New Years Best Of The Best Teams In NEO
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The Northeast Ohio area has some good basketball programs that know how to compete! Take a look at the New Year’s best teams in NEO: Archbishop Hoban (8-0) Hoban has been physically more dominant than their competition. Watching them play…
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Continue ReadingThe Northeast Ohio area has some good basketball programs that know how to compete! Take a look at the New Year’s best teams in NEO:
Archbishop Hoban (8-0)
Hoban has been physically more dominant than their competition. Watching them play you can tell that they are in shape and they are mentally locked in. The competitive efforts and style of defensive pressure is impressive. Winning is a consistent thing at Hoban High School with a dominant inside presence with Lanae Riley Lanae Riley 5'11" | C Akron Hoban | 2022 State OH . Hoban is considered a Northeast, OH powerhouse as they have had their way with opponents for the last few years and have one goal in mind winning it all.
Olmstead Falls (6-0)
Olmstead falls is the state’s underdog every year, but because of last year’s success, they are no longer underdogs and have put the state on notice and dominated the area with their working mentality. The Bulldogs are led by Paige Koehler who has a superior work ethic and the way she plays makes her teammates better. They have a great coach who is very consistent in developing and having players who are all in. This team is very consistent in everything they do. Underdogs once before are now who come to play and everyone knows it.
Brush (8-2)
Brush Arcs you won’t find too many coaches that are as animated as the arcs coach. This team is the most athletic team in the area and in their environment is a high energy and effort day in and day out. The Arcs fear no team and are always looking to be the team that will go at it with anyone. Brush High school is a program that you know what you will get from them, but stopping it being their pressure is the hard part. Year in and year out coach Winters adjust to his players and this year it has been Taylor Johnson who has had a tremendous off-season and it is showing every game making an argument for one of the best things in this state. Their only two losses come from out of the area.
Green (9-1)
Consistency is a culture at Green. They play together which is why they achieve more. This team I have to get out and watch more. Green is a great program that plays together. . Green year in year out has a consistent balance of length and competitiveness. They make very few mistakes. . They have 2025 players that look impressive and a roster of program kids.
Glenoak ( 8-1)
winning is nothing new. Playing with passion and the ability to make very few mistakes has put Glenoaks in a great position. The match-up opportunity of playing the same team for more than two games is amazing to think about. a Very coachable team that plays the game the right way. Tonight there is a game between Green and Glen Oak. Great size in the post and has beat fundamentally sounded teams to the athletic teams making fewer mistakes. The greatest thing noticed about Glenoak is how well they move the basketball in transition and good communication.
St. Vincent Mary (6-2)
The Irish are a well-oiled machine this year. They have the pieces they need to win games. A balanced team of guards that can handle it and shoot. The Irish have the mentality of “ We” over “ Me” has been the approach from the outside looking in. The Irish have had success this year due to team play. The Irish have experience and are led by a great leader in Annie Watson Annie Watson 6'0" | PF ASVSM | 2022 State OH .
Perry (9-1)
The Perry Pirates have a script year in and year out that they stick to. Coach Infalvi has a system and it works. With the loss of the main scoring options, many would have thought Perry would have had a lot of trouble, but this group led by guard Marcela Rodriquez who has taken on a big-time role, and post player Jacana Anderson who defensively and offensively owns the paint that one-two punch is leading the players as the head coach is leading them. They will see some of the same if not more success as the year before.
Hoover (8-3)
The Vikings are in a tough conference, but they are a good team. Their strength is the way that they move the basketball. They do not waste time holding on to the basketball making the right plays. No wasted dribbles and no wasted movements are the ways of the program. They have a solid group that understands how to play the game. Hoover will be a team this year that stays on a good course.
Jackson (Massillon) (6-3)
The margin for error is small with this team. Losing to one of the better teams in the area by one point due to one quarter. This team can play and they are aggressive. Jackson has a well-playing group that competes together and knows how to play through adversity. Their ability to cover ground is impressive to watch. They finish around the rim very well. Perimeter shooting and mid-range shooting as a team look solid.
Teams in the talk:
North Ridgeville (7-2)
The Rangers are well-coached and run through one of the best players in the area in Grace Kingery. A team that many people do not expect to do much does a lot and looks good doing it. The rangers are a community and family-based program. Losing just one senior has been a key to their success this year as they have the experience level and players that know how to win. Keep an eye on this program as they have one of the best three-point shooters in the area.
Solon (7-2)
The Comets are on a good start to their season. The effort throughout the program is there. The Solon Girls basketball program is filled with a group of girls that compete at a different level. Led by Morgan Blackford Morgan Blackford 5'8" | CG Solon | 2023 State OH one of the hardest resilient workers out there it is contagious and just passed down. The comets will improve as the season goes on.
Magnificat (6-2)
Went from a once young team to now young with experience, but an experienced team that plays together. A loaded schedule that they have ahead of them will mold them into the team they need to be. This team plays against the best and it is shown in their strength of schedule. Keep an eye on this team they are building.
Warrensville Heights (3-1)
The tigers have a few take-over players. They have had game cancellations which is why many games have not been played, but they will be a great team led by a full court of faith in their defensive ability and the length, speed, and quickness will be a problem for opponents. They are the favorite to repeat as conference champions. Warrensville has a coach that is tough and believes in his kids. Every day he gives them the guidelines for success.
John Hay (6-2)
A Senate team is making noise against out-of-conference teams. John Hay High School girls basketball program is an inner-city girls basketball team that has seen a lot of conference success winning in the last few years. This year coach Crider has challenged her team by her strength of schedule. This team did not play basketball for a whole season due to Cleveland did not allow them to. This team has solid guard play, post play and they play very hard from start to finish. They are an underdog team that deserves recognition in the area.
St.Joseph Academy (5-2)
A very solid team of consistency. They play the game with high energy and do a good job communicating. No player is bigger than the other taking the right shots. The Jaguars make the right passes or extra passes in an effort for the program to be successful. Very notable wins and games against teams that seem to outmatch them athletically, but the way they compete together.
Trinity High School (Garfield Heights) (5-1)
The Trojans are no small-time team nor do they play like it. The Trinity girls basketball team plays together with purpose. Watching these girls play they play with passion. The Trojans understand the fundamentals and do the little things the right way to get it done. Collectively, working hard, a purpose larger than yourself, and being coachable has been great this year for them. Last year, coach McNamara had some success that the school did not have in a long time. The season was cut short and they are back to work. Trinity is led by Mahogany Cottingham Mahogany Cottingham 5'9" | CG Trinity | 2023 State OH who is one of the best defenders in the state. In this area, she has broken records, but at Trinity regardless of the records, she has team basketball is preached.