A memorable regular season could lead to an unforgettable postseason for several area girls basketball teams.
The Akron area features five teams — Manchester, Woodridge, Lake, Ravenna and Smithville — that entered February with undefeated records.
Twinsburg and Canton McKinley are also serious contenders with just a few losses this season after winning the past two Division I state championships.
Wadsworth, Hudson, Walsh Jesuit, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Firestone, Kenmore and Archbishop Hoban are among many other area teams capable of making some noise in the postseason.
“There are some pretty good girls teams in our area that are athletic, well coached and real disciplined,” Manchester coach Tucker Pappas said. “I think on the girls side we have a good chance to get a couple of teams down there to Columbus.”
Balanced Panthers
Manchester (17-0, 13-0 PAC) is ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Division II state poll behind Dayton Carroll.
“We have five players averaging eight points or more and have had six different leading scorers in games,” Pappas said.
Senior guard Angie Durgala scored 17 points and senior point guard Taylor Mattioli had a season-high 11 assists Wednesday night when Manchester beat host Indian Valley 76-46 to clinch the Panthers’ eighth consecutive league title.
“Team chemistry is definitely strong on this team,” Pappas said. “It might sound cliché, but it’s the truth. They all get along very well. We are fast and athletic. We match up with anybody, the city teams and the country teams. We can play any style.”
Seniors Michelle Noble and Autumn Brown join Durgala, Mattioli and sophomore Kacy Krzynowek in the starting five.
Noble averages nine points, 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists per game. Durgala contributes 14.8 points and Krzynowek adds 10.5 points and 5.0 assists.
Uptempo Woodridge
Woodridge (16-0, 12-0) clinched the Portage Trail Conference-County Division with a 54-23 victory over host Garrettsville on Saturday.
“We are an uptempo team,” Bulldogs coach Chris Esterak said. “We are a team that likes to run the floor. We have a lot of speed at the guard position. We like to press and get teams moving. We like to play fast.”
Senior She’Kiera Brooks leads Woodridge as a catalyst at point guard. She averages 13.1 points, 8.5 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 steals.
“She’Kiera is tough as nails,” Esterak said. “She is pound for pound one of the toughest kids I have coached. She does it all and has no fear. She is also my best defender.”
Junior center Lizzie Wilkinson averages 17.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in the post and freshman guard Morgan Thompson averages 13.1 points.
Junior forward Kara Kelleher and senior guard Haley Ferrante complete Woodridge’s starting five.
Diverse Ravenna
Ravenna (16-0, 12-0) needs just one more league win to clinch the outright Portage Trail Conference-Metro Division title.
Coach Sonny Tilden led the Ravens to the AP Division II regular poll title last season with a 19-1 record before falling in a district final.
The Ravens, ranked No. 4 in Division II, boast senior post DiAndra Gibson and senior guard Malorie Gibson — they are not related.
DiAndra Gibson, a 6-foot University of Akron recruit, averages 13 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.0 blocks. Malorie Gibson tallies 14.0 points, 3.0 steals and 3.0 assists.
“We press because we have really quick girls,” Tilden said. “Even my post players are quick. DiAndra can step out as a guard sometimes. She can shoot from the 3-point line and she can come out and handle the ball. Malorie is the same way too. We get a lot of steals. I always tell them that our offense starts with our defense.”
Junior point guard Moniqua “Moe Moe” Smith is a consistent starter for Ravenna. Sophomore Justina Fortson and senior Ashley Fortson, who are sisters, are part-time starters along with sophomore Fallon Schwab-Davis.
Streaking Lake
Coach Henry Cobb has guided Lake (16-0, 10-0 Federal League) to a No. 2 ranking in the AP Division I state poll behind Reynoldsburg.
Senior guards Audrey Myers and Tana Bornstein lead a starting five that includes junior McKenna Stephens, junior Miranda Diesz and sophomore Baylen Dyrlund.
Stephens (14.3 points) and Myers (10.3 points) are the Blue Streaks’ top scorers. Dyrlund averages 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds.
“We are pretty balanced offensively and defensively,” Cobb said. “We have a pretty good outside game and inside game. We have two pretty good point guards that can handle the pressure and we play good defense most nights.”
Lake hosts Perry on Saturday with a chance to clinch an outright Federal League title.
Michael Beaven can be reached at 330-996-3829 or mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the high school blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/varsity_letters/. Also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MBeavenABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
