2019 – 20 League Preview: Portage Trail Conference – Metro Division
The Portage Trail Conference – Metro Division is an athletic conference spanning schools from Medina, Summit and Portage Counties. The high schools comprising the league include Cloverleaf, Coventry, Field, Norton, Ravenna, Springfield, Streetsboro and Woodridge. 5 Players to Watch:…
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Continue ReadingThe Portage Trail Conference – Metro Division is an athletic conference spanning schools from Medina, Summit and Portage Counties. The high schools comprising the league include Cloverleaf, Coventry, Field, Norton, Ravenna, Springfield, Streetsboro and Woodridge.
5 Players to Watch:
(schools are as of last year – unless PGH is 100% certain that a player has enrolled elsewhere)
Avery Robinson – Ravenna
Natalie Phillips – Springfield
Maria Sziva – Field
Bailey Shutsa – Norton
Emily Ervin – Ravenna
4 Thoughts:
Norton had an outstanding 2019-2020 campaign, riding a large senior class to a 20-5 overall record before losing in the district championship game to Akron Buchtel. The Panthers were 14-0 in the PTC Metro. Norton will need to replace all of those seniors, but will begin the process with a solid group that includes Kaylee Murawski, Riley Ballinger and Bailey Shutsa.
Ravenna played Norton two a pair of single-digits defeats last winter, finishing with an 18-6 (11-3 PTC) record. The Ravens return a boatload of talent, including Jasmine Pooler, Avery Robinson, Ravyn Major, Emily Ervin and Emily Peters. If they remain healthy, they should be right in the thick of things in the conference race at the end of the season.
Head coach Kevin Pletcher is continuing the re-build at Springfield. Last year the Spartans finished with an 8-16 record – winning 5 more games than a season prior. Springfield had an outstanding off-season and will be led one of the league’s best scorers in Natalie Phillips. She will be joined by classmates Faith Dawson and Taylor Kern, forming a formidable trio of seniors who are determined to finish their careers with a winning season.
Cloverleaf is another school that made a run to the district championship game a season ago. John Carmigiano – one of the league’s most successful bench bosses – would undoubtedly like his team to make a jump from last year’s 4th place division finish and compete for a championship. On many nights, the Colts will go as far as Tori Smith and Cameron Tripp take them.
3 Big Games:
Cloverleaf @ Streetsboro on December 7th
Wadsworth @ Norton on November 22nd
Ravenna @ Southeast on January 18th
2 Fun Facts:
There were 30 all-league selections last winter in the PTC Metro Division. Out of the 30 players who were chosen as all-league performers by the league’s coaches, only 11 were seniors. 63% of last year’s all-league choices will be back for another season of basketball – meaning that this year’s Portage Trail Conference – Metro Division should be very deep and competitive. Each school – except for Norton – has at least two all-league performers returning.
The PTC Metro 2019 graduating class developed a number of collegiate basketball players. Bryana Housley and Kelsey Hosey – the conference’s co-players of the year – are headed to Indiana Wesleyan and Malone, respectively. Rachel Bolyard is now at Davis and Elkins and Lauren Calhoun is at Wheeling.
1 League Champion Prediction:
Ravenna