The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Columbia’s Champagne leads LC8 honors
From the moment Columbia guard Elise Champagne recorded a season-opening near triple-double, another standout season was bound to happen.
On Feb. 21, the Columbia point guard was named the Lorain County League Player of the Year. Keystone Coach Rocky Houston was named the coach of the year.
“Elise (Champagne) has been extremely vital to the success and the progress of our program from the moment she stepped on the floor her senior year,” Columbia Coach Corey Taylor said. “She has worked relentlessly to earn every bit of the accolades that she has received in her career.”
In four seasons, the three-time All-Ohioan has led the Raiders to a 66-20 record.
“When this season closes up she will finish as one of the most decorated girls basketball players to ever play within our program and conference,” Taylor said. “Most importantly, she has been an amazing teammate. She cares about her teammates, her coaches and youth (players). She means the world to me as a coach and this is a generational player who deserves every ounce of notoriety she gets.”
She is Columbia’s alltime assists leader. Champagne averages 14.5 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.4 steals.
Some of her standout performances included a 26-point near triple-double against Normandy in the first game of the season. She one-upped herself with 27 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists against Northwestern.
Columbia will go into its home sectional final with a 19-3 (12-2 LC8) record. It will host the winner of (No. 13 seed) Massillon Tuslaw and (35) Lake Catholic on Feb. 24.
Houston led the Wildcats to an undefeated 22-0 regular season, which was a first for Lorain County girls basketball. They are the second-seeded Division III team in Northeast Ohio.