Area teams kick off seasons amid uncertainty

After a day in which nine schools from The Morning Journal’s coverage area paused their winter sports seasons, Amherst girls basketball head coach Jay Valadez wondered whether his team would be next.

They weren’t and Valadez took his young Comets team on a trip to Tallmadge where they played in front of an empty arena.

“It’s such a challenge because you’re preparing to play, not really knowing if you’re going to play,” Valadez said. “In the back of your mind you can’t help but wonder, after we saw Lorain county schools aren’t playing. You have to wonder, are we next?”

Amherst fell to the Blue Devils, 42-39, but for the Comets the 202021 season is truly a marathon not a sprint. Starting four freshmen and a sophomore, the Comets competed with a team that won 14 games a season ago.

“They’re our next group that has a lot of talent in one class,” Valadez said. “These girls are going to have to step in quickly and learn the speed of the game. We’re young, that can be challenging at times, but at the same time they’re going to grow up together.”

All five of Amherst’s scorers were freshmen, led by Kayla Ferancy’s 12 and Kristen Kelly’s 10.

The Comets next game is scheduled for Nov. 25 against SWC foe North Ridgeville.

North Ridgeville at Vermilion

In Vermilion the Sailors hosted North Ridgeville, falling to the Rangers, 4027 Vermilion was scheduled to host Elyria on Nov. 20, but the Pioneers postponed hours before the game was scheduled to start.

Vermilion entered the night shorthanded against the Rangers, but held their own. Heading into the fourth quarter the Sailors trailed by just a point. Marianna Plas scored five of her team high 17 points in the quarter.

“I’m really proud of the

girls tonight,” Vermilion head coach Jason Sockel said. “We had one probable starter that tore her ACL so she’s out for the year, we had another that is battling shoulder issues. One of my starters tonight cramped up halfway through the third quarter and still we cut the lead to just one heading into the fourth.”

But the understaffed Sailors fell just short in the fourth quarter as North Ridgeville’s Grace Kingery scored 13 points in the final stanza. Kingery led all scorers with 20 points.

Next up for Vermilion is a Sandusky Bay Conference tilt against Sandusky, Nov. 27.

Aurora at Olmsted Falls The Bulldogs opened their season with a 6861 loss to Aurora. Olmsted Falls is set to open its conference season against Avon Lake on Dec. 2, barring any changes in the Southwestern Conference’s plans.