WADSWORTH — Nearly 11 years have passed since Andrew Booth left Mansfield Madison for Wadsworth, but those who know the girls basketball coach best say he has changed very little.
Wadsworth head coach Andrew Booth against Hudson during the first quarter. (RON SCHWANE / GAZETTE)
Cool, collected, classy, confident and competitive, Booth showed why Saturday during the Grizzlies’ 73-30 win over Hudson. He still has a towel in his hand, pauses from pacing the sideline to take a drink of water next to the scorer’s table and coaches with meticulous detail regardless of score.
Booth also doesn’t get wrapped up in personal accolades, but appreciates the community support that comes along with them. The plaque commemorating his 300th overall win hangs in the coaches’ office — aka “The Man Cave” — but above old team pictures and in a rather non-prominent spot.
The Richland County native reached another milestone Saturday, as he tied the Medina County record for victories (222) held by Buckeye’s Steve Borgis (1982-86, 1988-2000). Announcer Jason Knapp informed the crowd during the postgame handshakes, and Booth received a brief but warm standing ovation.
“I think there’s two things,” Booth said. “No. 1, you’ve been around a while and No. 2, you’ve been surrounded by great players and great coaches, and certainly that’s been the case in my 11 years here.
“I’m very blessed to have worked with a staff that has been very consistent over the years and, more importantly than that, great friends to me and my family. That’s been really important.
“Obviously we’ve had really great kids here — kids who work hard from great families — so it’s pretty easy to (win) when you’re surrounded by quality people. There’s no question that’s the main reason for where we’re at right now.”
Booth will pass Borgis if the Grizzlies (8-0, 6-0) defeat Avon (7-3) on Wednesday. Booth is 222-41 at Wadsworth (320-99 overall) and has active streaks of 20-win seasons (five), district championships (five) and Suburban League victories (81).
Along the way, Booth has coached stars such as Cassie Schrock, Jen (Uhl) Martin, Chrissy (Pavlik) Borsani, Lindsay Tenyak, Taylor Woods, Rachel Goddard and Jodi Johnson. All of them are future prime candidates for the Wadsworth Sports Hall of Fame. On a more personal subject, Booth had four outstanding years with his equally competitive and charismatic daughter, Peyton, on the team.
What keeps Booth going isn’t winning — that certainly helps — but the relationships built in a blue-collar city like Wadsworth. He lives there, teaches there, coaches there and has no desire to leave.
“I knew enough about the program (when I took over) to know that they were really serious about girls basketball here in this little town,” Booth said. “In terms of what it’s meant to my family (wife Rachel and children Peyton and Alec) moving into a quality situation — not just me personally, but my family — was certainly the right move.”
No former player knows Booth better than Martin, who is now the Grizzlies’ assistant junior varsity coach.
A 1,300-point scorer at the school and four-year letterwinner at Bowling Green State, Martin always has appreciated the beyond-the-game traits that, in her mind, make Booth successful.
“From the day he came in here, he does a really good job of showing the girls and showing all of us (coaches) that he really cares about you and he’s going to make you better,” Martin said. “He’s going to push you, but he does it in such a way that is, like, Dad — loving, you know what I mean? Your dad’s going to yell at you to make you better, but he’s also going to give you a hug and tell you how to do it.
“(Booth) is special in that way. The girls love him, but he’s like Dad. You want to make him happy and you want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.”
Current power forward Laurel Palitto, a three-year starter, echoed Martin’s statement before pointing out Booth also cultivates community pride within the program. There’s also an upcoming team Christmas party at his Wadsworth Township home featuring a JV/varsity gift exchange, games and “a lot of food.”
“He loves the game so much, and at practice he transfers that love of the game to us,” Palitto said. “It makes it fun because you can see how much he loves it.”
As for the SL National Division game against Hudson, it didn’t play out much differently than other Wadsworth blowouts over the years. The Explorers (3-6, 1-4) missed eight shots and committed seven turnovers before finally getting on the scoreboard, and they did not make a two-pointer until 5:54 left in the third quarter.
Sophomore center Peyton Banks pumped in a career-high 18 points on 6-of-10 field goals and 6-of-8 free throws. Senior All-Ohioan Johnson added 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while 10th-graders Sophia Fortner (10 points, 6 assists, 3 steals) and Lexi Lance (11, 7 rebounds, 4 steals) also posted their usual statistics before heading to the bench and later celebrating Maria Busson’s initial varsity basket late in the fourth quarter.
“The coaches have fun and the kids have fun,” Booth said. “It’s more than just basketball. It’s the memories you get to make every different year.
“We tell the kids that when they’re done playing, they don’t get another chance to make those memories. We get to make memories every single year with a new group of kids. That’s the big thing. That’s what keeps us going, I think.”
Notes
Wadsworth won the junior varsity game 36-20. The Grizzlies played without leading scorer Leah Maher and trailed 13-12 at halftime.
Wadsworth 73, Hudson 30
HUDSON 3 10 5 12 — 30
WADSWORTH 16 20 18 19 — 73
Hudson — Emmy Klemencic 0-5-5, Ally Prosser 3-0-9, Erin Madar 1-4-6, Gillian Spivak 0-0-0, Elizabeth Hinkle 1-0-2, Shelby Johnson 0-0-0, Elle Marquez 0-1-1, Emma Messina 1-0-3, Lorenza Chiarappa 0-4-4. TOTALS: 6-14-30.
Wadsworth — Jenna Johnson 1-2-4, Laurel Palitto 1-1-3, Lexi Lance 5-1-11, Jodi Johnson 6-1-14, Sophia Fortner 3-4-10, Peyton Banks 6-6-18, Olivia Chaney 1-0-2, McKenna Banks 0-0-0, Maddie Movsesian 1-0-2, Alexa Conley 1-0-3, Maggie Sonntag 0-2-2, Meggie Flanigan 1-0-2, Maria Busson 1-0-2, Emily Kurnot 0-0-0. TOTALS: 27-17-73.
3-point goals — Prosser 3, Messina, Jo. Johnson, Conley. Rebounds — Hudson 20 (Chiarappa 5), Wadsworth 28 (Lance 7). Assists — Hudson 4 (Klemencic 2), Wadsworth 18 (Fortner 6). Records — Hudson (3-6, 1-4), Wadsworth (8-0, 6-0). Junior varsity — Wadsworth 36, Hudson 20.