ICL PREVIEW Western Reserve set again

The Blue Devils return all five starters after injuries depleted last year's squad.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BERLIN CENTER -- You don't have to tell Erik Kalina about all the things that can go wrong in a basketball season. He already knows.
"We were just cruising along pretty well last year and we had a couple players get hurt," Kalina, the Western Reserve High girls basketball coach, said. "There goes your season."
The Blue Devils went 9-1 to open Inter-County League play last season, but lost two starters to season-ending injuries -- Jen Hallos and Tiffany Palumbo -- in the second half of the season.
Western Reserve finished 10-4 in the league (12-8 overall) and watched South Range run away with the league title.
"We're a small school and we're not super deep, so it definitely hurt us," Kalina said. "I don't want to go through that again."
As frustrating as it was, Kalina had reason for hope. The Blue Devils, who have never won an ICL title, return all five starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team and are one of the early favorites in the league race.
"We were very eager to get going," Kalina, whose team has won its first three games this season, said. "We have six seniors back and obviously there's a lot riding on them. We'll also need some young girls to step up a bit."
Leading the way
Senior guard Anna Marie Ricciardi, who averaged 16 points and seven steals per game last season, will be the team's catalyst. Hallos and Palumbo did not practice with the team this summer, but have fully recovered and will see plenty of playing time.
"I think the biggest problem will be mental," Kalina said of the injuries. "The fear is going to still be there for a while."
Senior forward Jen White (6-feet, 1-inch) averaged nine points and 11 rebounds per game last year and is capable of taking over a game. Mikah Berger and Toni Jo Moracco saw significant playing time last year and will be part of a 10-player rotation.
Western Reserve's depth will take some of the pressure off Ricciardi, who won the Division III state high jump title last spring.
"[Ricciardi] is obviously our best player, but we can't rely on her for everything," Kalina said. "We're hoping to get a more balanced attack, so it's harder for other teams to focus on one person."
South Range lost several players to graduation, but Lowellville and Springfield return strong teams and will compete with the Blue Devils for the league title, Kalina said.
"We've been looking forward to this year for a long time," Kalina said. "We have high expectations."
scalzo@vindy.com