No coincidence Gibsonburg championship coincides with freshman arrival
Sophia Paul didn’t want to play basketball any longer after Gibsonburg won two games when she was a freshman.
Golden Bears coach Bo Evarts convinced her to return. She occupied a key role the whole time and scored a career high 19 points Saturday in a victory over Woodmore to take the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division crown outright.
“She was hesitant to come back,” Coach Evarts said. “She knew something special was coming up. She, Jaz Morant and Harley Gamble are seniors. We won two games, then six games, then 17 and now 20.”
Gibsonburg girls basketball Freshman quite a treat for Golden Bears
Gibsonburg (20-1, 17-0) last won a league championship in 1976. The Golden Bears scored one point Saturday for every year without a conference crown.
“48 years,” Morant said. “1976 shared the league, we’re the first to have the league title on our own. It’s a small town, basically the whole town was here supporting us. We could go undefeated (in the league).
“It’s good to go out with a bang. Freshman me would be [shocked]. Senior me, after the first couple games I expected to win the league. We worked so hard to get here.”
Paul banged in five 3-pointers against the Wildcats.
“She’s been a good shooter since middle school,” Coach Evarts said. “Aaron Stout worked with her on footwork after practice. It carried over. It’s a team of coaches with a team of players.”
Paul’s patience was also rewarded by the arrival of freshman Elly Evarts this season.
“We won a sectional title and tied for second in the league last year,” Coach Evarts said. “We changed the culture. We knew Elly would help and the seniors opened their arms. She took nothing for granted.”
Evarts averages 21.8 points and made 62 of 150 3-pointers (41%). Even more important, she averages 3.9 assists and is deft handling the ball.
“Nobody presses us,” Coach Evarts said. “There’s going to be someone open and this year’s team, someone steps up. If you focus on Elly, other girls step up. That’s been key. The other girls have developed so well.
“We can’t just do it with Elly. Girls have stepped into roles. We’re more than a one-person team.”
Evarts makes sure that sentiment is trumpeted. All the girls see what it looks like.
“I’m so proud every one of my teammates is capable of stepping up on every night,” Morant said. “It’s not a one-man team. Elly is so capable … every one of the starting five has been our high scorer.
“I’m so proud we’ve all worked so hard to be able to say that.”
Evarts never lacked for confidence. She isn’t intimidated and she doesn’t back down.
“We wanted to come in here and prove we can win,” Evarts said of leaving with a championship.
Gibsonburg gelled quickly with a new point guard.
“We had big games early in the year, Lakota at home,” Coach Evarts said. “’Wow.’ They’re defending champ. We beat Old Fort shooting the ball poorly. We beat [second place] Danbury at home.
“Every team will give us their best. That’s what good teams do, find a way to win. We have something special here.”
What happened in Gibsonburg’s past isn’t important for Evarts now. It might motivate the Golden Bears, but it has nothing to do with the future.
After nearly five decades, Evarts won a conference championship the first chance she got. She’s not pinching herself, like Paul and even Morant.
In fact, Evarts and his daughter attended games at the state tournament last year.
“She already believed at that point,” Coach Evarts said. ‘Next year we don’t have to pay for tickets, Dad.’
Coach Evarts cautioned her to remain humble. She’s very respectful, but she didn’t want to wait.
“This is what I wanted to happen,” she said.
mhorn@gannett.com
419-307-4892
X: @MatthewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Gibsonburg OHSAA girls basketball
