Tourney Season: 7 Things to Watch as winter sports approach playoffs
Tournament season arrives this week for some winter sports, with the rest following suit later in February. The next month or so promises to be a whirlwind as teams work toward season-long goal of succeeding when it matters most.
The Daily Record will have extended coverage surrounding various high school beats during tournament season but here's a look at seven things to watch with the biggest games and meets on the horizon:
Special seniors
The Class of 2024 is one of the deepest and most talented group of girls basketball players the Wayne/Holmes County area has seen.
Almost one-third of the area's teams look like legitimate contenders to make a state run — Chippewa, Smithville and Waynedale in Division III and Hiland and Loudonville in Division IV — and almost all have four-year varsity players leading the way (Sky Regan at Chippewa, Noami Keib at Smithville, Alyssa Geiser and Addesa Miller at Waynedale, Ashley Mullet at Hiland and Corri Vermilya at Loudonville).
West Holmes (Keegan Uhl and Allie McMillen) and Triway (Caitlin Titler and Aaliyah Wirth) are two more senior-led teams having big years, with potential to make noise in the tournament. Whatever happens in the playoffs, this kind of overall class doesn't come along very often, and there's a good chance representation in Dayton will show that.
Undefeated WCAL champs?
The last time a boys hoops team went undefeated in WCAL play? The 2008-09 Smithville Smithies, with Kenny Kornowski and Tyler Bates leading the way. With three league games remaining, Norwayne has a chance to become the first team in 15 years to accomplish the feat. Friday's rivalry matchup with Dalton looks to be the Bobcats' biggest roadblock but the Bobcats keep finding ways to win even when its top players don't score a ton of points.
Undefeated league champs have been much more common on the girls side but Chippewa's unbeaten run through the WCAL has been a surprise with state contenders like Smithville and Waynedale in the league, along with five of the Chipps' top six rotation players from 2022-23 graduating. It looks like the Golden Bears will have a chance to spoil Chippewa's unbeaten league record to close out the regular season, but the Chipps have already locked up at least a share of the league title and have the tools to win into March.
Girls Hoops Tourney Draw: Top-seeded Hiland, Loudonville lead host of local contenders
Contenders?
While girls basketball is as strong as ever in the Wayne/Holmes area, there are fewer than usual boys teams that look like they could make a deep tournament run. Hiland, Norwayne and Triway all look like serious contenders to push for district titles but keep an eye on defending district champion Dalton, who has been playing as well as anyone lately, winning nine of its last 10.
With Keller McFarren emerging as one of the best shooters in the area and Brady Hignight fully integrated as a go-to player, along with a deep group around them that can handle the ball and defend, Dalton is a team many better seeds will be avoiding during this weekend's tournament draw.
More gold for Bears?
It's been Waynedale and everyone else on the Wayne County wrestling scene, and it appears that's the case once again. The Bears have a chance to win a Div. III duals state title at this weekend's OHSWCA State Duals before taking aim at a 13th straight WCAL title.
With a deep roster led by Caden Schmeltzer and Robert McCrork, it should be another February and March to remember for a program with plenty of memories to choose from.
Relays rolling
Wooster has churned out state-qualifying relay swimming teams year-after-year and looks primed to do more of the same this year.
In particular, keep an eye on the grouping of Andrei Dordea, Gabe Bosler-Kilmer, Luke Boucher and Aidan McMillan. They set new OCC meet records in the 200 and 400 relays and have the potential to put together more record-breaking times in the biggest meets of the season, starting with sectionals this weekend in Canton.
Bowl season
Emma Yoder and Addy Meshew have been two of the best girls bowlers in area history and will try to finish off their careers with more success in the end-of-year tournaments.
Both were a part of Triway's 2022 state championship-winning team, with Yoder finishing first as an individual at the Div. II state tournament that year as well. Meshew is coming off a state runner-up finish at last year's state tourney, and both have a great chance to get back and finish near the top of the field once again.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Winter Sports: 7 Things to Watch as playoffs approach
