Opening Weekend in Northwest Ohio

Opening Weekend in Northwest Ohio provided area basketball fans with some early insights for the 2019-2020 season. Here are 5 thoughts about Northwest Ohio hoops after the first weekend of games: <ol> <li>Shelby is very good again.</li> </ol> After a 20+ win season a year ago, the Whippets picked up right where they left off – with an early-season dismantling of Mansfield Madison by a score of 72-34. It should be noted that Madison is fresh off of a run to the state final in girls soccer – meaning that they only had about a week of practice, but the manner in which Shelby handled the Rams was impressive nonetheless. Youngstown State commit Emma Randall added 23 points in the opener, while Haylee Baker had 14 points and 7 rebounds. <ol start="2"> <li>Lucas could make a run in division 4.</li> </ol> Everyone in Northwest Ohio knows about Jessie Grover, however it may be the rest of the Lucas Cubs’ team that helps them make a long post-season run at the end of the year. Grover added 13 points in a 55-32 win to start the year. She was joined in the scoring column by fellow senior and 4-year letterwinner Paige Arnold – who added 18 points for the victors. At the end of the night, 9 Cubs found their way into the scoring column – a welcomed site for veteran coach Kathy Grover and her team (which won 19 games a year ago). <ol start="3"> <li>Willard doesn’t need an adjustment period with a new coach.</li> </ol> Although “new” coach Barry Pfahl was hired at Willard this summer (new being in quotations as the coach, now in his 70’s returns to a district in which he previously coached for decades), Willard seems to be more-than-familiar with what he expects, as the Flashes raced out to a 51-33 non-league win over Buckeye Central. With Ashland University commit Cassidy Crawford seeing a number of different coverages throughout the night, Willard needed some other players to step up – and they did. Crawford still finished with 13 points and <strong>McKenna Stephens (Pictured Above; Photo Credit - Norwalk Reflector)</strong> added 19 – with Layla Dials adding 8. <ol start="4"> <li>Margaretta is ready for another outstanding year.</li> </ol> A consensus top 10 team across the state of Ohio in Division 3 – the Polar Bears did lose 7 seniors to graduation a year ago. However, if you saw their 82-25 win over Old Fort on opening weekend – you wouldn’t have noticed that anyone is missing. There were familiar faces in Jayden Moore, Taylor Malson and Elliana Schaefer and the same depth and attacking offensive approach that won them so many games last winter – was very visible, as well. <ol start="5"> <li>Hopewell-Loudon is as talented as ever.</li> </ol> MaKayla Elmore – one of the state’s top players – started the year with a 22-point and 10 rebound effort as Hopewell-Loudon defeated Fostoria 74-23. Olivia Zender had 18 points, Kaia Woods – a transfer from Tiffin Columbian – had 13 and Morgan Searles had 9 for the Chieftans – who have big goals during the 2019-2020 season. &nbsp;