Competing at a high level in the Southwestern Conference requires talented players.
As the OPSMA released the girls basketball All-Ohioans for Divisions I-III on March 24, the talent was showcased with nine selected SWC players.
“The SWC is fun to play in because of the talented players in the league,” Avon Lake coach Paul Appel said. “There are teams who maybe did not have the greatest record, but they have a few really good players. You have to come to every game and be ready.”
The top three teams in the SWC standings, Olmsted Falls, Avon Lake and Berea-Midpark (Regan Braaten, Lilly Jones, Emma Arnold), had at least two All-Ohioans.
Olmsted Falls’ Jesse Simon (Division II) and Avon Lake’s Olivia Miller (D-III) were each named third-team All-Ohioan.
Simon (15.4 points per game), along with All-Ohio honorable mention Emma Schaefer (11.5), led the Bulldogs to their eighth consecutive Southwestern Conference championship and fourth straight regional title.
Miller (15.9 points per game) was named All-Ohio for the second year in a row, as she also took home Lorain County Ms. Basketball.
Avon Lake’s Molly Milligan was also named All-Ohio honorable mention. She and Schaefer will be seniors next year.
Avon Lake’s Molly Milligan blocks out North Ridgeville’s Mary Strippy on Feb. 7. (Aimee Bielozer – For The Morning Journal)
The Shoregals went 16-8 (12-2 SWC). They appeared in a Division III district final.
“(Miller and Milligan) are a big part in our success,” Appel said. “They do not do just one thing well. They do multiple things well, offensively and defensively. They provide a presence defensively with their length. They make it really tough to score on them consistently. Offensively, they both have the ability to play inside, but both shot the ball well from beyond the arc.”
At Midview, Leah DiFranco (Division III All-Ohio honorable mention) averaged 13.4 points per game, with six rebounds, four assists and 2.8 steals.
North Ridgeville guard Brooke Schroeder (Division II All-Ohio honorable mention) guided the Rangers to a 16-8 (7-7 SWC) season.
By averaging 12.5 points per game, the junior advanced to a D-II district final.
Rocky River (Nora Bruder, Elizabeth Lang), Westlake (Ella Stanton) and Bay (Madelyn Lee, Chloe Kazma, Norah Trefz) represented the Cleveland West Conference.
Bruder, who was named CWC Offensive Player of the Year, was named D-III All-Ohio special mention.
D-I was represented by Lorain guard Bella Pinkney, who was awarded honorable mention.
