The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
OF point guard leads united front
Senior Kelly has team eyeing new heights
Success at Olmsted Falls didn’t happen by coincidence when Coach Jordan Eaton took over the girls basketball program in 2014.
The real key to the success of the Bulldogs has been players with high basketball IQ that have driven the program to new heights.
Featuring high-profile names over the years such as Sarah Balfour and now Kent State commit Clare Kelly, Eaton has had the help of a second coach and leader on the court in Kelly to help solidify one of the area’s top teams.
One year removed from a Division I Elyria District championship, the youthful Bulldogs have one of the best rosters and a talented leader in Kelly to slow the game down and be a field general on the floor.
“I can trust her to communicate things that need communicated, and I think she does the best job of rallying her teammates,” Eaton said.
“Her teammates will make a mistake, and she doesn’t let them know about it. And a lot of times when you’re one of the better players on the team, kids will tend to let you know that you didn’t do something right. But, she’s got a next play mentality with her teammates, and I think they all love her for it.”
Kelly, a third-team allOhioan last year who committed to Kent State prior to the season, has been able to put aside the recruiting process and focus on the goals set for this year’s team. Having been with Eaton since Day 1, the bond between the two has helped Kelly be that voice on the court.
“I hope to be like Coach Eaton one day,” Kelly said.
“He’s awesome. He puts everyone before him. He’s very selfless, and I think we’ve learned that from him and we all try to be a little bit more like him. It’s not about who we are as players on the floor. It’s got to be both on the floor and off the floor, and I think he teaches that well.”
Featuring some younger players with skill and poise to be the next big player out of the Olmsted Falls program, Kelly has helped the likes of sophomores Allison Milligan and Lauren Galaska the way she knows her coach would want to see.
“It’s kind of funny because here in these interviews, the things we’re saying you’d hear right from his mouth,” Kelly joked. “It’s not made up — it’s the truth. And we stress what he does because we agree that we want to be selfless and we want to be a good teammate and that’s what it’s about.”
Already seeing her impact on the younger players, Eaton said it’s not just players like Kelly that have an impact, but the ones the work behind the scenes to help keep the team headed in the right direction.
“Schools will have kids like that. It’s rare, but she’s definitely helped change the program,” Eaton said. “There’s been a few other girls that we’ve graduated that maybe didn’t score as many points as Clare, but also had that same type of attitude where they’re selfless and they’re great leaders and they want to listen to the coaching staff and make sure we’re the most together team.
“Clare is definitely one of those kids who’s helped with that, and she’s all in on that and it really shows.”
Seeing his team make playoff runs over the past two years, Eaton said the goals the team has set this year are high because of the past success.
With success already in the Southwestern Conference, Olmsted Falls has that knowledge of the past two years to see where the team stacks up.
“The confidence level is high because the kids make sure they give each other chances and when you play together, your confidence level can go through the roof,” Eaton said.
“So, a kid who’s open for a shot who isn’t necessarily one of our playmakers gets more opportunities to make those shots or be that playmaker.
“And that really helps with confidence, because, obviously, once you do it in a game when the bright lights are on, you have that confidence for the next time you’re in that situation. That doesn’t really happen unless all your kids play together and really play together and not just say it.”