The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Friends Hacking, Stopp setting records, advancing in postseason
“It’s awesome. We played on the same AAU team the last two years and are good friends. We pushed each other all summer, every week. Both of getting this accomplishment is amazing.” — Perry’s Madyson Hacking
Madyson Hacking proudly watched her friend Riley Stopp being handed the game ball after Stopp — a senior at Cornerstone Christian — became the Patriots’ all-time leading scorer in girls basketball.
After sharing smiles, a short chat and a hug, Stopp had two big words for Hacking, a senior at Perry. “You’re next,” Stopp said. Two games later, Hacking achieved the same mark at Perry.
When the Perry and Cornerstone girls basketball teams hit the court for their respective district championship games on Feb. 27, each team will do so with the top scorer in program history on their roster.
Hacking, with her charttopping 1,324 points, and the Pirates will host Salem in a Division II district championship game, while Stopp and her program-best 1,308 points will be in action with her Cornerstone teammates against Loudonville in a Division IV district final.
“It’s awesome,” Hacking said. “We played on the same AAU team the last two years and are good friends. We pushed each other all summer, every week. Both of getting this accomplishment is amazing.”
Hacking’s 1,324 points top an impressive list at Perry, one that includes Jackie Altenweg (1,298), Amanda Tsipis (1,216), Claire Dolan (1,205) and current teammate/classmate Elle Infalvi (1,171).
Cornerstone’s list pretty much happened in the past five years, with Stopp heading a top five that includes Peyton Buelle (1,262), Madison Cloonan (1,225), Jordan Cloonan (1,207) and Michaela Cloonan (1,125).
“I’m extremely humbled and honored for such a huge accomplishment,” Stopp said of becoming Cornerstone’s
all-time leading scorer. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, obviously. They’re a huge part of this.”
Stopp achieved her milestone mark against NDCL. The Patriots lost that road game, so Stopp was honored in her team’s next home game — which happened to be against Hacking and the Pirates.
Hacking reached the top of her program’s scoring list in a first-round tournament win over Cortland Lakeview.
Ever since she was a young, aspiring player, Hacking gazed up at the scoring list on the wall in Spectator Gymnasium. A former teammate of Dolan’s, she knew of her talents — the rest of the names were simply storybook tales from family members.
“My aunt Chandice (Albrecht) Richards played with the Altenwegs, so she told me about them,” Hacking said. “My mom played with (1,119-point scorer) Teresa Ersek, so she told me about her game.
“The people on that list are the legends of Perry High School. It’s crazy to not only be up there, too, but on top of that list.”
As for Stopp, she remembers watching Buell play a handful of years ago. She was a teammate for three years with twins Madyson and Michaela Cloonan, and was and eighth-grader when Jordan Cloonan finished her career with the Patriots.
Stopp has signed to play at Ursuline College, where she’ll reunite with the Cloonan twins.
As the season wears down, both Stopp and Hacking have bigger goals than their personal accomplishment.
Hacking and her Perry teammates want to get back to the regional tournament, which would give them three in the past four years, and take it a step further to advance to the Division II state tournament for the first time in program history.
Stopp and the Patriots are shooting for a third straight Division IV state berth. Last year’s was ripped from the team when the coronavirus outbreak canceled the winter tournament season as the Patriots were about to leave a Columbus-area hotel for their Division IV state semifinal game.
“We’re pleased, but we’re not content,” Stopp said. “We’re focused on the tournament.”
She hopes she’s remembered not for her points, but for her teams’ success and her leadership.
“There are a lot of things I’m not the best at, but I’ll give my all no matter what,” she said. “Whatever I do, I’m going to give it my all, hold nothing back and do it all for the glory of God.”
Both Hacking and Stopp will be keeping an eye on each other’s teams to see how they do from here on out in tournament play. And if it all works out, maybe they’ll both end up at the University of Dayton, home of this year’s girls state basketball tournament.
“I’m so excited,” Hacking said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity to go to state. I think this is the team that can do it.”