WADSWORTH — For the moment anyway, the Wadsworth girls basketball team is playing at a championship-caliber level.
The Grizzlies have gotten off to strong starts before, but this winter already looks like one of the best, especially after they quickly laid waste to North Royalton 48-24 Wednesday in a rematch of the Strongsville Division I Regional semifinals.
Wadsworth’s Sophia Fortner pushes the ball up the floor past North Royalton’s Gabby White during the first quarter. RON SCHWANE / GAZETTE
Wadsworth (5-0, 3-0) has already defeated three reigning district champions — Eastmoor Academy, Morgan County (Ga.) and the Bears (2-4, 1-2) — by 21, 28 and 24 points, and the fun will only continue Saturday when the Grizzlies travel to reigning Euclid D-I District champion Twinsburg (3-1, 2-1).
“We didn’t think about (who we were playing),” All-Gazette point guard Sophia Fortner said as teammate Meggie Flanigan tried to distract her with a silly face. “Coach (Andrew Booth) just told us to go out there and have fun and play hard. When we play hard, good things happen.”
The Suburban League National Division game against North Royalton, which extended Wadsworth’s SL win streak to 78, was pretty much never in doubt after the Grizzlies scored the first seven points.
Again the stars led the way. First-team All-Ohioan Jodi Johnson had nine points in the first quarter and finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four steals, while Fortner looked as comfortable as ever running the point and added seven points, seven assists and five steals.
Struggling to adjust without graduated four-year starters Alison Smolinski and Mackenzi Matthews but still featuring touted freshman center Taiyier Parks and athletic junior guard Gabby White (6 points, 5 rebounds), the Bears hung around until an ugly second quarter in which they took only four shots and committed five turnovers.
Wadsworth led 32-12 at halftime. The Grizzlies only won the second half 16-12, but a lot of that had to do with extreme offensive patience designed to get post touches for centers Lexi Lance (game-high 9 rebounds) and Peyton Banks (4 points, 5 rebounds).
“We knew this was going to be one of the top contenders in our league this year, and we knew we had to come out strong,” Johnson said. “We were all hyped up for this game, so that’s what motivated us throughout the game.”
With the full-court press in midseason form, Fortner creating offense more often, Johnson entrenching her reputation as an all-around star and team-wide intensity high, Wadsworth is rolling.
The Grizzlies know they can be elite and they’re not taking any chances.
“We realize we have the potential to get somewhere and do a lot of great things in the future,” said Fortner, referring to the state tournament in Columbus. “We’ve realized that sooner than later, and that’s when everything starts clicking together.”
Notes
- To the surprise of absolutely no one who knows recent Wadsworth history, current Grizzlies freshman coach Linsday Tenyak hit nothing but net on a half-court shot at halftime. The 2009 Gazette MVP made five during halftimes of boys games in the 2008-09 season.
- Freshman center Leah Maher had 14 points as the Grizzlies’ junior varsity won 48-16.
Wadsworth 48, North Royalton 24
NORTH ROYALTON 8 4 7 5 — 24
WADSWORTH 16 16 9 7 — 48
North Royalton — Lexi Chuppa 0-0-0, Tori Lineweaver 0-1-1, Taiyier Parks 2-0-4, Julianne Lebo 1-2-5, Gabby White 3-0-6, Kria Camino 2-0-4, Amy Tyma 0-2-2, Deanna Alnazer 1-0-2, Macie Plagens 0-0-0, Megan Grospitch 0-0-0, Krista Harbart 0-0-0. TOTALS: 9-5-24.
Wadsworth — Jenna Johnson 1-4-6, Laurel Palitto 3-0-6, Lexi Lance 1-0-2, Jodi Johnson 6-3-16, Sophia Fortner 2-2-7, Peyton Banks 2-0-4, McKenna Banks 1-2-4, Olivia Chaney 1-0-2, Maddie Movsesian 0-0-0, Alexa Conley 0-0-0, Leah Maher 0-0-0, Maggie Sonntag 0-0-0, Meggie Flanigan 0-1-1, Emily Kurnot 0-0-0. TOTALS: 17-12-48.
3-point goals — Lebo, Jo. Johnson, Fortner. Rebounds — North Royalton 16 (White 5), Wadsworth 30 (Lance 9). Assists — North Royalton 5 (Lineweaver 2), Wadsworth 13 (Fortner 7). Records — North Royalton (2-4, 1-2), Wadsworth (5-0, 3-0). Junior varsity — Wadsworth 48, North Royalton 16.