The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Panthers use schedule to prepare for playoffs
The Elyria Catholic girls basketball team is playing a rugged nonconference schedule, hoping that it will prepare them for a long postseason run. Plus, the Top of the Crop and girls statistics leaders.
Some girls basketball teams might pen down a list of season goals and hope for the best each year, but at Elyria Catholic, one goal is always present: a deep postseason run.
Falling just short of a district championship last season, Elyria Catholic coach Eric Rothgery knew a challenge was needed if the Panthers were to make it back to regional play. So, he put in the work over the summer to get the Panthers one of the toughest nonconference schedules he could think of to prepare his squad to take a jump to the next level once the playoffs hit.
Combining a schedule that features big schools such as Strongsville and Walsh Jesuit with top-notch private institutions like Villa Angela-St. Joseph and even a reigning state champion in Gilmour, Rothgery wanted to expose his team to the highest level of competition to prepare them for the long haul.
“We think we’ve got a pretty good team, so we tried to build a schedule that was going to give us a lot of competition and thus far it has,” said Rothgery, who’s team is 7-4 nearing the midpoint of the season. “The goal, as always, is to get as deep in the tournament as you can and the more prepared for it you are, the better chance you have of getting deep.
“We’re always looking for good competition. I think our nonconference schedule has been as tough as anybody’s had to deal with.”
Putting forth a difficult schedule to his girls, Rothgery said the team has responded to every challenge, win or lose.
When the schedule first came out, senior Megan Scheibelhut said the team knew it wouldn’t be easy and got the younger girls to be prepared to learn a lot in a tough loss.
“I figured that we were going to have some tough losses, but we were going to play some good teams and it was going to prepare us for the long run in the tournament, Scheibelhut said. “I just tried to let them know that if they do the little things right, they’re getting better by doing those things. You have to take confidence in everything you do.”
On top of the high-profile games, the long trips have been a benefit to Elyria Catholic in Scheibelhut’s mind as they embrace the time on the bus together as a bonding experience.
“It’s really helped to build a team atmosphere that we all come together and can read each others’ minds almost when we’re on the court,” Scheibelhut said.
If there’s anyone who would know what to build on as a team, it’s Scheibelhut. The 6-foot-2 post player, committed to Baldwin Wallace in the fall, is having a career year as the heart of the Panthers’ group, averaging 9.2 points per game, 6.2 rebounds and an astounding 2.1 blocks per game as she solidifies a dangerous lineup.
Looking to play their best basketball around the tournament, the Panthers have certainly shown they can heat it up. The Panthers are winners of six of their last eight games, with the losses coming by one point to Great Lakes Conference leader Normandy and to reigning Division III state champion Gilmour.
“We’ve been through a pretty rough nonconference schedule and we’re getting ready to get into the meat of the conference. It’s time for us to get in there and defend that,” Rothgery said. “I wouldn’t call us an old team. We have one senior starter. but most of the kids on our team have a lot of experience. So we’re certainly not crying young, but we think we’ve got a good nucleus to make a nice run this year.”
Poll breakdown
The first Associated Press girls basketball poll of the season was released on Jan. 9, and The Morning Journal area had three teams represented.
Lake Ridge is the only area team to crack the Top 10, coming in at a tie for No. 7 in Division IV with Tri-Village. The Royals received 48 points and trail No. 6 Ottoville (which has a first-place vote under its belt) by three points. Lake Ridge has games against Canton Central Catholic, Hudson WRA and West Muskingum prior to the next poll.
In Division III, Lutheran West and Elyria Catholic are included in the “Others receiving 12 or more points” list. The Longhorns received 28 points and missed out on the Top 10 by six points. The Panthers received 19 points, putting them 15 points outside of the Top 10.
Lutheran West hosts Fairview and Trinity this week, while Elyria Catholic hosts Rocky River before traveling to Bay.
Yet to lose in 2018
As we head into a full slate of games on Jan. 11, there are nine teams in The Morning Journal area that have yet to feel the sting of defeat in 2018:
• Amherst (1-0)
• Bay (1-0)
• Brookside (1-0)
• Clearview (2-0)
• Lake Ridge (1-0)
• Lutheran West (2-0)
• North Ridgeville (1-0) • Rocky River (0-0)
• Wellington (2-0)
Update the calendar
With cold weather and snow pushing through the area in the past week, a few games were postponed. Here are their new dates:
• Edison at Firelands, originally scheduled for Jan. 3, has been rescheduled to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18.
• Parma at Bay, originally scheduled for Jan. 6, was rescheduled to Jan. 8 and then postponed again. It will now take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 5.
• Our Lady of the Elms at Open Door, originally scheduled for Jan. 4, has not been rescheduled at this time.
Sports Editor Jon Behm contributed to this article.