The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bay travels to Dayton for games, bonding
When opponents are hard to come by, sometimes you have to look outside the area to find a challenge.
After multiple teams declined to schedule Bay this season, girls basketball coach Brian Hill turned to his hometown of Dayton for challengers and a chance at team bonding.
After penciling in Chaminade-Julienne and Fairborn on back-to-back days over the offseason, the Rockets hit the road for the meetings on Dec. 22 and 23 and came away with a lot.
“We got dropped by quite a few teams from last year and we were in a tough spot. We had to try to find extra games, and I’m from Dayton originally, so I thought I’d take the girls on a trip and try to show them a different side of basketball since we’ve never really played anybody from out of the area,” Hill said. “It was a trip to accomplish two things: Get extra games and also let them have a bit of team bonding and fun playing against different teams.”
When she first heard about
the trip, Bay’s Maddie Edgerly said the team was excited to get to see a different brand of basketball and spend time together as a team.
“We definitely knew it was good competition that was awaiting us and we knew it would be tough games on the trip,” Edgerly said. “But we were also thinking about doing stuff as a team and what we could do together.”
Despite the games not going the Rockets’ way either outing, Hill said his team learned a valuable lesson and got a little taste of the postseason.
“I think that it definitely opened our girls’ eyes that you have to go to the gym, even if you don’t know the opponent. You’ve got to go in there ready to play at all times,” Hill said. “We didn’t really know a ton about either team we were going to play, but, overall, I think it was a very valuable experience. With that kind of mindset come postseason, when you face teams you’ve never seen, it was a good eye-opener for our girls to realize that you have to come out and bring it even if you don’t know much about them.”
Getting time together on the drive, in the hotel and at team meals, Hill said the best thing to come out of the trip was the impact bonding had on how his team was coming together with the second half lull looming.
“This was a tough trip. Playing two games in two days is very tough, especially playing two games in less than 24 hours,” Hill said. “At the same time, the bonding that they got with hanging out in the hotel, being at a different venue — we went out to dinner as a family with their families — it was just a good trip for them to get to know each other better outside of basketball.”
Even though the Rockets players have spent a great deal of time together already, Edgerly said the trip took the bond of this season to the next level.
“We had a lot of fun together. Being with your teammates made the trip so much more enjoyable,” Edgerly said. “We got a lot closer before the rest of the season and the heart of the
season kicks in.”
Since the trip, Hill said he has seen a step up in practice and in games as the fun of basketball was brought out, instead of the grind of a long season.
“Since we’ve been back, we’ve seen a different side of the girls. They seem a lot more excited about basketball,” Hill said. “More than anything, we’ve been playing a heck of a lot better since we got back.”
Being the first long trip of its type for the team, Hill said there aren’t any plans yet for another one like it, but added it’s definitely on the table for the years to come.
Conference races
With the new year started, the conference races kick into a new gear.
Some teams are just getting started with their conference games, while others are nearly halfway completed.
Where do the area conference races stand? Let’s find out:
GREAT LAKES CONFERENCE » With most teams roughly one-third of the way through the 12-game conference schedule, Normandy is in the driver’s seat at 4-0. However, a trio of Morning Journal area teams are nipping at the Invaders’ heels, as Rocky River (3-1), Elyria Catholic (2-1) and Bay (2-1) all sit with one conference loss. Of those three, only Elyria Catholic has had a crack at Normandy — a 40-39 loss on Dec. 20. Bay’s conference loss came to Rocky River, while Rocky River’s loss came against Holy Name.
GREATER CLEVELAND CONFERENCE » Solon runs the show with a 6-0 record. This conference is pretty much already down to a two-horse race, with Strongsville sitting at 5-1 and then Brunswick at 4-2. However, both teams already have a loss to the Comets. Elyria is in a tie for fourth at 2-3.
LAKE ERIE LEAGUE » Of all the conferences, this might be the one that is the most wide open. Shaw and Cleveland Heights are both undefeated in conference play at 4-0 and 3-0, respectively. And, Bedford is hot on their heels at 3-1. A Jan. 6 showdown between the Cardinals and Tigers will go a long way in determining the conference champion. At 1-3, Lorain is in fifth.
PATRIOT ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (STARS) » While the Lake Erie League may be the most wide open due to records, the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division is a close second due to the number of games still to be played. Wellington leads the PAC Stars Division at 4-0, but still has 12 games to play. The Dukes have yet to play secondplace Buckeye (4-1) and third-place Keystone (3-1), and both teams have some strong talent to take the division. Keystone’s only loss has come to Buckeye, while the Bucks’ loss came to Stripes Division opponent Lutheran West. Both Firelands and Brookside are still searching for their first conference victory.
PATRIOT ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (STRIPES) » Lutheran West is the clear-cut leader in this division, holding a two-game advantage over Clearview and Columbia. The Longhorns are 5-0, already holding a victory over the Clippers (3-2) and Raiders (3-2). Fairview sits in a tie for fifth with Brooklyn at 2-3, while Oberlin is sixth at 1-4.
SANDUSKY BAY CONFERENCE (BAY) » Willard holds the advantage in the Bay Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference. The Crimson Flashes are 4-0 so far through the 12-game schedule, including a 57-48 victory over second-place Margaretta (4-1). After those two, it gets a bit muddled, as Edison is 2-1 and Oak Harbor is 2-2. With plenty of games left, upsets can happen, but it’s looking like Willard and Margaretta are the favorites. Vermilion is in sixth at 1-4.
SOUTHWESTERN CONFERENCE » At this point, the SWC is Berea-Midpark’s to lose. The Titans are unbeaten at 6-0 a third of the way through the 18game conference schedule. Among the teams the Titans have beaten are thirdplace Avon Lake (5-2) and Avon (5-2), and fifth-place North Ridgeville (4-3). However, Berea-Midpark has yet to face secondplace Olmsted Falls (6-1). That showdown will take place Jan. 10 at Berea-Midpark with control of the SWC on the line. The Bulldogs’ lone loss came at the hands of Avon on Dec. 9 in a game where a last-second shot sealed the Eagles’ victory. Rounding out the area standings in the SWC are Westlake (2-4) in seventh, Amherst (2-5) in eighth, North Olmsted in ninth (16) and Midview in 10th (07).