And it all happened behind a senior class of five players who used their skills to the max.

Younger players contributed. Those players, along with a couple of big additions from other programs, give Head Coach James Bosley some very positive vibes.

“Under normal circumstances, you would think that replacing five quality seniors like we are would be a sign of a rebuilding season,” Bosley said. “That’s really not the case for us, though.

We still start out with four letter-winners, and a great bunch of good athletes who will allow us to play our usual 32 minutes of pressure from end to end.”

Led by senior post Hayley Stoddard, the cupboard will be far from bare for the Badgers.

“We have some really good athletes on the team this year,” Stoddard said. “In the past, I was basically the big girl in the post.

This year, we have a couple of other taller girls who will be playing low for us, and that gives me more freedom to move around on the floor.

“It gives us so many more options with the ball, and Coach

can use me more as a decoy, too.

I’m even looking for my outside shot more often, and that will open things up inside for everybody when I make them.”

Senior guard Anna Brown provides speed and the ability to drive to the basket in support of the taller girls on the team.

“I think we’re going to be pretty good this year,” Brown said. “We have a lot of girls who can do a lot of good things on the floor, and that has to make us a tough team to play. I’m ready to prove that I am an improved player, and that we are an improved team, too.”

And rounding out those starting seniors will be Maddie Smetana, who returns this year after dealing with injuries, and the Badgers get a big boost with the addition of soccer star Evania McCandless, who terrorized everybody in the fall.

Junior Liv Masink was a solid rock in goal for the soccer team, too, and with her quickness and size, she adds a presence in the low post.

“We lost a lot of girls from last year,” Masink said. “At the same time, we have some really good girls in our sophomore and junior classes this year. For me, I want to be more of a scorer to help out.”

Other key components for Bosley will come from younger players in junior Meredith Bors

Brown

Martin

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and freshman Blythe Bors. Both will bring speed and athleticism to the court, as will Julia Young.

Junior Jenna Hornak brings inside presence to the mix as well.

A bright glimpse of the future will come from freshman Ivy Martin. She brings a quick shot and solid instincts to the floor any time she’s in the game.

“I’m just glad to be part of this team,” Martin said. “I’m just proud that I have worked hard to get here and to be part of it all.

I think we will have a good year; we’ll have a good bench, and we all want to help make this a suc-

Stoddard Geneva 6:45 p.m. @Southeast 12:30 p.m.

Crestwood 6:45 p.m. @Kirtland 6:45 p.m.

Grand Valley 6:45 p.m. @Wickliffe 6 p.m. @Cardinal 6:45 p.m. @Bloom 3:30 p.m. @Crestwood 6:45 p.m.

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Cardinal 6:45 p.m. @VASJ 2:30 p.m.

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cessful year for the seniors. They have been great helping me and the others to fit into the system as teammates.”

Bosley sees his team going anywhere from seven to 10 players deep in the rotation.

Berkshire has toughened up its schedule, too, with a holiday tournament appearance at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University, as it did two years ago for a tougher level of foes.

Rest assured this band of Badgers is quick enough and can shoot well enough from close and long range to put the bite on anybody who tries to catch them.

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Cardinal Huskies

Young Huskies Searching for New Team Identity

By Haley Adams sports@karlovecmedia.com The Huskies were in search of a new basketball coach for the first time in over a decade after Jon Cummins stepped down during this offseason.

Cummins’ squad finished last season 15-9 overall, 8-2 in the CVC. The Huskies fell to Dalton in the sectional championship game, but that didn’t take away from the record-breaking year that they had.

Since, the team has hired Kyle Deckerd, a 2013 graduate of Canton South High, who con-

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Domen

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tinued his education and playing career at Hiram College.

He returned home after college and coached for his alma mater. One of just three seniors, Troy Domen, has already etched his name into the record books.

As a junior, the feisty defender set the record for steals in a single season with 197. He looks to score his 1,000th career point this season, and hopes to break the all-time assist and scoring records.

Domen will be the lone returner. Averaging 13.8 points per game last year, he also led the Huskies in steals, with 3.2

Naples

per game, and averaged 4.5 rebounds per game.

He will be a four-year starter looking to lead a young group to success in his final season.

“As one of the top scorers in school history, and as one of our only returning lettermen, we will be counting on Troy’s veteran experience to help us win games this year,” Deckerd said. “I am looking forward to making memories with the team that will last a lifetime. We will be spending a lot of time together, and the relationships we are building are much bigger than basketball.”

Clayton Cochran, the Huskies’ second senior, will look to play physically in the paint. Cochran is best known for holding his own on the football field in the center position.

If the Huskies want to continue the reputation of being fast and physical, they will have to rely on Cochran down low.

Another senior, Neil Lucariello, will look to make an immediate impact on the court. The senior returns to the floor for the first time since middle school.

“These seniors will look to hold down the paint and secure rebounds for us this season. We are excited to have them both come out this season and be leaders for us,” Deckerd said.

Junior Dominic Naples will see his minutes increase significantly on the court. The 6-0

forward will need to help Domen offensively.

“Fresh off an injury, Dom is looking to take a major leap in minutes this season,” his coach said. “As one of our only returning lettermen, we will be leaning on him to jump in his productivity on the court.”

Junior Cal Ciminello has also been asked to help with the heavy load among the underclassmen.

Ciminello made an appearance in 12 games last season, primarily in the guard position.

Juniors Austin Jones, Chuck Soltis and Blake Strever will also see potential varsity minutes this year.

The Huskies open up their season against West Geauga on the road. The team will have a tough stretch of road games when they travel to Chardon, Kirtland and Wickliffe in early December.

They face their rival on Jan. 9 at home, then again when they travel to Berkshire on Feb. 9.

“We are going to take each game one by one,” Deckerd said.

“With a long season ahead, we cannot overlook any of our opponents. Losing seven seniors from a 15-win team last year is not easy. We have great numbers from our junior and sophomore classes, and we are looking forward to their progression.”

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Cardinal Huskies

New Coach Domen Getting Huskies Back on Track

By Haley Adams sports@karlovecmedia.com For the first time in program history, the Cardinal Huskies were unable to field a varsity girls basketball program last winter.

Now, not only are the girls back, but a 1994 Cardinal High School graduate in Kim Domen will be at the helm of the program. She brings in a very talented freshman class.

The 1994 Cardinal graduate is eager to get after it. She often reminisces about her own nights where she spent countless hours with teammates that eventually became life-long friends. Not only did they leave as friends, they left as some of the best basketball players that have walked through the halls of Cardinal High School.

“Being at Cardinal brings back all the awesome memories I had playing basketball with a lot of really talented players. For example, Lisa/Leslie Baker, Stacey Smoot, Michelle Casto, Lyndsay Frank, Heather Fisher, and Tiffany Pilarczyk to name a few,” said Domen as she listed her old teammates.

A familiar face from the area helped mold those young athletes into the women they are today: Dennis Lory, who later also served as the Berkshire Badgers girls basketball coach.

“Dennis made sure we knew what we were up against and knew

what the other teams ran. He was a ‘get after it’ type of person. He wasn’t all business, though; he had some fun, too.” said Domen.

That 1994 Huskies team?

They still currently are listed as the best team the girls have ever had in school history. Domen will look to eventually get back to those old ways. But for now, she will look to lead a young but athletic group to a competitive season this winter. The Huskies bring in eight freshmen who will need to mature quickly.

Freshman Natalie Soltis is expecting big minutes on the court.

In fact, she will be the general manager of the court.

“Natalie is the type of player who is willing to lay her body on the line to get the job done,” said her coach. “She shows no fear and is gaining strength and is quite quick and knows what is being asked of her.”

Ivy Kaminski is another freshman who will see a ton of court time. “Ivy is swift and smooth, but a workhorse, too, on both ends of the game,” Domen said.

“Ivy is coachable and she’s talented, skilled, and her basketball IQ is one of the best. She has some finesse about her, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll be able to do.”

Freshman Adelyn Grant spent her fall on the soccer field and it’s where she found her aggressiveness.

“She’s my bulldozer, and is

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Pleva

Harvey @Orange @Kirtland @Wickliffe Crestwood Grand Valley Berkshire @Windham Jackson-Milton St. John Kirtland @JFK Wickliffe @Crestwood Lakeside Conneaut Grand Valley @Berkshire @Fuchs Mizrachi Windham @Andrews Labrae

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not afraid of any matchup,” Domen said. “Defensively, she’s the one you want on your team. Look for her to make her mark in the program.”

Nova Young brings a great offense. She is a sharp shooter, always looking to score.

“Nova is passionate about basketball and takes every opportunity to always try to improve not only in-season but off-season, too,” Domen said. “She has a great shooting range, and she will be an offensive threat.”

Olivia Krebs will also play varsity minutes this season.

“Olivia is a hard-nosed player, and works incredibly hard,” Domen said.

Rebecca Kimpton and Nijha McLeish round out the freshman class. Sophomore Brynley Kitzmiller returns this season after her freshman season was canceled. Kamari Graley, A’Mauri Littlejohn and Ali Puruczky are all new recruits and will bring some size to the team.

For the big annual rivalry against Berkshire, Cardinal will host in Middlefield Dec. 19 and travel to Burton Jan. 31.

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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NOT SOLD

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Chagrin Falls Tigers

Returning Starters Look to Lead Tigers to Success

By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com Chagrin Falls boys basketball will look to continue its success with returning varsity players Spencer Kaas, Ryan Curtiss and Ozzy DiFranco returning for their junior year.

In addition, senior Aiden Beresford also returns from last year's team that went 13-11. It is expected that this year's offense will run through returning juniors Ryan Curtiss and Spencer Kass and senior Aiden Beresford.

“Our two returning starters, Spencer (Kaas) and Ryan (Curtiss), obviously have the most

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Curtiss

Aurora @Brooklyn Hawken @West G Orange @Twinsburg Streetsboro @Chardon @Beachwood West Geauga @Berkshire Kenston @Hawken @Wickliffe @Orange @NDCL Andrews Fairview Beachwood @Perry @Cuyahoga Hts. Lakeside

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experience,” Head Coach Dave Bargar said. “Aiden got a lot of experience backing up James Kosmides, so we will rely on him also.

“Those three guys, at least at the onset, will probably do most of the scoring.”

Curtiss, the Tigers' top returning offensive player, averaged 8.8 points per game as a sophomore to go along with an average of 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

He had some excellent performances during his sophomore season, including a 16-point game against Edgewood and 14-point games against Orange and Geneva.

In fact, Curtiss scored in dou-

Kaas

ble figures in 12 games, totaling 211 points last season.

Curtiss talked about the importance of being in a leadership role on offense and the goals of his team in this regard.

“The goal on offense is to push the ball in transition and move a lot without the ball, and just be aggressive and attack a lot,” Curtiss said.

Kaas is also expected to play a pivotal role in the offense. As a sophomore, Kaas averaged 7.7 points per game, but began to put up a lot of points in the last five games of the season and averaged 12 points per game.

Kaas definitely has the potential to fuel the scoreboard during the 2023-24 season. He scored a season-high 18 points against Orange and also scored 17 points in games against Chardon and Streetsboro, 14 points against Aurora, and 13 points against West Geauga.

Kaas is very excited about the upcoming season.

“I am very excited about this year,” Kaas said. “Me and Ryan stepping in together to take all the seniors' positions is really a big opportunity for us to step up, and I am really excited. “(I look forward to) just being a good leader. (Last year) we had Max Crandall, who took the point guard position. I'm looking forward to taking his spot and just controlling the offense.”

Coach Bargar plans to utilize a similar offense to those used in years past. He said he tries to keep

the offensive philosophy consistent from year to year, and emphasized teaching the importance of proper spacing and being unselfish on the floor.

The Tigers like to play fast and up-tempo on offense when possible, he added.

“We like to get up and down the floor,” Coach Bargar said. “Our kids are pretty athletic; we're better when we run the floor.”

On defense, he reiterated: the Tigers do not change.

“Defensively, we don't change,” Coach Bargar said. “We try to be versatile. We’ll play man to man, we’ll play zone, and we'll press a little bit to use our athleticism. What we like to do is just have three or four things, and in any particular game we feel we can find something that works. That's our philosophy defensively.”

Curtiss also talked about team goals: “Goals on defense are to hold teams to like 35 to 40 points per game and limit transition points, or just easy points in general, and just be aggressive and talk a lot.”

Tigers players are excited about certain upcoming games on the schedule.

For senior Aiden Beresford, it's the Kenston game.

“We always want to beat Kenston; they're right down the road,” Beresford said. “It should be a really good game. We were able to beat them last year, and then lost to them two years ago, so we want to keep the train going.”

Geauga County Maple Leaf

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Chagrin Falls Tigers

Experience Behind Stukus Key to Chagrin

By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com An excellent 2022-23 season for Chagrin Falls girls basketball meant a 16-7 record under Head Coach Brittany Anderson Laseak.

In fact, at one point last season, the Tigers won 12 straight games.

Certainly, it all reflects the talent this year’s team should bring to the court.

Chagrin Falls will look to emulate its success behind the leadership of All-Ohio guard Lilly Stukus, as well as a lockdown defense that prides itself on holding opponents to less than 40 points per game.

With Stukus starting and many players with varsity experience returning, the 2023-24 Tigers season looks very promising.

Stukus, the All-Ohio guard, had an excellent last season in which she averaged 15.7 points and 2.6 steals per game. She also made 51 three-pointers.

Coach Laseak talked about the major contributions Stukus brings to the Tigers offense.

“Lilly is an outstanding shooter on the perimeter,” she said.

“She has really worked hard to improve her game over the course of the summer, kind of diversify it, looking to drive and adding some new moves to her repertoire.

“So offensively, we are hoping to be relying on Lilly to contribute.”

Stukus has similar goals for herself.

“I definitely just want to go out and have fun, and try to make All-Ohio again, and definitely get better at a lot of different things like driving to the basket and ball handling,” she said.

Coach Laseak will rely on seniors Nora Pope, Amelia Bencko and Elana Goodwin in the low post and under the boards.

She also expects freshman Avery Russell, Abby Kay and Emma Thatcher to contribute as guards.

Coach Laseak hopes to try to play an up-tempo, quick style.

“The goal is to be a little quicker this season because we don’t have that six-footer down low,” Coach Laseak said.

The coach also mentioned the impact having an All-Ohio guard can make.

“Defensively, Lilly continues to be a standout, playing lock down man-to-man defense,” she said. “So we’re hoping that she can help to develop the other players around her and get to the point were we got some other people contributing.”

Stukus believes the Tigers’ athleticism and speed will be a key to their success defensively.

“I think we are just a very athletic team,” she said, “and I think using that to our advantage will definitely be good, and just using our speed and all of our athleticism that we have (will be key).”

Bencko

Goodwin

The team has been working on various defensive styles, but Coach Laseak’s preference is to play a lockdown style of defense.

In fact, Coach Laseak’s goal for her team is to hold teams to 40 points or less a game.

Last season, the Tigers did this in 17 of the 23 games they played. They won 82 percent of those games.

“If we can keep opponents to 40 and under over the course of the game, then we’ll be in pretty good shape,” Coach Laseak said.

Coach quipped that some people think lockdown defenses and low-scoring games are bor-

Pope

Stukus

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@Madison 12:15 p.m.

Mayfield 6:45 p.m. @Chardon 2 p.m.

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Hawken 6:45 p.m. @St. Joseph 12 p.m.

Orange 6:45 p.m. @Kenston 5 p.m.

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Lake Catholic 6:45 p.m. @Crestwood 6:15 p.m.

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ing, but she sees lockdown defense as very exciting.

She also noted the importance of senior leadership.

“Our seniors end up serving as our captains,” Coach Laseak said. “We have five seniors that have been in the program for a number of years, which is great.”

For her part, Stukus said she is really looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m super excited for this upcoming year of basketball,” she said. “I think we are going to have a great season coming back as CVC champs. I definitely think we have a chance to do that again.”

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Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Chardon Hilltoppers

Inexperienced Hilltoppers Making No Excuses

By Jamie Ward jamie@karlovecmedia.com

It’s a Chardon basketball Thanksgiving tradition. A long football playoff run means an incomplete, shorter practice period for the full Hilltoppers team.

But after 15 wins last season, Chad Murawski, beginning his eighth season, is prepared.

“Usually when the cavalry comes in, there’s more experience,” Murawski said. “We won’t have a dominant player. But they really work hard.

“We’re going to grind opponents. They embrace it, they like

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C. Galfidi Madison Cardinal Geneva Lakeside @Harvey Harvey Chagrin Falls @Clev Cent Cath @North West G Mayfield @Riverside Kenston @South North @Berkshire @Mayfield Riverside Kirtland @Kenston South @Beachwood

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it. They are easy to coach, and they respond. And they are pretty athletic.”

That’s the significant challenge for this team: inexperience.

A.J. Bruce will help the team when he finishes his outstanding football season. The senior started last year, but it usually takes weeks to transition to varsity basketball.

Chardon expects to start three seniors in Sammy Sulka, Ryan Grau and Carson Frost.

Sulka represents the 10th straight season a Sulka is in a Chardon basketball starting lineup.

He hadn’t received any advice from his brothers — Alex, Ben and Nathanael — yet. But it was the day

Grau

Sulka

before Thanksgiving, so he expected it would come.

“It feels weird being the last,” he said. “But it’s great being in this role, and being there for my teammates.”

“He knows it’s his team,” his coach said. “We talk daily about where we need to go and what we’re doing. It’s incredible that he’s already a senior.”

Grau is the best three-point shooter on the team. Murawski is impressed with the way he’s embraced his role on the team since he started.

“I’m here to raise the rest of the team, and keep everyone in a good mindset,” Grau said. “Practice has prepared us to be a level above the other teams. Yes, we’re young, but we want to get better than the teams with more experience.”

He said realizing it was the last season is a different feeling.

“It all comes to an end, but that’s what is going on,” he said.

Frost played junior varsity last year.

“We need to get up and down the floor,” he said. “I want to move the ball. It’s going to be a learning experience, but I think we all want to win.”

Brothers Caleb and Luke Galfidi round out the starting lineup.

Caleb will be expected to rebound, guard the other team’s post, and finish inside. And he’s excited to play with his sibling.

Coach called him scrappy.

“I wouldn’t say I do the dirty

work,” Caleb said. “But I get a lot of boards and be strong in the paint. Those are my focus.”

Luke will start at PG, a tall task for someone who starts a varsity season at age 15. But he plays basketball year round, and his ball-handling skills impress his coaches.

“He’s a competitor with great floor vision,” Murawski said. “He can get to the rack.”

That inexperience means depth is a challenge.

Football players Caleb Hewitt and Andrew Bruce will be the first two off the bench once they join the team.

Hewitt will be expected to shut down the other team’s best offensive player. As a guard, he needs to make layups and knock down free throws.

Timmy Evans and Zach Hoenigman will also be in the rotation.

“Timmy needs to be a spark for us,” Murawski said.

A.J. Petrella and Drayton Algood, sophomores, round out the varsity roster, and will work to get into the rotation throughout the season.

Defensively, the team will play a lot of full-court press, so conditioning was really important in the beginning of the season.

Practice drills resembled running drills.

Murawski doesn’t like to rush his football players right into the fold. “They need time to heal physically, but especially mentally,” he said.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 13

Chardon Hilltoppers

New Focus on Teamwork, Shooting, Defense

By Jamie Ward jamie@karlovecmedia.com

The Hilltoppers start year three under Head Coach Erik Hoenigman with an almost entirely different roster than the 11-13 that ended last year. That makes wins and losses uncertain. But don’t confuse youth with a lack of confidence.

The players were all smiles the night before what was to be, for many of them, their first varsity game.

“We have basketball IQ,” Hoenigman said. “Last year people wanted to stand around and watch some of the other players.

This year it’s so much different because we have shooters all over the place.”

The team wants to get back to team basketball, the coach said.

“And we want to be tough, even if we are throwing many players into the fire. They are tough; they handled themselves well in the scrimmages.”

Nicole Krakora is the only senior on the team, a leader by default. Krakura can catch and shoot off of screens, and Hoenigman thinks she could score 25 points on any given night.

The team lacks size, but defense, speed and passing came up over and over again when players talked about how they would attack other teams.

One of the three-point shooters, junior Abby Zeiger, emphasized conditioning, defense and leadership as keys to her role on the team.

“I’m excited about it,” she

said. “I think it’s a good opportunity to lead the underclassmen. I think we’re off to a good start.”

She knows scoring will also be key. “There are times you have your off days (shooting), but you have to keep putting them up.”

Zeiger said.

Freshman guard Cassidy Grau is one of the Toppers who will be forced to grow up quickly, despite starting travel basketball in third grade.

“I’m really excited,” she said.

“But it’s a lot of pressure, though.

When our coach tells us to do something, we do it. I think since we have so many younger players, we have good chemistry together.

We’re not separated by grades — we’re just a team.”

Another freshman guard, Addison Deszczykiewicz, will get lots of playing time right away.

Thankfully, she feels ready.

“I really think I am, and I’m getting the plays down more,” she said. “I’m ready for the first game. We are getting closer chemistry-wise and trusting each other more with the ball.”

She will also need to knock down shots if Chardon is going to be successful. Cameron Gerlica is a sophomore who has been impressed with practice in the preseason.

“The expectations are better than what I thought. It’s been good so far,” she said. “Honestly, last year was different. The ball movement is really good, and the offense is working really well.”

Gerlica says the team’s man-to-

Deszczykiewicz

Gerlica

man defense has worked in scrimmages.

“We’re focused on getting back and not allowing transition plays,” Gerlica said.

Chardon’s team was hit with bad news early when junior Ava McDevitt and sophomore Lilli Dillworth were lost for the season with injuries.

Both keep coming to practice and will help the young players from the sidelines. Season-ending injuries are devastating at first.

“But I like coaching, and I like helping out on the bench as much as I can.” McDevitt said. The first two Toppers off the bench will also be important to the team’s

Grau

Zeiger

11/22 11/29 12/2 12/11 12/13 12/16 12/23 12/27 12/29 1/6 1/10 1/13 1/17 1/20 1/24 1/27 1/31 2/3 2/6 2/7 2/10 2/12

@NDCL 7 p.m. @Perry 7 p.m.

Chagrin Falls 2 p.m.

Lake Catholic 7 p.m.

Cornerstone Christian 7 p.m. @Howland 1 p.m.

Geneva 12 p.m. @Harvey TBD @Harvey TBD @Madison TBD North 7 p.m. @Mayfield 12:30 p.m.

Riverside 7 p.m. @Kenston 12:30 p.m.

South 7 p.m. @North 12:30 p.m.

Mayfield 7 p.m. @Riverside 12:30 p.m.

Hathaway Brown 7 p.m.

Kenston 7 p.m. @South 12:30 p.m. @Aurora 7 p.m.

success. Some may be quiet early on, but Selina Sparker was quick to point out that’s not her style.

“I bring a lot of the energy, the vibes,” she said. “I’m more of a talker. Normally, I’m the one talking it up on the court.”

Junior Meadow McDonald leads by example. On a team that lacks height, McDonald wants to work hard to rebound on both ends. And she is willing to help whenever she is needed.

“I feel like I’m ready,” she said.

Rosemarie McDonald, Capri DuFour and Rory Duval-Lewis round out the varsity roster, looking to get more and more minutes the more opportunities they get.

Page 14

Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Kenston Bombers

Bombers Looking to Flip the Switch This Season

By Haley Adams sports@karlovecmedia.com It was an unusual season for the Bombers as they finished 2-21 a season ago — winless in the WRC, where the season before they were crowned champions.

Max Marra and Jack Jacobs graduated, leaving four seniors behind.

Seniors Tommy Seifried and Spencer Brownfield will look to be leaders for the Bombers, who are trying to get back to winning games, along with juniors Chris Collins and Tymir Cardona.

Seifried and Brownfield will

Brownfield 12/1 12/5 12/8 12/12 12/15 12/18 12/22 1/2 1/5 1/6 1/9 1/12 1/16 1/19 1/23 1/26 1/30 2/1 2/6 2/9 2/13 2/16

Cardona

@Twinsburg West Geauga @Berea NDCL @Bay @Hudson @Aurora Copley North Olmsted @Padua Lake Catholic @Riverside @Chagrin Fals @South Mayfield @Chardon @North Riverside South @Mayfield Chardon North

7:30 p.m.

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both provide a sense of leadership to a young team. If the Bombers want to be successful this winter, the team will have to adapt to physical play and the change of speed in the game, especially in a conference loaded with talent year in and year out.

“I think we did a good job working hard in the offseason, so you can expect us to win a couple more games at least,” Collins said. “We are always striving to go for that conference title and make a deep run in the playoffs.”

The Bombers relied on Marra for scoring, and will look to replace their leading scorer. Marra

Collins

Seifried

finished with All-WRC Honors, including Honorable Mention for the News-Herald All-Stars.

Head Coach Derrick DeJarnette’s group will now turn to junior Collins and Cardona’s play in the backcourt.

“Cardona is also a junior and will be Collins’ backcourt partner,” DeJarnette said. “We will have to play some young guys this season. We just have to take this one day at a time.”

A team that is currently struggling with the injury bug will give some underclassmen a chance to get varsity minutes.

“Our biggest weakness we might have is that we don’t have guys with varsity experience,” DeJarnette said. “This will be a learning year for most of the players, but I believe the guys will pick it up fast.”

Indeed, with their four seniors, the Bombers look forward to having that experience on the floor to help facilitate the offense and direct the defense.

“It’s going to help our team because they are older, we know more about the game, and we have matured,” Collins said. “We can keep the younger guys in check, and we can step up and be leaders, which is what I like the most.”

Cardona returns to the court after taking a short break from the game of basketball.

“A lot of the guys were trying

to get me to come back, and I worked a lot with the guys during the offseason,” Cardona explained. “Chris and I played a lot of pick up basketball together, and playing with him won’t be much of a difference for me. Our younger guys are stepping up, and I think that helps make our team more mature than last year.”

Seifried will provide scoring and some disturbance in the paint with his long frame.

“Tommy will bring scoring in the paint and all around play,” DeJarnette said, “while Chris will provide scoring and a solid defensive effort. Tymir will also be an all-around player for us.”

The Bombers open up their season against Twinsburg Dec. 1, and begin their trek to another WRC Title Jan. 12 at Riverside.

The Beavers took both games last season, and would eventually claim the conference title.

Looking at their schedule, the Bombers have a tough stretch Jan. 19 through Feb. 16, when they’ll play their five WRC opponents.

“This stretch is really big because those conference games can be a momentum changer for teams,” Cardona said. “When you win the conference, you feel like you’re good enough to make a deep run. Based on last year, I think those conference games can be a very big confidence booster.”

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 15

Kenston Bombers

Inexperienced Bombers Look to Turn Page

By Haley Adams sports@karlovecmedia.com After finishing the 2022-23 season 11-11, the Bombers will return six letterwinners while welcoming three underclassmen to the varsity rotation. Kenston finished sixth in the Western Reserve Conference with a 4-8 record, one they hope they can improve on with this year’s group’s competitiveness.

“The roles of these six players will change dramatically this year, and they will have to learn how to fulfill their new roles,” Head Coach Kevin Hinkle said. “We always expect to be competitive and to be peaking at the end of the season.

Our biggest challenge will be to replace the scoring we lost last year and understanding each player’s role and how that has changed coming into this season. We also have lower numbers on our roster this year, so just like any other team, we need to stay healthy.”

This winter, seniors Alexis Black and Amy Jarmolowicz will be the team leaders that Hinkle plans to lean on. “We are all eager to be here, and we aren’t only working for ourselves, but we are working for each other and our coaches,” Black said.

“I would say our team is motivated this year,” Jarmolowicz said. “Not winning the WRC last year really got to a lot of players. I think that is our key motivator for us now.”

Black averaged just under one assist per game, good for thirdbest on the team. Jarmolowicz

stands 6-0 and will look to increase her rebounds per game. She averaged 2.0 a season ago with 0.5 blocks per game.

“Alexis Black is a two-year letterwinner who provides leadership and the ability to play inside and outside (and) who can score and rebound,” Hinkle said. “(She) averaged 2.2 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game last year.

“Amy, also a two-year letterwinner who provides an inside presence for us. We will rely heavily on her for rebounding and inside defense, but (she) can score as well.”

Junior point guard Mariela Macias should lead the charge offensively. Macias made 20 appearances a season ago, and will have a much larger responsibility this year.

“Mariela is a quick point guard who we will rely on to handle the ball and run the show for us,” Hinkle said, “a returning letterwinner who gives us experience at the point guard position.”

Next up is Morgan Cicek. The experienced shooting guard will provide a spark for her Bombers offensively. As a freshman, she finished with 6.4 points per game and played in 21 total games.

“Cicek is a shooting guard and a returning letterwinner,” Hinkle said. “She is our returning leading scorer from last year.”

Aurora Young, another sophomore, will get a chance to increase her minutes and also look to make her mark early. The forward appeared in just seven games a season ago. As she sat then and learned

Black

Cicek

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from her senior teammate, Ramsey Smith, she now gets her chance.

Said her coach, “She is a long, athletic girl who can play multiple positions. She can defend, score, rebound and handle the ball for us.”

Coming off the bench for the Bombers will be seniors Angela Kale and Samantha Sunderhaft.

Juniors Alison Manis and Marissa Cerha, and freshman Carley Timmons, will also see varsity minutes.

“Alison Manis is a two-year letterwinner that gives us great versatility, as she can play multiple positions and can defend, rebound and score,” Hinkle said. “Marissa, a guard, gives us depth at that position. (She) can shoot the ball and

Macias

@Hudson 7 p.m.

NDCL 7 p.m. @Green 1:30 p.m. @Padua 7 p.m.

Austintown Fitch 12:30 p.m.

Aurora 7 p.m.

Chagrin Falls 5 p.m. @Nordonia 7 p.m. @West G 6:45 p.m. @Buchtel 7:30 p.m.

CVCA 12:30 p.m.

Riverside 7 p.m. @South 12:30 p.m. @Mayfield 7 p.m.

Chardon 12:30 p.m.

North 7 p.m. @Riverside 12:30 p.m.

Rocky River 7 p.m.

South 7 p.m.

Mayfield 7:30 p.m. @Chardon 7 p.m. @North 12:30 p.m.

stretch the defense. Angela Kale, a returning letterwinner, can also play inside and gives us great rebounding ability, while Samantha Sunderhaft, who is a tall post, will give us depth at that position and can rebound the ball as well. Timmons is just a freshman who can shoot and has the ability to develop as the year goes on.

“Our expectations never change from season to season,” Hinkle added. “Our goal is always to work hard with the attempt to be competing for a conference championship. All of our conference games this year are in the new year, so it will allow us to grow throughout the first half of the year to get ready for conference play.”

Page 16

Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Lions

Bigger, Stronger Lions Prepared to Attack

By Rich Kelly sports@karlovecmedia.com

The Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Lions boys basketball team had a decent spurt of growth last season under first-year Head Coach Pat Vuyancih, but did not reach the goals they wanted.

Few teams do reach those goals, but realistically, getting to the next level takes hard work, and Coach Vuyancih has the background on the hardwood floor to get things done.

In the early going for this year’s Lions' squad so far, motivation is there to get much better, work in the off-season has been done, and

Duggar 12/1 12/3 12/8 12/9 12/12 12/15 12/23 12/29 1/5 1/6 1/12 1/19 1/23 1/26 1/30 2/2 2/6 2/9 2/13 2/16 2/20

Muscatello

Hawken 7:15 p.m. @St. Edward 12:35 p.m. @Avon Lake 7 p.m.

Beachwood 4 p.m. @Kenston 7:30 p.m. @Gilmour 7 p.m.

Avon 2:30 p.m. @Cardinal Mooney 7 p.m. @University 7 p.m.

Barberton 4 p.m. @Lake Catholic 7 p.m. @Walsh 7:15 p.m. @Bedford 7:30 p.m.

Padua 7:15 p.m.

Chagrin Falls 7:15 p.m.

Lake Catholic 7:15 p.m. @VASJ 7 p.m.

Walsh 7:15 p.m.

Benedictine 7:15 p.m. @Padua 7 p.m.

Twinsburg 7:15 p.m.

hopes are high for a much better season for the NDCL guys.

A good place to begin with any team is senior leadership, and the Lions have returning leading scorer Evan Duggar to get things going.

Luckily for them, he’s more than ready.

“I’m trying to focus more on ourselves as a team, and my part of that team,” the senior forward said. “I think we have the overall skills for a good run during the season, with a deeper run in the state tournament at the end of the year being a goal as well.

"We’re all pushing ourselves in practice to be ready for any-

Tamburrino

thing, and we’re really working hard to build our camaraderie among ourselves, as well, both on the court and off. I’m working harder to take the ball to the hole more often, too.”

Duggar averaged more than 20 points per game last year, so the Lions have a great starting point.

“The kids have worked hard to get stronger and faster,” Coach Vuyancih said. “We also have more size this year with Connor Hernan (6-4), a junior, and his brother, Brendan, at 6-6, giving us better size in the front court.

"We’re going to have more size overall, and the kids have been solid in getting stronger.

We’ll play our usual fast-paced attacking offense and defense, too.

We want to be an up-tempo team on the entire floor, and the kids have bought into that philosophy well.

"We definitely want to be a baseline to baseline type of team.

I think this year we will have the depth to get it done as well.”

Coach Vuyancih grew up in that type of team concept during his playing days under now-retired coach Kevin Mackey at Cleveland State University, when he had the Vikings on the national maps of college basketball.

Those teams always would run you into submission given the chance, and this season’s NDCL team should be a carbon copy of those teams.

Duggar will do much of the

finishing of those attacks at both ends of the floor, but should also see a lot of help from teammates in getting the job done.

He will be joined by senior Louie Muscatello and juniors Connor Hernan, Angelo Tamburrino, Brayden Buell and Ryan Lipowski.

Lipowski is now healed from a football injury, providing Coach Vuyancih with a formidable rotation to keep the ball always moving in one direction or another for his team.

With the additional strength and toughness those players put together on the floor, and with more size in Brendan Hernan, the Lions will be a formidable foe each time they take the floor to play.

One of the key elements to the style that Coach Vuyancih played under at Cleveland State in the early years of his playing career was that everything was ignited by tiny guard Mouse McFadden.

This year’s version of the NDC L Lions does not have that speedy igniter from the point guard spot, but with the added size this season of both the Hernan brothers, along with Even Duggar’s year of experience leading the team, his abilities to score from both inside and outside, mixed with the talents of his teammates and their now being used to their coaches style, run and stun might well be the way to describe what this team brings to each game.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 17

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Lions

Lions Learning Under New Head Coach

By Rich Kelly sports@karlovecmedia.com

The Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Lions girls basketball team begins a new era this season under first-year head coach Pete Demichele.

In his first season running the program at NDCL, his experience as an assistant goes before him.

He sees many good things of his girls, who had a less-than-stellar season last year but grew a lot to get ready for this season.

Losing eight seniors may bother some teams, but not this pride of Lions.

“I’m still stepping my way into things with the girls,” he said. “We’ve got five good seniors.

We’ve only been practicing for just about a week now, so the learning process continues for all of us. The girls are getting to know me more, and I’m learning more about their skills in the game.

“I’m very pleased with how hard they are willing to learn, to work hard, each day, and are putting forth the energy to be a successful team.”

Demichele has five seniors to work with this season, and teamwork and effort are in the forefront of all their thoughts.

Giovanna O’Brien will provide height in the paint.

“I think we’re all really excited to get going this year,” O’Brien said. “We think we can do very well as a team. We’re all together in what Coach is showing us, and

we have a lot of confidence in ourselves as players and as a team as well.”

Cameron Kimball is in total agreement with the others.

“We have really good chemistry on this team this year,” she said. “We trust each other, we know each other well both on the floor and in school, and we learned a lot last year that we want to use more this season, too. Coach is pushing us to be better, and we’re having a lot of fun working for it.”

Alexa Borally echoed the positivity of her teammates.

“Coach D has us believing in ourselves as a team,” she said.

“He has very high hopes for us as a team this season, and is very dedicated to us in having a good season.”

Olivia White is the fifth senior Coach Demichele has to build with, and she, too, sees good things ahead for her team.

“We’re the seniors now,” she said. “We’re in new roles leading the team, and we’ve got some good underclassmen to work with.

Our junior varsity team last year was young, but we learned a lot that Coach Demichele has helped us to improve on so far.

“It’s been a big change for us, but we think we’re ready to have a good season.”

Fostering positive energy is a good place to begin a new season of adventure, and these Lions already are solid representatives of those Lion traditions.

“I’m still in the learning pro-

Borally

Kimball

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cess with these girls,” Coach Demichele said. “We do have some very good athletes, though, so I see things coming along well to this point. It’s all part of the growing process for them and for me.

“We also have girls like Emma Clayton on the team, Mia Trussty and Emma Serbey as well, to work with. I see a good season ahead of us.”

While Coach Demichele begins his turn with leading the girls program for the Lions, even after graduating a solid core of seniors from last year, this year’s group of five seniors makes sure the cupboards of experience are far from bare. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and that factor will be im-

O’Brien

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Andrews Osborne 6 p.m.

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portant as this era of Lions girls basketball begins. If the enthusiasm is as contagious as this group thinks it will be, confidence will be a huge part of every game the Lions play. Each day, a reminder of that enthusiasm is visible when they visit the coach in his office: a photo of 2019 graduate Emma Liberatore to offer a quick lift when needed. Liberatore was enthusiasm personified each time she took the floor or field for the Lions, and now is doing the same for the women’s track program at Ashland University.

Enthusiastic energy always leaves a positive legacy as its example.

Page 18

Geauga County High School Basketball Preview

West Geauga Wolverines

Trio of Backcourt Players Look to Speed Up Offense

By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com Under the leadership of firstyear head coach Micah Young, the West Geauga boys were much improved last season.

They'd won only four games in two years, and Coach Young more than doubled that in one season.

Instead, the Wolverines had a double-digit win total, amassing 10 wins. With that great improvement, Coach Young is excited about the 2023-24 basketball season.

This season will look a little different on the court for the Wolverines, as West Geauga is only

Lear

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returning three players who played substantial minutes last season.

Thus, Coach Young is planning a different approach to his team's style of play. Last season, the Wolverines focused on trying to limit the number of possessions their opponent had on the offensive side of the court. A main strategy was to get the ball down low to their All-Ohio 6-6 center, Jerry Klein-Ruminski, who now plays basketball at Lake Erie College.

This season, without a dominating post presence, instead of focusing on getting the ball down low into the post, Young will have the Wolverines run the offense

Whiting

Weisman

through a trio of three experienced guards.

In this way, the Wolverines will play a new, more eclectic style of basketball.

“Last year we did not do much up and down,” Coach Young said. "It was a lot of slow in the half court, slowing it down, controlling the ball and trying to limit possessions.

“This year, it's not going to be a 100-percent full go all the time.

There are going to be times where we slow it down, and there are going to be times where we play fast; it just depends on what we have on the floor and the way the game is going.”

Because West G's most experienced players are guards, Coach Young plans to run the offense through returning backcourt players Landon Lear, Colin Whiting and Carson Weisman.

Undoubtedly, Lear, the junior shooting guard, will be the Wolverines' go-to player throughout the season. Lear earned honorable mention All-CVC honors and honorable mention All-District honors last season as a sophomore. He will now look to improve on his excellent 2022-23 season, which was highlighted by his excellent playoff performance against Jefferson Area and his leadership in victory over the Chagrin Falls Tigers.

In playoff play against Jefferson Area, Lear had 18 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

Against the Tigers in the Battle of 306, Lear led West Geauga to a 49-46 victory with 14 points

scored, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

In one of his top games last year against Geneva, Lear connected on four three's and was 11-12 at the line, scoring 25 points in the Wolverine victory over Geneva.

Coach Young is excited about having Lear as a leader on the court this year.

“Landon, he has grown two inches since last year. He has gotten better in every phase of the game,” Young said.

What is Lear's focus as he enters his junior season of basketball for West Geauga?

“Just looking to improve every year,” Lear said. “Just trying to get better and better. Our team last year was a little better than the year before, and that's all we're trying to do every year.

“This year I feel like we have a good chance to win the CVC and try to keep building on what we're doing.”

Coach Young also expects Carson Weisman to contribute big to team success.

“I am looking forward to just competing and try to win out the CVC,” Weisman said. “I am excited to see what this new young team can bring and hopefully have a successful senior season of basketball.”

And a successful season for West Geauga basketball, of course, will be one in which the Wolverines perform well against Chagrin Falls in the “Battle of 306.” Those will be games to watch on the schedule.

Geauga County Maple Leaf

Page 19

West Geauga Wolverines

West G Seniors Focused on Team Chemistry and Fun

By Alan Kornspan sports@karlovecmedia.com Over the past few seasons, West Geauga Wolverines girls basketball has had a high level of success under the leadership of Brandon Stewart, head coach and athletic director.

Stewart, a former Collegiate Women’s Basketball Coach at Ursuline College, enters his third year as head coach at West G. In his first two seasons, Stewart’s teams have performed very well. In fact, in those two seasons, the Wolverines won two sectional titles and compiled a 33-17 record under Stewart’s leadership.

The Wolverines were led by standout star player Alexa Hocevar, who is now playing Division I Basketball at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

After graduating eight seniors and four starters from last year’s team, Coach Stewart emphasized that this year’s team will not have as much experience as in the past few years.

“We have an exciting group,” said the coach. “We have nine freshman, which is awesome to have them come in and get experience (right away).”

Coach Stewart said the team has been working very hard to prepare for the upcoming season, and that it will be a learning experience for the players new to varsity basketball.

Experienced seniors Maggie Furst and Hannah Williams will contribute greatly to the Wolverines’ front-court success this year.

Coach Stewart is also excited about the freshman that will be contributing to the team’s success this season. Amelia Zaffiro moves from the pitch to the court, having been a leader for the varsity soccer team this past fall.

In addition, Coach Stewart emphasized that Zaffiro will have the opportunity to play and contribute to the team’s success right away.

On both the offense and defensive side of the ball, the Wolverines only returning starter is Furst, one of the top post players in the area.

Coach Stewart discussed how important Furst will be for the Wolverines this season.

“Maggie’s been great for us; she’s been a great leader,” Stewart said. “She’s got playoff experience the last two years, district finals, district semifinals, and district final her freshman year, so she’s been through it all and she’s really helping this young group play.”

The coach will look to Furst for a strong presence down low on the offensive side of the ball as well as on the defensive side of the court. He will also expect her to be one of the top rebounders.

And at times, Coach Stewart said she may have the ball in her hands as she sets up the Wolverines of-

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Furst

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fense.

Coach Stewart also emphasized Furst’s ability to finish at the rim.

“We need her to finish around the rim when she gets opportunities,” he said. “We think she is one of the best post players in the low block, and the more that she plays like that, the further we will go.”

Furst is excited about her senior year of basketball.

“Our team is young this year, which is good because we have a lot of room for growth,” she said.

“And all the girls that came out are excited to be here, and that makes it so easy to be a senior and

Williams Geneva @Braden @Chagrin Falls Orange @Richmond Hts. Hawken Kirtland Kenston Aurora Chagrin Falls @Orange Richmond Hts. @Mayfield @Hawken

6:45 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 pm.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

2:15 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

6:45 p.m.

7 p.m.

6:45 p.m. @Cornerstone Christian 5:30 p.m.

North 6:45 p.m. @Twinsburg 7 p.m.

so easy to be a leader.”

Offensively, Furst sees the team focusing on a style of play very similar to what they ran last year, when they focused on lots of ball movement and trying to push the ball up the court with a fast tempo.

On the defensive side of the ball, Furst emphasized that a key to solid play on the defensive end of the court will be the Wolverines’ ability to communicate effectively and try to make the other team uncomfortable running its offense.

Specifically, Furst mentioned her excitement this year to face Chagrin Falls.

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