The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Senior battles through loss of mom
North Olmsted senior lost his mom last month
Josh Hufstetler is quietly having an impressive year for North Olmsted.
The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points per game, 4.9 assists, 2.7 steals and broke a 35-year-old school record for career assists with his 313th assist Jan. 20 against Avon Lake.
On the court, he’s a fierce competitor and a loyal teammate, but off the court you would never know the hardship Hufstetler has faced this year after a recent tragedy changed his life.
On Dec. 21, Hufstetler’s mother, Cheryl, died after complications from a surgery to help her long battle with diabetes. The sudden death took everyone by surprise, but it has hit Hufstetler especially hard as he has coped with losing his “favorite person in the whole wide world.”
“It’s been rough,” Hufstetler said. “The main thing I try to do for her is try to stay happy. She always wanted me happy no matter what the case was. She did everything for me, got me anything I wanted.
“She was my best friend. She was my go-to person no matter what. She was there for me. It didn’t matter if I needed to talk about something, she understood me. If I was lying about something, she knew.”
Following surgery, Hufstetler said he picked up his mother from the hospital and, though he could tell something wasn’t quite right, went about his day as he usually
does when he has a game — the way his mother always wanted it.
“I picked her up from surgery ... and I could just tell something was a little off with her,” Hufstetler said. “I had a game that day. She did her usual good luck stuff she always does for me before the game.
“I came home from my game, gave her a kiss good night, put her to bed, gave her her medicine and everything. The next morning, I came home from practice and she was sleeping . ... I just thought she was asleep, and then after practice my dad called me and told me she was gone. It was just a rough day that day.”
In the month that has passed since he lost his mother, Hufstetler has focused on staying motivated and living his life just as his mom would want.
“I mean now, I’m just motivated,” Hufstetler said. “Everything I do I’m doing for her no matter what it is.”
“It feels like she’s helping me. I still hear her voice every morning telling me to get up. I still hear her telling me to take my shoes off at the door. It still feels like she’s with me. She was great to me no matter what it was. Every day when I go to work out, I can just hear her saying, ‘Be great.’ That’s all she would tell me, always be great at everything, no matter if it’s school or basketball and just live my dream.”
Hufstetler seems to be holding his mother’s words close to his heart as the senior’s performance this season is certainly great. His 17.5 points per game lead the Southwestern Conference, and along with the assists record, Hufstetler is approaching the career steals record with 139.
The current record (166) and previous assists record belong to Pat Lima, whose son, Ben, is also on the team playing alongside Hufstetler.
“They’re awesome to hear about, but I don’t really go for the records,” Hufstetler said. “I’m on this team to win games no matter what it takes. Whether it’s playing 30 minutes and scoring 30 points or playing two minutes and doing nothing but cheering everybody on. I’m a competitor. I love to win no matter what it is.
“I can’t thank my teammates enough. Without them, I wouldn’t even have these records. I mean, they have to hit the shots. It’s a big milestone for them as well. I’m not just the one to have this record, it’s them as well.”
It’s no surprise that Hufstetler’s teammates and North Olmsted family have turned out incredible support for one of their own, as the athlete has been such a valuable part of the community. A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for final burial costs and a pasta dinner fundraiser is in the works as well.
“The whole community of North Olmsted has been with me through this whole thing,” Hufstetler said. “The team, they’ve been here for me the most. These 11, 12 guys are my brothers. They all knew her. They all knew she was their mom, too.
“We’re all just a big fam- ily. The coaches have always been here for me. It’s amazing how much the North Olmsted community has been here for me and I can’t thank them enough for it.”
Hufstetler continues his impressive season Jan. 27 as the Eagles travel to Avon.
AP poll
Lorain and Vermilion remain the only teams named in the Associated Press state poll this week.
Lorain (11-2, 4-0 LEL) re- ceived 45 votes, dropping from No. 4 to No. 7 in Divi- sion I after losing to St. Edward, 76-63, on Jan. 17.
After cracking the top 10n last week, Vermilion (13-2, 8-1) dropped to No. 12 with 23 votes. In their only game last week, the Sailors lost, 73-68, to Sandusky Bay Conference opponent Edison. The loss was Vermilion’s first since losing, 66-57, to Lorain on Dec. 6.
Games to watch
Here are some games to watch this week as we begin the second half of the season: LORAIN AT CLEVELAND
HEIGHTS, JAN. 27 >> Lorain (11-2, 4-0 Lake Erie League) has faced all but one LEL opponent so far this season: Cleveland Heights (9-4, 3-1). The Tigers’ lone conference loss was at Maple Heights, 80-74, on Jan. 13, and while Lorain trounced Maple Heights, 85-65, earlier this season, it will be worth watching to see how the Titans fare against Cleveland Heights to close out the first half of
conference play.
ELYRIA AT BRUNSWICK, JAN.
27 >> Elyria gets its shot at redemption Friday at Brunswick (11-5, 5-3). The Blue Devils handed Elyria (12-2, 6-1) its only conference loss, 58-35, over a month ago at home. Since then, the Pioneers have gone 9-1 and have the second-best point differential in the area (+177). Elyria will want to give the Blue Devils a taste of their own medicine with a big win on the road. AVON LAKE AT WESTLAKE,
JAN. 27 >> The last time these teams met, Westlake handed Avon Lake its third straight loss to open the season, a 59-51 heartbreaker at home. Since starting the season 1-4, the Shoremen are 9-0, including a huge 54-49 overtime win over first-place Avon on Jan. 24. Westlake (6-8, 5-5 SWC) will look to defend its
Wellington 9-5, Olmsted Falls 8-5
Crop comments: After fighting for the No. 2 spot for weeks, Elyria finally jumps No. 3 Vermilion after going 2-0 on the week, including a win over No. 7 Bay . ... In its only game this week, Vermilion dropped a tough 73-68 game to SBC foe Edison . ... Oberlin and Avon flip positions after the Eagles lost, 54-49, in overtime to No. 8 Avon Lake for their first conference loss of the season . ... Clearview lost to No. 1 Lorain, but beat No. 9 Fairview and Keystone this week to move to No. 6, while Bay’s loss to Elyria, its second straight, drops the Rockets to No. 7. Avon Lake, which is on a nine-game winning streak, Fairview and Elyria Catholic round out the Crop this week.
home court and stop Avon Lake’s streak at nine games. CLEARVIEW AT FIRELANDS,
JAN. 31 >> Clearview and Firelands will meet for the first and only time this season in a Patriot Athletic Conference crossover game. Clearview (10-3, 8-1) sits atop the Stripes Division while Firelands (9-5, 5-4) is tied for third in the Stars but has won five straight since losing to Oberlin on Jan. 10. WELLINGTON AT FAIRVIEW,
JAN. 31 >> Here we have another PAC crossover game featuring first- and thirdplace teams. Wellington (95, 7-2) holds the top spot in the Stars with Fairview (104, 6-4) in third place in the Stripes. After posting just three winning seasons in 18 years, the Warriors will have a chance to prove they are the real deal this season with a big win over a talented Wellington team.