Young and Athletic Badgers Working Hard Early On
By rich kelly sports@karlovecmedia com
After a solid 10-13 season last year in the always tough Chagrin Valley Valley Division under Head Coach Joe Montanaro, Berkshire will rely on the junior class.
Montanaro was hired in 2022 after spending 11 seasons as the head coach at Eastlake-North.
The Berkshire Badgers head into this new 2024-2025 season minus three top point producers who left a legacy of their own.
That said, the current squad at Berkshire has only a single se-
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Those juniors bring a lot of optimism to the about the coming season.
“The kids had a really great summer season,” Coach Montanaro said after practice recently. “We played at a lot of different places against some tough teams to develop our younger players.
“We want them to complement our returning players, who also were able to get a lot of good varsity experience last year, so we feel pretty good about where we are at right now. A couple kids are banged up now, but most are ready to get back in the swing of things, so we
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Beam have were asked to a lot last year and return with plenty of varsity experience.
Hipp, at 6 feet 1 inch, is the only senior on the roster. Hipp is coming back from some health issues but feels good about his final season with the Badgers.
“I just want to enjoy every moment of my senior year,” he said. “We’ve spent plenty of time playing together the last couple years, and we know each other well, and our coaching has taught us so much about the game. We just need to realize that the season is a marathon and not a sprint, and if we work hard, we can improve a lot over last season.”
Juniors will play a huge role; they are not newcomers to the team.
Junior Beam, at 6-0, has the athleticism to battle for loose balls anywhere on the floor, and expects to do just that.
“I feel fine about our chances this year,” Beam said. “Several of us have been playing at varsity levels the last couple years, we know each other and what we can do together, so we think we should be able to compete for another CVC title.”
Luke Stute, at 6-1, will provide effort at both ends of the floor.
“We just need to continue to work hard and to play as a team,” Stute said. “All of us juniors will need to step up, but we’ve been playing together for a while now, so I think we’re going to have a good season.”
Jake Patterson, at 5-8, will man the point guard spot most of the time.
“It’s going to be important for me to be in position all the time to see what is happening, to control things on the floor,” Pattersons said. “And to make occasional shots from outside so the other guys can get inside to score. I just want to win as often as we can.”
Rounding out the projected starting five is junior Cadan McGranahan, at 6-1.
This band of juniors, along with Hipp, will be a solid core that should help propel the team to another solid season.
Others on the varsity roster are juniors 6-footers Billy Verbic and Chase Wardle.
Sophomores Alex Bowman, at 5-9, and Michael Costantini, at 6-3, round out the roster for Coach Montanaro.
There isn’t a lot of size, but the athleticism of this group will make up for it.
As the younger players grow in confidence in themselves and their teammates, look for this group to be a formidable band of Badgers.
The Badgers swept the season series against Cardinal a year ago with two wins — 69-46 and 66-35.
The Badgers will compete against the Huskies as members of the same conference for the last time in the 2024-25 season.
Berkshire was 5-5 in the CVC Valley as season ago, as the makeup of the conference continually changes. The team will play conference games against Wickliffe, Kirtland, Cardinal and Crestwood as the team tries to get back on top.
Berkshire Badgers
Lady Badgers Have New Players Under New Coach
By rich kelly sports@karlovecmedia.com
The Berkshire Badgers girls basketball team will be making a transition with first-year Head Coach Dave Albert at the helm. Albert has a pedigree since his playing days as a Madison Blue Streak, and then a deep involvement in AAU basketball, as the director of the Lake Erie Defenders program since 2009.
Albert was hired to take over the Badgers program in May of this year.
The group of Badgers he begins with are led by experienced players and quality athletes who have built success in other sports, most recently soccer.
That success is a great starting point for this year’s edition of the basketball team.
“My main philosophy this season is going to just play good fundamental basketball all the time,” Coach Albert said. “You must stress fundamentals to understand the game.”
He continued: “They’ve had the same coach and system the last few years, so there is no need — with the successes they’ve had — to change that idea. It is just a matter of occasional adjustments and maybe throwing in a few new wrinkles along the way.”
Albert said the girls have worked really hard so far in the pre-season, as the season got started just before Thanksgiving. Three close games, two losses and a win, got things underway.
“But we’re blessed with good athletes who work well together, so it’s been an easy transition for me, too,” Albert said.
A trio of experienced seniors are returning for the Badgers this season.
Those three, Meredith Bors, Jenna Hornak and Liv Masink, will form the nucleus of the starting unit.
“We’re excited about the talent we have on this team this year,” Bors said. “It will be important for us to start out strong, especially on offense, and to provide good leadership for the younger girls as we compete in a tough league. You can always expect Kirtland and Crestwood to be right at the top of the league, so we want to make sure we provide tough competition for them.”
Add in sophomore Ivy Martin, whose athleticism and floor awareness will see her in the right spot most of the time.
Less experienced seniors Elise Tiber, Kylie Gleason, Breana Dysert and Kirsten Shaffer round out the senior class on the team that should lead to good things.
Liv Masink might be called the grizzled veteran of the group, as she has had steady growth at the varsity level her entire career on some very good teams.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talent this year,” Masink said. “The key will be communicating with each other and with our new coach. I think if we play our game we’re going to have a very good season.”
Jenna Hornak is another se-
Bors
this year,” she said. “As long as we work hard and play and work together as a team, I think we’re going to have a good season and compete with anybody we play.”
Beside the seniors, a pair of juniors will be active as Coach Albert sees building depth as a key
With the experience these girls have playing together, adding in some new wrinkles that Coach Albert has seen work over his long career on the floors, it is wise to figure that the Berkshire Badgers are going to be a force this season as they have in recent seasons.
Rebounding from Setbacks: Huskies Prepare for a Fresh Start
By haley adams sports@karlovecmedia com
Second-year head coach Kyle Deckerd is preparing his team for the 2024-25 season with a different mindset.
After the departure of all-time leading scorer Troy Domen, the Huskies’ main focus will be playing the game with a balanced team. The Huskies finished last season 5-19 overall, remaining winless in the CVC.
“This year is a lot more team-oriented,” said senior guard
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younger team. But this year we are all returners and we’ve all got varsity time, so we all are leaning on each other to get buckets.”
Ciminello contributed with 6.9 points per game and 3.2 assists last season as he orchestrated the offense after a stellar season on the football field, where he broke the single-season record for passing yards. He will look to lead his team this year by being a vocal leader and providing experience at a varsity speed and strength.
Another senior looking to provide varsity expertise is Dominic
utes should increase this season. Naples provides some height for the Huskies and will be a key rebounder and shot blocker for the team.
He has seen his minutes increase steadily since his freshman season, but this year he will have a much bigger role. After several injuries plagued him, he made his first appearance on the football field this fall where he was one of his quarterback’s top receivers.
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Junior Landon Gallagher is looking to make an impact on the court after being sidelined with a knee injury at the beginning of last season. Once he came back, he provided offense by scoring five points per game and consistently rebounding for the team.
Returners like Blake Strever and Charles Soltis will also need to be offensive options for their team. They averaged around four points per game last season. Soltis provided big minutes for the Huskies a season ago and provided consistency in rebounding and was a challenging defender against his opponent. Being undersized didn’t seem to bother him.
Carter Tucker is another versatile player for the Huskies. He will help the Huskies with additional play on the offense and defense, while senior Carter Sindelar makes the jump from JV to varsity. Sindelar provides a fiery spark for his team, which will be crucial minutes outside of the starting five.
“Varsity is fast-paced, and it is a lot different from JV,” Tucker said. “I know that there have been
some of us who have struggled to get adjusted, and we want to run deep this year. We want a deep bench, and to get a lot of subs in, so we have to get the underclassmen in. They have to know the plays and they need to know what to do on every single play and every possession.”
One of the biggest additions to the team will be senior Zachary Caldwell, a transfer from Bristol who provides a great I.Q. and offensive spark to the team.
“We want to go over .500 and make a run in the playoffs,” Caldwell said. “To achieve these goals, we have to work as a team and it can’t be a one-man show. We have to rebound the ball because we don’t have a lot of size, but we will have to use that to our advantage”
Senior Nicholi McDaniel will also provide height for the Huskies — and need to make the adjustment from JV to varsity very quickly.
To start the 2024-25 season, the Huskies will travel to Grand Valley, where they lost to the Mustangs twice last season, getting their season underway with a taste for revenge. Their first home game of the season will be against Chardon, a game the Huskies felt slipped between their fingers a season ago. The first time they play their rival, the Berkshire Badgers, will be Jan. 7, then again on Feb. 7.
The Cardinal Huskies seem ready for a chance to prove themselves after such a rough outing a season ago.
The Tenacity of the Young Huskies: A Reflection On Their Spirit
By haley adams sports@karlovecmedia com
After second-year head coach Kim Domen’s young group finished the 2023-24 season 6-17 overall, she and her team are feeling confident and ready to compete in the CVC, where they’ll look to pick up their first conference win in over two years.
“We believe that we’ll be more competitive this year than last,” Domen said. “We’re still young, however, they have a year of varsity experience underneath their belts and know what to expect. We think we will be quicker, and we have the potential to turn some heads this year.”
Leading the way is sophomore Ivy Kaminski, who was named to the 2nd-Team CVC and All-Ohio Honorable Mention honors as a freshman. She led all scorers with 11.5 ppg.
“Ivy is an extremely hard worker who is quick and athletic,” Domen said. “She is becoming more of a vocal leader on the court, and she will have to learn to make adjustments based upon what the defense gives her. She has a knack of getting the rebounds.”
Sophomore Emily Pleva will look to add to her strong freshman campaign where she averaged 8.1 points per game. She pulled down 4.1 rebounds while grabbing 2.2 steals on defense.
“Emily is one of those players you can use at any position. She never complains and she does what needs to be done to help her team.
“She can shoot, handle the ball and rebound, a little bit of everything, which is good for us,” Domen said.
the starting lineup is sophomore Natalie Soltis. The 5-3 point guard will look to lead the offense once again. Last season she was credit ed for 1.2 assists per game while adding 3.7 points to her stat line. The undersized guard also fought for 3.4 rebounds per game.
provement during summer league. She’s quicker and has put some muscle on her, which will only help her late in games to battle,” Domen said. “Natalie is not afraid to put her body on the line, she’s scrappy and feisty, and she does what it takes to help her team.”
team’s defensive specialist who al ways takes pride in her toughness and grittiness. She enjoys shutting down the top scorer in the game, so this is where most of her de fensive assignments will come from. With her quick feet and de cision-making, she picked up 3.4 steals per game last season to lead the team in that realm.
who is not afraid of anything,” her coach said. “She works hard and is scrappy and is always up for a new challenge.”
Rounding out the starting five will be sophomore Olivia Krebs, whose 5.3 rebounds per game made her undersized post down low.
“Olivia works hard, and even though she’s the underdog under
“Nova is willing to do whatever it takes,” Domen said. “With a year under her belt, she understands the level of play and what needs to be done. She will play a multitude of positions this year to maximize our team dynamics. She is one of those players that has the ability to
throughout the season, as could freshman Sydney Lehr.
One of the team’s biggest goals in 2024-25: control what they can control.
“We can’t control certain things, but the things we can, each player needs to be aware of them,” Domen said.
Kaminski
Good Luck to all Geauga Basketball Teams!
Sports Editor: Jamie Ward
Contributers: Rich Kelly, Haley Adams, Alan Kornspan, Jack Gillespie
Editor: John D. Karlovec
Publisher: Jeffrey B. Karlovec
Finance: Jack Karlovec
Advertising: Clay Karlovec
Advertising: Clinton Sestak
Production Manager: Pam Molnar
Graphic Designer: Karen Kaplan
Paginator: Emma McGuire
chagrin Falls tigers
Experienced Senior-Led Tigers Look to Compete for CVC Title
By alan kornspan sports@karlovecmedia com
The Chagrin Falls Tigers Boys Basketball team will look to expand upon their successful 2024 playoff run as they return nine seniors.
Finishing with a 10-15 record last season, the Tigers finished strong as they won a sectional title and came within two points of defeating the Wellington Dukes in districts.
The team has battled injuries in the early preseason. Getting those Tigers back on the floor sooner rather than later is going to be key.
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said that last year the team had many first-year varsity players who lacked varsity experience.
However, with the experience the players got last season, Russell is excited and optimistic about how the team will do this year.
“I’m really excited for this season,” said Russell. “We have a lot of veteran experience this year. We had a lot of first year varsity guys last year, so we’re all ready for this upcoming year.”
Head Coach Dave Bargar, experienced with 20 seasons under his belt, returns nine seniors, many of
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Bargar said all the Tigers that see the floor this season will be big parts of what the team did last year.
“We don’t really have to install a whole lot,” Bargar said during the team’s CVC media day. “We just kind of review it for a minute. They’re smart players anyway, even the new stuff.”
In particular, a player who contributed greatly to the Tigers success over the past couple years is last season’s leading scorer, senior Ryan Curtiss.
Curtiss, who averaged 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds, will be a third-year varsity basketball player this season, having played in 46 varsity games as a sophomore and junior.
Curtiss can certainly put the ball in the bucket as he had season highs with two games where he scored 24 points (Andrews Osborne Academy and Rittman). In addition, Curtiss shot in double figures in 11 contests.
Russell, a 5-foot-11 guard who averaged 7.9 points per game, connected on 54 3-pointers (38%) last season.
Coach Bargar stressed that his players are very unselfish and like to get everyone involved on the offensive side of the court.
“It would not surprise me on any given night that any one of our five starters or maybe even one of our bench guys can lead us in scoring,” said Bargar.
“Obviously, Ryan Curtiss is going to be the guy that is going to maybe lead us in scoring, but Spencer (Kass), Brad Russell, Jacob Kay, Oscar DiFranco when he
gets healthy can all go out there and score a lot of points.”
Bargar thinks Rob Mignogna, another 6-2 senior, can be a spark for the team this season.
Offensively, Coach Bargar said that the Tigers will play a four guard offense as they will be a perimeter focused team. The offense will focus on a five out offense which is when all the offensive players start outside the three point arc.
On defense, the Tigers will give opponents different looks as they will play man to man, zone and also press.
Although the Tigers will utilize various defenses, Coach Bargar emphasized that the energy the Tigers bring to the defensive side will make a big difference.
“When we play with a lot of energy, then we’re a much better defensive team,” Bargar said.
Coach Bargar will look for DiFranco and Quin Bargar to be top defenders for the Tigers. In addition, Kaas will be given the task of guarding the opponents’ top player.
Evan Castelluccio is another senior whose main goal for the team is to compete for a CVC title and another districts appearance.
Added four year varsity player, senior Spencer Kaas, “Winning games, that’s really the main goal, and winning the CVC Championship.”
“It’s about coming out and playing with a sense of purpose and intensity,” Bargar said. “Last year that was the problem early on. That and couple with the inexperience. But once we figured out how to play last year we were really good.”
Tigers Motivated to Improve On 15 Wins With Deep Roster
By alan kornspan sports@karlovecmedia com
The Chagrin Falls Tigers Girls Basketball team is coming off a 1510 season and are motivated to improve upon last season.
The Tigers seniors chose “Motivate” as this year’s theme.
“I think it’s a word where you not only have to motivate yourself, but you also have to motivate your teammates,” Head Coach Brittany Laseak said.
Laseak begins her 15th season leading a program she once played for in high school. Laseak said she has learned a lot during that time.
“There have been a lot of lessons over the years and because each team is different. I feel like I’m still learning with each practice and game:” the coach said. “One thing that I’ve learned from this experience is to enjoy it. Early on, it was very easy to get caught up in wins and losses and to be intense as opposed to passionate.”
The Tigers have 12 players, including 5 seniors, 2 sophomores, 1 freshman and 4 freshmen that swing between varsity and junior varsity.
A highly motivated returning starters include senior Lilly Stukus and Avery Russell, Abby Kay, Abby Coy and freshman Molly Wheatley.
Stukus, a three time All-Ohioan, led the Tigers offense last season with 15.7 points per game.
Stukus is looking to diversify her game. One area in which Stukus is focused on improving is in rebounding the basketball.
“Lilly’s going to be a senior leader,” Laseak said. “She’s super vocal and encouraging during prac tice, she’s a scorer, I think every body knows that. But she’s looked to diversify her game this summer.”
The Tigers will look to Russell to help lead the offense.
As a freshman, Russell was the Tigers second leading scorer, aver aging 13.7 points per game.
In helping to lead the Tigers of fense last season, Russell was the Ti gers leading 3-point shooter, shoot ing 35 percent from beyond the arc.
Russell said that she will con tinue to be focused on shooting three pointers, but also wants to drive to the hoop and provide as sists to her teammates.
Coming off the bench this sea son will be seniors Emma Thatch er, who plays point guard, Caroline Lynch and Mia Sluder at center.
The team’s four freshmen are point guard Gabby Byrne, guard Olivia Kruse and forwards Peyton Pruce and Clarke Perkins.
“Emma is a physical guard who plays steady and with composure,” Laseak said. “Caroline is incredi bly coachable, positive, and gives us height against taller opponents. Mia is a talented shot blocker. Our freshmen have a ton of potential. Gabby has a quick first step and can finish the drive in the most creative ways.”
She added: “Olivia is 5 foot 11 inches and gives us length on the perimeter, contesting shots and getting in the passing lanes. Peyton and Clarke can play inside
ally up tempo, we’ve got girls that play soccer and run cross country and who can get up and go, so we’ll look to score quick,” said Laseak.
Coach Laseak also emphasized that a main goal for the Tigers will be to limit turnovers.
“If you’re going to play fast, you’re going to make some risky decisions, so we have to try to get
years past, just because of the style of play,” said Coach Laseak.
Coach Laseak said that the main goal every game is to hold opposing teams to under 40 points.
“So what we do is set a goal for 10 a quarter, sometimes we get it sometimes we don’t,” said Coach Laseak. “That’s kind of the standard in our program.”
A New Attitude Has Coaches and Players Optimistic
By Jamie Ward Jamie@karlovecmedia com
Some new faces, some new attitudes, and a few key returns have the Chardon Hilltoppers enjoying the beginning of this basketball season, a season that will also start on time for the first time in a long time.
“It’s nice to be able to get these guys in the gym earlier,” said Chad Murawski, starting his ninth season.
The Hilltoppers, who were 7-15 a year ago, will be young, both in terms of age and experience. “But some of these guys got a lot
Fawcett
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junior year — a decision he regrets.
“It’s amazing,” Fawcett said. “I really don’t know why I didn’t play last year. I was in the stands every game, and now it’s just great to be back.”
Fawcett said his thing is energy. It’s something he always wants to bring to rebounding.
Despite the year off, Fawcett has jumped right back into a leadership role with this team.
“He’s been a huge energy boost his senior year,” the coach said. “Like incredible. He’s crazy athletic. You might not think it looking at him, but he’s got guard
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Luke Galfidi returns as the team’s best player, despite being only a sophomore. As a point guard, he leads the pace and space of the offense and is a scoring threat off the dribble.
“It’s better to have the experience going into the season, unlike last year, which was like coming out of middle school,” Galfidi said. “There’s different competition at varsity. It was nice to play hard, play with some good guys. Just nice to have the experience.”
Galfidi thinks this year’s team loves each other. No arguing like the season before.
“Everyone wants to compete, and we want to win,” he said. “Everyone is unselfish.”
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Another sophomore, Rocco Tarantino, is a guard who will also score the basketball. “He’s a really good shooter,” Murawski said.
“We’re getting in better shape everyday,” Tarantino said.
On the nights Tarantino feels on, he lets the 3-pointer fly.
“For the nights I’m not on, it’s good during the game to make a layup just to see something go in before I start shooting 3s again,” he said.
Junior A.J. Petrella will play forward and start.
“The team chemistry is better this year,” Petrella said.
He pointed to new coach Steve Thompson as a big addition. Thompson coached for many years at Mentor before becoming Murawski’s varsity assistant.
Bailey rounds out the starting five as another perimeter-type player.
Other players that will come off the bench or work themselves into a possible starting role are Drayton Allgood and Ty Roediger. Murawski looks at the team as having seven starters.
Ian Galati will also be one of the first Hilltoppers off the bench. Justin Smith, Brendan Ptasznik and Ryan Kolcum will all compete for minutes throughout the season.
Bailey Mann and Dominic Frisco round out the varsity roster.
Chardon will not have a lot of size this season. The team hopes to compensate by being more athletic.
That will dictate a lot of how Chardon aims to attack: “We’re going to be really fast this year,” Murawski said while watching his team “swim down the river,” a conditioning drill, down and back, that increases in intensity.
“I told them all offseason we’re going to go swimming, and they thought it was going to be a pool,” he said. “We’ve conditioned more than we’ve ever conditioned. I tell them: This isn’t punishment, this is to get you ready for games.”
Watch for new scoreboards on both ends of “The Barn,” the home gymnasium; fans will enjoy seeing the backboards light up red at the buzzer, adding an emphatic end to buzzer-beaters.
“I haven’t been as excited for a year in a long time,” Murawski said, “and it’s because we have kids who work really really hard. These kids just want to be in the gym.”
chardon hilltoppers
Hilltoppers Hustle, Grit Key to Season Success
By Jamie Ward Jamie@karlovecmedia com
Chardon expects to be in a lot of close games this season. Games that will come down to the little things: defense, rebounds, and be the first to a loose ball. More specifically, offensive rebounds, says Erik Hoenigman, the Hilltoppers’ head coach in his fourth season.
“Tenacious, offensive rebounding,” the coach said. “You have to follow your shot, especially 3-pointers. Long rebounds are ours.”
He thought more about it, “You can’t teach people to be mean. Rebounding is a mean part of the game. We want the extra possession, we have to have the extra possession if we’re going to beat good teams.”
Hoenigman said his team is 7-16 in close games the last four seasons, and he blames that extra possession for the losing record.
Other Chardon strengths will be speed, defensive communication and fast-break points.
Young players from last season should take a step forward.
“We have a lot of varsity experience back,” said their coach.
The team had four starters cemented in place in the preseason: Ava McDevitt, Abby Zeiger, Cameron Gerlica and Cassidy Grau.
“They have been working really good together,” Hoenigman said. “Everyone on the floor has had time together. We have a good group, and they work hard together and they pull for each other.”
McDevitt, one of two seniors
on the team, missed most of last season with an injury, but she’s ex cited to be back on the floor.
“I think we’ll have good team chemistry,” McDevitt said. “We’ve all played together for a long time. Communication will be key. We have 10 solid players that can play varsity.”
Zeiger, who is the other se nior, knows many underclassmen hold a leadership role after their minutes last season, like Gerlica and Grau.
“We have a lot of help from the underclassmen,” Zeiger said. “We started young, so we’re building each year. I think they also respect us, so it’s easier to communicate with them.”
Zeiger, who called this year’s team “drama free,” is a 3-point shooter.
“That’s what I’m best at,” she said. “If I’m missing, I try to slow it down. But once you see a few a go in … that’s where it’s at.”
“It’s a lot more responsibility,” said Grau, a sophomore. “Instead of being the baby of the team, I want to treat the freshmen more on my level.”
Grau also wants the team to have mental toughness, not to get down after mistakes.
“If you don’t give it your best, you’re not going to win,” she said. “If we’re not giving it 100 percent, we’re not going to win.”
Gerlica thinks ball movement has been really good in practice and scrimmages.
“Everything we’re doing is coming together really good as a team,” the junior said. “And our defense has been really great.”
Gerlica
a lot, but focus on the team and work as hard as I can.”
Plenty of Hilltoppers on the bench will also play significant minutes and have every opportunity to shine.
Rory Duval-Lewis is an athletic sophomore; Lilli Dillworth returns from a knee injury; Rosemarie McDonald is fast and could start; Ad-
as you can, but when we get that rebound we have to get that outlet and we have to go.”
The team has a new scoreboard for home games in the gymnasium some lovingly call “The Barn.”
“The girls are having a good time, and we’re just anxious to get going,” Hoenigman said.
Health, Experience Motivating Bombers Boys
By Jack gillespie sports@karlovecmedia com
Coming off an injury-ridden season last year, the Kenston Bombers have a chip on their shoulder coming into the 2024-25 season.
Kenston has regained full strength and is looking to prove its caliber and contend for the WRC title.
Senior guard Braelyn Akins, who missed last year after sustaining a knee injury which required
“I knew I had to come back stronger,” Akins said. “I talked to God and my family, and it inspired me to work hard in the gym everyday. I helped my teammates off the court at practice every day, and hopefully this year I’ll help us grow as a team on it.”
Akins is not the only player the Bombers will add back into their arsenal. Sophomore guard Eli Ellis will also join the team this season after transferring back to the school.
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12/27 @North Olmstead 6 p.m.
12/30 @Lake Catholic 7 p.m.
1/3 @Woodridge 7 p.m.
1/7 North 7:30 p.m.
“That’s going to be a great backcourt.”
“I want to become more of a floor general and help the team on offense,” Ellis said on what he looks to bring to Kenston. “We’ve been in the gym all summer. Lots of open gyms, getting shots up everyday, and we’ve been in the weight room. We have a lot of new pieces, a lot of heart, and everyone wants to win.”
One of those new pieces to watch for is freshman Luke Stupica.
Coach DeJarnette said he is a high-flyer who can really make an
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1/17 South 7:30 p.m.
1/21 Aurora 7:30 p.m.
1/24 @Mayfield 7:30 p.m.
1/28 Chardon 7:30 p.m.
1/31 @North 7:15 p.m.
2/4 @Riverside 7:30 p.m.
2/7 @South 7:30 p.m.
2/11 @Mayfield 7:30 p.m.
2/14 @Chardon 7:30 p.m.
As for the familiar faces, fans will recognize sophomore guard Jackson Alotta, junior forward Ethan Black, and senior wing Sam
Ellis could learn from Rodgers, who transferred to Kenston last season. Coming off his first season with the Bombers, he plans to step up as a leader in his senior year.
“Having last year under my belt as a new transfer, I’m just trying to take that leadership role this year,” Rodgers said. “I’m really focusing on holding guys accountable.”
As for his individual play, Rodgers said he’d like to attack inside
“I focused a lot on getting in the weight room and driving a lot more this offseason,” Rodgers said. “Last year I was more shooting-dominant, but this year I want to take it to the paint a lot.”
Alotta has lofty goals for his Kenston career. After making a
name for himself by scoring 200 points as a freshman, he is set on eclipsing that total this year.
“My individual goal for my career is to score 1,000 points,” Alotta said. “I had 200 last year, so to get back on pace for that would be my personal goal this year.”
Alotta and other underclassmen were also thrust into starting positions last year, an experience their coach believes will help them this season.
“I think it helped them tremendously,” Coach DeJarnette said. “We had Jackson come in as a freshman last year, and he got a lot of experience from that.”
As for a group goal, the entire team echoed a similar sentiment: win more games. This unit is set to prove what it can do at full strength, and with the addition of new faces, its athletes feel they can play with anyone as long as they mesh.
“The most important thing that we focus on is chemistry,” Coach DeJarnette said. “Guys can spread out, so it’s important that we stay together and stay healthy.”
The basketball team finished 2-20 a year ago, picking up wins in February (56-50 over Riverside) and January (47-44 over Lake Catholic.)
Kenston announced in November the high school and middle school programss would leave the Western Reserve Conference at the end of the 2025-26 school year and join the Suburban League, throwing the future of the WRC in flux. Geauga County
Akins
Kenston Has Heart, If Not Size, and Thirst For First
By Jack gillespie sports@karlovecmedia com
The Kenston Bombers are hungry for a conference title this season after a second-place WRC finish in 2023.
Their eyes are on the number-one spot.
Head Coach Kevin Hinkle knows the task is easier said than done.
With a competitive conference and tough out-of-conference games, the Bombers will have their work cut out for them.
“Our goal is to have that schedule to get ready for the WRC when it opens up,” Coach Hinkle said. “We understand that our challenging schedule will only help us develop.”
The Bombers will retain three seniors from last year in Mariella Marcias, Marissa Cerha and Mallory Yates
Marcias, who Coach Hinkle described as a second coach on the floor, looks to continue to be a facilitator while also creating a little more for herself this year.
“My role has been pretty similar over the past three years: just handle the ball and get people their opportunities,” Marcias said. “This year, I’m working on keeping that same focus while also scoring a little bit more.”
Cehra, a veteran at the varsity level, said she plans to take on more of a leadership role as a senior and wants to be the catalyst for Kenston’s defense.
“I want to be a team lead er and team player and help my teammates as much as I can,” Cerha said. “I think I have a voice on the court. Defense is going to be a big thing for us this year, and that’s an area I can contribute.”
Yates will look to be a pres ence in the paint for these Bomb ers, and has no problem doing the dirty work for the team.
“My goals are to be great on defense, box out really well, and maybe score a few points here and there,” Yates said.
Cerha
Also returning for Kenston this season are juniors Aurora Young and Morgan Cesnik.
Cesnik was the team’s leading scorer in 2023, while Young was described by Coach Hinkle as somebody who can do everything for the team.
Young is working her way back from an injury sustained this summer, and says the time spent sidelined fueled her desire to re turn to the court.
“I love basketball with my whole heart, so it was really hard to go through the summer and miss tournaments and summer league,” Young said. “So I knew I had to get ready for the season in the fall.”
As for her goals this year, Young wants to hone in on her defense and rebounding.
“I often have to guard the other team’s best player, so I really want to focus on locking in on that best player and shutting her down,” she said.
Coach Hinkle said.
“We are focused on rebounding against teams that are bigger than us and seeing if we can get out in transition on teams that are slower than us.”
The team also collectively
each other, we’re going to do real ly well this year.”
The Bombers announced they will leave the Western Reserve Conference after the 2025-26 school year, opening up a new schedule and new rivalries.
Positive Focus the Key to Lions’ Winning Record
By rich kelly sports@karlovecmedia com
The Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Lions had a solid season last year, finishing second in the Crown Conference with a 13-13 record.
The team reached the district title game before falling to a tough Youngstown Ursuline team at Warren Harding High School.
With a number of those same players back again this season, and five seniors leading the way, the Lions enter the season with a strong foundation, highlighted by key returning contributors and
outlook this year. Reaching those same tournament levels is in sight if they continue to work hard as a team.
Angelo Tamburrino will supply a key ingredient, aggressive defense. He was a defensive spark plug, leading the team in steals, usually guarding opponents top scorers and making getting to the basket a tough assignment.
He expects basically the same outcome this season as well.
steals a game if I can because that shuts the other team down. The main goal for us is to make it as far as we can in the tournament at the end of the season, too.”
Ryan Lipowski provides a quarterback mentality to the basketball team. After being in that position for the football program, the same responsibilities transfer well to the court.
He has been a main cog in the Lions program his entire career, yet this season should be extra special for him.
Dumermuth
12/1 @St. Edward 3:30 p.m.
12/3
12/6
12/13
12/20 @Padua 7 p.m.
12/23 Gilmour 7:15 p.m.
12/28 @Lutheran East 4 p.m.
12/20 University 7:15 p.m.
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“I just want to do my best on the floor to help my team win games,” he said after picture day for the Lions winter teams. “I just want to do everything I can, wheth er it’s steals or going to the hoop,
1/14 Geneva 7:15 p.m.
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1/24 @Elyria Catholic 7:15 p.m.
1/28 @Ursuline 7 p.m.
1/31 Padua 7:15 p.m.
2/7 Holy Name 7:15 p.m.
2/8 VASJ 7:30 p.m.
2/11 Ursuline 7:15 p.m.
2/14 @CVCA 7 p.m.
“We have a solid schedule, we’re starting out in a new conference, and we want to win the conference,” said the senior. “We had a good year last season, too, but making a deeper run into the playoffs is something we all want to get done.”
Nolan Dumermuth provides stability for Head Coach Pat Vuyancih as well.
“I just want to play my hardest all the time when I’m on the floor,” he said. “We all want to win more games as teammates this year.”
Like his teammates, fellow senior Brendan Sawitke has played a significant role in all the sports programs at NDCL, and knows that their togetherness is import-
“This is our last run for all of us seniors,” Sawitke said. “That means we want to go out by reaching our goals for the team, and playing as a team will be the key to it all.
“Making a good tournament run, and even reaching Dayton, will help us all to really enjoy our senior seasons.”
The top player size-wise for the Lions will be senior Connor Hernan.
“Our focus and mind set will be to adjust to anything we come across this season and come out on top,” he said. “We have some great athletes on this team, we have great coaching, and possibly the biggest thing is that we have gained a great knowledge of how to play the game under Coach Vuyancih. We know each other well, we’ve played together and worked hard together, so this season will be our time to shine.”
Buoyed by these five seniors, the Lions will build depth for next year with juniors Samuel Hays, Brendan Hernan, Luke Keep and Mason Pesho filling in needed roles. They have all experienced the successes of other NDCL programs in building teamwork and camaraderie, and with their great athleticism should be able to help keep up pressure on the floor at all times.
The team has switched conferences again into the North Coast Conference.
NDCL will add conference games to its schedule against Elyria Catholic, Padua, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Holy Name and Ursuline. The team keeps its rivalry with Lake Catholic in January.
With experienced leadership and a balanced attack, the Lions are poised to make significant strides in the North Coast Conference this season.
By rich kelly sports@karlovecmedia com
Last season was Head Coach Pete DeMichele’s first in leading the NDCL Lions girls basketball program.
Under any new coach, time is of the most importance as players and coaches get acquainted. Rarely does the immediate process lead to big-time success.
The key is learning and working hard to get better. Those will be the key factors this season as the coach looks for this group, with both hard work and experience, to head for the successes they expect.
“The key for any team is playing good defense, and this group of girls has a lot of speed and quickness which I think will help set us up for success this year,” Head Coach DeMichele said. “We had a really good summer working in open gyms and at some camps to improve on what we learned last year.
“We’re quicker and have a lot of athleticism to build on. The girls have put in the work it takes to establish defensive principles in the same system, so I see good things for us this year.”
The roster has gained experience from last year, and if early returns mean anything, hard work this summer seems to be paying off.
Four seniors figure to be the primary foundation of the team: Emma Clayton, Lexi Simon, Lila Baeslach and Mia Trusso. They should plan to be on the floor to start games, joined by junior Madda Varga.
Without a big time scorer
to begin with, these five should shoulder a balanced attack scoring points while using their athleti cism to stop opponents.
“I think we’re starting out in a really good place,” Trusso said. “If we use our balance and hard work to have some fun playing, I think we will have a great season.
“Last year, with a new coach, things put us on a big learning curve, but now Coach knows us and we know him, and so far, we’re having a lot of fun playing.”
Clayton has shown signs of being a big point producer for her team, but she sees balance as the key to the team’s improving as well.
“It’s going to be a key for us to build off of last year,” she said. “I think we are starting out with some good players, and if we keep improv ing ourselves, we should also improve as a team. That’s just the result of hard work, and we’re doing it.”
Lexi Simon echoed the hard work sentiment.
“We had a good off season just working in open gyms and getting to know what is expected of us,” she said. “This senior season should be special for all of us. At times we can be hard on ourselves when things don’t go right, but getting beyond those things to play like we are capable will be a key factor, too.”
Baeslach has special feelings about her senior season. Injury took her junior year away from her, but recovery has gone well, and her enthusiasm and great attitude with teammates should lead to much better things.
“I’m really excited for this sea-
Improvement Continues for Lady Lions Under New Coach
of the process are senior Bella Berrios, juniors Brynn Munn, Emma Sturkey and Maya Rowan, sophomore Fallon Campolieti, and freshman Coco Cochran.
Hard work leads to improvement most of the time. The Lions got off to a good start in their opener at the West Geauga tournament last Friday with a 57-42 win over an
10 points, respectively, and eight Lions scored total.
They lost to a powerful Hathaway Brown team the next night, but it was only due to some missed opportunities when shots didn’t fall.
That will happen to about all teams at one time or another.
How they recover is the key, and these girls see it in front of themselves very well.
Baeslach
West Geauga Boys to Play Fast, Dominate on Defense
By alan kornspan sports@karlovecmedia com
The Wolverines boys basketball team has shown great improvement over the last two seasons under the leadership of third-year head coach Micah Young.
Before Coach Young took over in 2022, the Wolverines had only won four games in two seasons.
But after winning 10 games in the coach’s first season, the Wolverines improved to 14-9 last season.
Certainly a catalyst for the
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be the excellent play of senior Landon Lear.
In fact, Lear who earned AllOhio Division II Honorable Mention, was one of the top offensive players in Northeast Ohio, averaging 23.1 points per game.
“Landon is everything you dream of as a coach,” Coach Young said. “He’s a natural leader, he’s super coachable, and puts in the extra work without needing pushed.
Lear is excited about the upcoming season.
“I think we have a really strong team returning this year,” Lear said. “We only lost two guys from
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pretty good shooters on the team.”
Lear also has a lot of confidence in his teammates to put the ball in the basket.
“I really feel like if I am not scoring, I’m still going to feel confident in our team because I know I can get the ball to people and other people can score,” he said.
Likewise, Coach Young emphasized that the Wolverines return a lot of experienced players who can contribute both offensively and defensively.
“Offensively, we have looked good so far,” the coach said.
With the depth and experience coming back, he is also optimistic about improving the Wolverines defense.
“I thought last year we were okay defensively, but I want to be great defensively, taking that next step,” Coach Young said.
The Wolverines will probably play both man and zone defense, but their coach is hoping to play more man-to-man defense this year. To do this, he will help his players match up better with the teams they will be facing.
“We got a lot of guys coming back that played a lot of minutes for us,” Coach Young said. “We return six out of our top eight from last year.”
With the depth that Coach Young has, he is excited to speed up the offense.
“We’re going to try to take advantage of all of our depth, play a lot of guys, hopefully play a lot faster than we did last year,” he said.
In addition to Lear, Coach Young is expecting Colin Whiting, the second-leading scorer last season (averaging 11.5 points during the regular season), to continue being a main offensive contributor.
“You can always count on Colin to bring it 110% when he’s on the floor,” Coach Young said. “He is the best defender on our team and sets the tone defensively. In my opinion he is the most underrated player in the area.
The Wolverines also expect offensive contributions from Finn Keenan and Ryan Mobley in the post.
Pressuring the basketball is one defensive element that Coach Young will stress to his team, and a top defender he’ll rely on is senior Colin Whiting.
Whiting’s main role on the team will be to defend the opponent’s top player each game, the athlete said.
“Colin is a great defender,” said his coach. “He’s lanky, he’s athletic, he anticipates well. He averaged around four and a half steals a game last year. ... He’s one of the better ball defenders that I’ve ever seen in this league.”
In addition to Whiting, Coach Young said that in the post, Ryan Mobley, Shawn Leonard and Jason Renner will make critical contributions.
With continued improvement on defense, backing up an excellent offense, West G will look to compete for the CVC title this year.
Fast-Paced, Up-Tempo Basketball Focus for Wolverines
By alan kornspan sports@karlovecmedia com
Returning many players who got valuable varsity minutes last year, the Wolverines girls basketball team feels positive about its chances for success this season.
Offensively, Wolverines Head Coach Brandon Stewart, who starts his fourth season at the helm, said that keys to such success will be taking care of the basketball and playing at an up-tempo pace.
Coach Stewart has also been focused on improving his team’s half-court offensive execution which, at times, caused his team to struggle last season, when the Wolverines finished 7-15.
Helping execute the plan will be sophomore Faelyn Beckrest.
As a freshman, Beckrest was West Geauga’s starting point guard and leading scorer, averaging over 14 points per game.
She expressed excitement about the upcoming season and directing the offense.
“I am just going to try to get other people open and pass as much as I can,” Beckrest said.
Beckrest will also look for her teammates in a fast-paced, up-tempo offense in which the Wolverines will try to outrun their opponent.
“Mainly (we will) be trying to out-run teams, trying to get people open quickly,” she said. “We don’t have as big of people as normal as other teams do, but we still have fast people.”
Coach Stewart said the Wolver ines have many guards who will contribute offensively.
for backcourt contributions from freshman guards Aubrey Sens and Emersyn Semplak, sopho more Ava Borz, and senior Mi chaela Platt.
Beckrest
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can really get to the rim and cause defensive problems,” Stew art said.
the team who will look to find players cutting to the rim and in the low post will be Platt.
team, Platt said she will focus on making great passes and getting assists in the season’s faster pace.
like, get out of the way and move, and find our big, and find our point guard,” Platt said. “We have a lot of speed, so we just try to get as many points as we can in transition.”
Wolverines must also replace Maggie Furst, who was an excel lent post presence for the Wolver ines during the past few seasons.
Coach Stewart expressed his confidence in sophomore Amelia Zaffiro’s ability to help the Wolverines in the post.
“We fully expect that Amelia can come in and be that same presence offensively and defensively in the paint,” her coach said.
7:30 p.m.
12/5 @Kenston 7 p.m. 12/7
the ball.
“Those are all guards who can really guard the ball; they put a lot of pressure on the defense,”
Coach Stewart said.
He added: “They can disrupt the offensive flow just by guarding the ball and taking you out of what you want to do. A lot of ball
Beckrest said, “but overall our defense is pretty good.”
Overall: “We want to play fast, but under control, while valuing the ball on the offensive end. Our speed and quickness enables us to play a variety of defenses to keep teams off balance,” Stewart said.
