Copley girls basketball readies for OHSAA state semifinal test vs. 2x champ Purcell Marian

If you want to be cool, be Izzy Callaway or Kami Ayoup cool.

Find the swag of Emily Kerekes, Evelyn McKnight and Audrey Parker or be as fire as Zoey Van Voorhis and Angelique Lane.

If life were a popularity contest this week at Copley High School, the septet would own the power rankings.

Those seven are the main characters of the girls basketball team, which travels to the University of Dayton to play two-time reigning state champion Cincinnati Purcell Marian in a Division II state semifinal at 2 p.m. Friday

Should Copley (25-3) beat the Cavaliers (27-1), it would play either Fairland (26-1) or Laurel (18-10) on Saturday.

“It's crazy walking through those hallways,” Ayoup said. “All the teachers are saying, ‘Hey, congrats. I'm going to be down there,’ and the students jokingly thanking us because we don't have school on Friday. It's great to know that we have people in our school that are paying attention and that they support us.”

Copley girls basketball has the backing of thousands more as it heads to Dayton

While a pocket of students are happy administration called off school so that everyone could crash UD Arena in support of the team, the majority know all about the significance of playing in the final four.

“It feels good walking the hall and everybody's kind of thanking you,” McKnight said. “It's pretty cool that we get the day off. Hopefully, most of them can come to our game on Friday.”

That’s the feeling coach Julie Solis wants her girls to soak in as Copley prepares to play the top-ranked team in the state.

Yes, the goal is to win Copley High School’s second state title in three years — the girls soccer team won the Division II crown in 2022 — but it’s also to enjoy the ride.

“That’s very important,” Solis said. “I think No. 1, you need to stay focused at the task at hand. I mean all that celebrating and all the kids at school this week is part of it, but once you get on your way, it really should be about the team and what you need to do. Staying in a structured routine I think helps them stay focused and really, because for me, and I know I think for them, but for me it's not about to get there. It's about trying to win it.”

Purcell Marian features Ohio Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander

In order to win it, Copley will need to find a way to get past Purcell Marian.

The Cavaliers have been to the state semifinals each of the last four seasons. They have two-time reigning Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander, who stands 6-foot-1, is a five-star Class of 2025 forward and is ranked fourth in the nation as a junior.

She has a final 15 list of Arizona, Cincinnati, UConn, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, USC and Virginia Tech among her more than 40 Division I offers.

Alexander averages 18.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists and can hit from inside or out.

“She’s just so inspiring, and not just inspiring to the outside community, but the coaches and her teammates as well just to elevate their game and also have a true winning mentality within a team,” Marian coach Jamar Mosley told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Her ability to lead by example and motivate others on and off the floor, I think, is really what sets her apart.”

Two-time reigning OHSAA girls basketball champion Purcell Marian is more than just Dee Alexander

Marian features more than Alexander.

Guard Ky’Aira Miller (13.3 points per game, 4.5 rebounds) is a first-team All-Southwest District selection. The two have other options in guards Jayda Mosley (9.8, 2.7), Cy’Aira Miller (5.0, 2.2) and 6-3 second-team all-district center Samaya Wilkins (7.3, 6.2).

The Millers, Alexander and Mosley have started in each of the last two state finals. The Cavaliers are also 102-9 over the last four seasons.

Copley is aware of all of that.

“We're just trying to focus on ourselves and what we can do best,” Callaway said. “Obviously we're scouting the opponent, things like that, but trying to just block out all the noise and everything in the past. We’re just trying to go make history for ourselves. We're just kind of trying to stay locked in, not letting anything get to our heads, kind of preparing, focusing, just the mental part of the game is really important. Defense is the No. 1 thing for our coach, so we're kind of used to that all year. It's not really anything different.”

Copley ready to add benchmark to storied girls basketball program

Callaway (21.0 ppg, 3.0 rebounds), Ayoup (10.0, 6.0), Kerekes (5.0, 3.0), Parker (9.0, 5.0) and McKnight (9.5, 5.5, 5.0 assists) have already put their stamp on a program that hasn’t been to a final four since 2006.

Should Copley win a state title, it would mean Kerekes, Ayoup and Van Voorhis, who played on the 2022 soccer team, would have two championship banners in the gym.

“It was such a good feeling when we did it for soccer,” Kerekes “There was a lot of pressure on us because everyone expected us there in soccer. I feel like it's a little bit different this year for basketball, but I just feel like I love the feeling of the community surrounding us and just rallying with us.”

Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: State champ awaits Copley in OHSAA girls basketball final four