What a run it was for Rocky River’s football team. All River did was set a new school record for most wins, with 11, but also won back to back titles in the West Shore Conference. Here led by John Gipson (20), and Sean Belanger (8) they celebrate the team’s first ever playoff win over Hubbard.

The Westshore’s best of 2006-07
By Matt Pawlikowski
Sports
Published Jan. 2, 2008

1.) It doesn’t get any better than this...State Champions. Which is exactly what the Magnificat girls tennis team can boast.

The championship for the Blue Streaks was its first tennis State Championship of any kind. It is also the first Girls Division I team from Northeast Ohio to take home the State Team Title since the tournament inception in 1975.

“This is really great, I’m on cloud nine right now,” said senior captain Meghan Hollis after the win.” “Everyone at school is excited for us, and our team is so happy. This has been the ‘Dream Season’.”

Dream indeed, but winning the title was no easy task, as Magnificat had to battle some stringent competition on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon outside of Columbus, and it took some excellent play to get it done.

Stephanie Hollis and Madison Hromada captured huge singles wins, as they defeated two girls who had teamed up to win the State Doubles Championship the previous day. Hollis, who also qualified for the state tourney as an individual, took a tough match against Jessica Easdale 6-1, 6-2. Dublin Gerome’s  Easdale and Kathryn Ferrar were the Division 1 state champions for doubles this year.

“Me and my sister are just thrilled,” said Stephanie Hollis.”We are just so happy. We put a lot of time in, and had great matches. But this is a great win for all of us. It’s the first time ever that a Magnificat team has won in tennis, so it’s a great accomplishment. Madison really pulled us through, and when she won we knew we had the title.”

In the match against Gerome, Hromada won against Ferrar 6-4,6-4.  This was a very exciting win because this court sealed the victory.

“Madison doesn’t give herself any credit,” said Meghan Hollis. “She pulled through against Walsh in an earlier match, and did it again today. She’s an awesome player. She helped make my last season a memorable one.”

Kaeley Doyle and Megan Hollis also got hot at the perfect time for the Blue Streaks, as they cruised to a 6-3, 6-4 victory at first doubles.

“We had an absolutely outstanding performance out there,” said Coach Chris Johnson. “Everyone had the mental toughness that is necessary to win big matches like this. The whole team stepped up big time and I could not be more proud or more excited for the girls. They worked harder than any group I have been associated with and their hard work really paid off. This is a very special group of young ladies.”

In the semifinals earlier in the morning, Magnificat battled past Toledo St. Ursula.

It was upset city for the Blue Streak in this one, as Stephanie Hollis pulled a huge one as she beat Ursula’s highly ranked first singles player Eccleston. Megan Hollis and Doyle dominated in a victory at first doubles while Allie Wasilko and Noelle Kaufmann won a hard fought match at second doubles.

“Megan and Kaeley were playing doubles together for the first time this season and I was not sure what to expect,” said  Johnson. “But, they went out there and played fantastic tennis and it definitely gave the team the lift that it needed. Stephanie has played outstanding all season, but today she played like she was on a mission. It was definitely her best performance of the year. It was a dream season and they certainly deserved it. This is a season that all of the people involved will never forget.”

2) Rocky River football teams record setting year- There was no state championship, but what a season the Pirates had. A record setting 11 wins, the first post season win in school history, a second consecutive West Shore Conference championship, and so many post season honors, including the Division III coach of the year honor for head coach Ron Lewis, that the banquet held to honor the team took over four hours.

Four hours of well deserved praise.

“It is a big accomplishment for all of us, no one will ever be the first to win 11 games, or go to the playoffs,” said all state lineman Kevin Orris. “We made history last year, then to do it again my senior year, winning the first playoff game in Rocky River history, and being that close to winning the second one, it’s been great. Everyone here gets along, and that is what I’m going to miss the most.”

Call it the brotherhood of the Pirate, where all the players had each others backs throughout the year, and stuck together good or bad, which is something that most private schools and other teams for that matter don’t do.

“Our senior class, we knew a long time ago that we were a special group of people and had a lot of talent,” said Jon Gipson. “And we didn’t worry about what other people said or thought of us. Now, hopefully we set the tone for what Rocky River football is going to be for the next couple of years.”

The Pirates quest for perfection didn’t come easy, but it seemed every week whether it be the runs of  Gibson or David Dunne, the arm of Andy Breidigam, the leg of Tyler Sperli, the hits of Bobby Fitzsimmons, Zach Youseff, Kevin Kellogg and Matt Breidigam, when a big time effort was needed someone pulled through.

“The legacy that this team has left for us,” said head coach Ron Lewis. “20 wins the past two years, 11 wins this year, the first time in history, I’m very proud of them.”

3) St Edward Wrestling

Not only did the Eagles win the national title in 2007, but they also accomplished alot during the regular season, as St. Edward not only won its 23rd big-school state championship in front of a near sellout 15,685 at Value City Arena with a record 229 points, coach Grey Urbas surpassed another Ed’s legend in Howard Ferguson, by claiming his record 12th title (Ferguson had 11 and Maple Heights coach Mike Milkovich Sr. 10).

“They just did a tremendous job,” said Urbas. “I told them before we got here that you cannot be national champs without winning the state, and they really worked hard to do so.”

The Eagles only crowned four champs, Sean Nemec (160), Brian Roddy (171) Colin Palmer (125) and Chris Honeycutt (189), but placed 13.

“We wanted to get 14, our goal was never to get seven,” Honeycutt said of what everyone was talking about, in beating West’s record. “ We had14 guys down here, and we expected 14 champions.”

Honeycutt a North Ridgeville resident, who won his second state title in the process, after winning in Massachusetts in 2005, pinned Daniel Canfied of Lakota East.

“He went 39-0 on the year, and became our 83rd state champ,” said Urbas.

Roddy’s match was the more interesting of the night, as it was back and forth before he downed Berea’s Dustin Kilgore 14-12, to win his first title. Kilgore was the defending state champ.

Early on, it looked as if Kilgore had the upper hadn’t, when he jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but in the second period, Roddy took a 7-4 advantage. After three periods the match was tied at 12, before Roddy came back to win in overtime with a takedown.

Palmer, who won his second consecutive title, was also on a mission as his opponent was trash talking him before his match. His answer to that was by crushing Stow’s Tyler Lambert 12-4. Palmer is the younger brother of Lance, who now wrestles for Ohio State, and won four titles for St. Eds.

Just how good was this St. Ed’s team? The Eagles set another state record by scoring 106½ points after the quarterfinal round action on Thursday.  They also tied their 2005 state record by placing 13 wrestlers. Following the semifinals, the Eagles had already had 190½ points, just 19½ points short of its record 210 set last year.

“We hope this can continue,” said Urbas. “Coach Hefferhan told the kids this is most competitive group he has ever seen, and he is an 84 grad and was here for four state titles. I said guys, do you understand what kind of compliment that is.”

4) Lutheran West boys basketball win streak - Lutheran West’s 61-game, regular-season winning streak in boys basketball came to a close in a 71-67 home loss to Brooklyn on Feb. 9 Lutheran West’s streak was the longest ever for a team in the West Life/ Avon Lake Press coverage area, besting Avon’s streak of 60 straight from 1965-69. It also was the third longest in state history.

In addition to the streak, for the first time since 1998, the Longhorns captured the Division III District Championship, beating a tough Chanel team 71-64 after overcoming a 13 point second quarter deficit. 

The last time the Longhorns came this far in the tournament was when head coach Phil Argento’s son Phil Junior led the team to the State Final Four in Columbus, and that was 1998. 

5) Magnificat gymnast Kayla Kmiecik- Winning a state title as an individual in any sport is no easy task. Doing it twice, is, well special. It’s exactly what the Blue Streaks. The senior landed with this year’s state title in the uneven parallel bars back in March, with a final score of 9.375 at this year’s state gymnastics meet at Hilliard Darby High School. Kmieick led the way in the team tournament with no score under nine points. She scored a 9.450 in the bars, a 9.400 in the beam, 9.300 in the vault and 9.275 in the floor exercise. To date, Kmiecik has been named to both the OHSAA All-Ohio gymnastics team and to the Northeast Ohio All-District team, for the past three consecutive years. She is a two-time defending state champion in the uneven parallel bars. She has also been voted Magnificat’s gymnastic team MVP and school Athlete of the Year for the past two years.

6) Rocky River coach Ron Lewis crowned Division III coach of the year- It was perhaps the defining moment of the young coaches career. Prior to Lewis taking over the Pirate program, it was the laughing stalk of Northeastern Ohio football. Those days have long gone the wayside as the past two years, River has boasted a 21-2 slate.

7) Bay’s Rachel Doughty runner up slot at state-  After prelims, Doughty was ranked fourth in the 110 hurdles, but the finals however turned out to be her best race of the year. “ I got my PR with 14.82. I was really pleased with the race and to come in second,” said Doughty.” All the excitement and knowing that it would be my last chance really helped to push me to go faster. Overall I am very pleased with how this season turned out.”

8) Olmsted Falls basketball team reaching Elite eight- In a game that was worthy of the state championship, Olmsted Falls bowed out in regional action to Upper Sandusky, behind the efforts of Jon Deibler, who had 32 points, and became the first player in over 50 years to reach 1,000 points in a season, took home a 91-81 win. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 22-3 slate.

9) North Olmsted’s Steve McDonald- the then junior accomplished something no one else has done in the history of North Olmsted boys track, which goes back to the 1940’s. He earned a medal in a field event.

The last time North Olmsted had a trackster place as high in boys action, was in 2003, when Aaron Arlinghaus took home the boys 3200-meter title, but never in the field events.

“ It’s one of those deals where every year you think you have a good chance of getting some kids there, but there are always bumps in the road,’’ said Ptacek. “Steve was able to overcome those bumps and it’s a tribute to his work ethic. Hopefully this will help push him even further next year.”

10-tie) Rocky River’s trackstar Olivia Vitou’s four golds at districts, Jess Zangmeister sweeping WSC, district and regional titles in cross country.

Taking first in district competition is no easy task. Doing it four times, and as a freshman is even more impressive. It’s exactly what Vitou did during district action at Midview last spring, joining an elite group of athletes who can claim four first in a district competition, as she won the 100, 200, long jump and was the anchor leg of the 4x400 relay.

‘’I was hoping I could win the 100, but I didn’t expect to win all four,’’ said a modest Vitou.’’I like the 100 best, because its short and I’m fast. I was just hoping to beat Rachel Doughty from Bay, but it was nice to win all of them and to get points for my team.’’

For Zangmeister, her season was one of dreams. Although she failed to make the top 15 in state and earn a trip to the podium, the junior accomplished a lot, and set a new school record in the process.

“I’m a bit disappointed with my performance,” said Zangmeister. “My goal was to get on the podium (the top 15), but I missed that by one place.  My legs just couldn’t respond with that extra finishing speed that I had last week at regionals.  But when I look back on this past season, I feel so fortunate to have accomplished so many things.  With the exception of the state meet, I exceeded all of my goals. This will only give me more incentive and determination to set and pursue new goals for my senior year.”