A game worth more than the score

So much more than a basketball game was played Feb. 9 in the Westlake High School gymnasium. Celebrating four seniors on the Demons’ girls squad and honoring all those that fight in the coaches vs cancer matchup against visiting Midview, Westlake came away with a 49-28 victory to end a two game skid and send its seniors off in grand fashion. For the Demons, celebrating the storied careers of Natalina Nader, Molli Mulder, Abby Matalavage and Abby Rence went off with standing ovations and tears as the seniors played one last regular season home game after helping shape the Westlake program.

THE SCORE

WESTLAKE 49, MIDVIEW 28

Contributing to the success of not just the program, but to first year head coach Karen SwansonHaan, it would be hard to imagine a transition more eased than with the help of the 2019 senior class. “It was great to have a group that accepted me that the other kids looked up to,” Swanson-Haan said. “That helped in my transition tremendously. But, I think it was also good for them, they have one year left and it was tough to change coaches, so I give them credit. They embraced me and we’ve had a really good year because of it.” Seeing her seniors that she has come to know over the past few months even brought a special meaning to Swanson-Haan in the process of her career.

“We have an absolutely amazing senior class and they’re leaders, incredible athletes and just great, great people,” SwansonHaan said. “They are going to be sorely missed next year and we knew it was going to be hard in the beginning because it’s an emotional day for everybody.” Finishing off her last home game with a bang, Matalavage finish her big day with a game-high 17-points in the effort. Keeping things in perspective on the special afternoon, Matalavage said everything about basketball has been about the bonds it creates between family, coaches and friends along the way in a winning effort. “I love all my teammates, they mean so much to me,” Matalavage said. “Today with all of us coming together, playing as a team on the court, it really means a lot.” Adding in her best effort was Westlake’s other captain, Rence, in one last performance in front of the home crowd. “Today meant everything to me,” Rence said. “I’ve played with these girls since 4K which is our AAU team, throughout my whole high school career, some of the seniors I’ve been playing with since rec, so it’s just a culmination of all the years that we’ve all put into this game and it means a lot.” After a couple of tough losses in the past week, the Demons got back on track with one game left on the schedule until the tournament gets underway. Earning the victory was a key aspect for aspect for the confidence Rence said the team needed headed into the dance. “We feel really good, we regrouped this week during practice, did a lot of stuff to get the team, get our game right and we’re ready to go,” Rence said. “It would definitely set us in a good place for the tournament to keep the ball rolling, keep the energy going. I think it would be a really good spring board for us headed into the tournament.” Aside from the game on the court, both sides helped bring even greater awareness to a disease that has impacted nearly all of our lives. With cancer diagnosis impacting both communities over the years, the Middies honored freshman boys’ coach Kevin Consadine who has started his fight against the disease. With the support of the Midview community, everyone in the program has taken part in the process to help Consadine in his fight. Even the small gesture of a hair cut can have a lasting effect on the his fight forward. “Coach Consadine is such a quality individual, so he has a battle ahead of him, he’s been through some treatments and he has a battle ahead of him that’s very tough,” Midivew head coach Rob Overy said with a red cancer awareness ribbon pinned to his shirt. “He’s so unselfish and giving of his time putting this whole effort together and he’s the one that drives that. I have three family members that are cancer survivors, so it just makes it really special that we can do something and try to give back. “Cancer sucks. We’re trying to do what we can to get rid of it. Coach Con is such an inspiration to our kids and this past week I got a new haircut and the boys did it, all of our girls got their haircut too, it’s not as obvious because I didn’t want to get in trouble with their parents, but all those girls had a piece of their hair taken off in respect of cancer and trying to beat it and respect to Coach Con.”