BCMS eighth-grade girls show improvement

It’s definitely a family affair at Boardman Center Middle School where the eighth-grade girls basketball program has Craig Mangie as its head coach and his wife, Mary, as his trusted assistant.

Now in his 15th season as a coach in the Boardman school system and his fourth as the head coach of the BCMS eighth-grade squad, Mangie likes the improvement he has witnessed.

“We have a great group of players — a group that has steadily improved since our initial practice. We took our lumps the first half of the season and over the past four or five games, have played those same early opponents a lot tougher,” said Mangie.

“We’re working hard and getting better. But most of all, having fun in the process.”

Mangie’s starting five include Nikki Negron, the team’s second-leading scorer, Nicole Sanfillippo and Katie Baker at the guards; Sarah Playforth in the middle and the team’s leading scorer (she’s averaging nearly 14 points per outing) and best overall player, Kelly Tomcsanyi in the post.

Off the bench, Mangie turns to guards Jamie Moran, Emily Chapin and Allison Lara and forwards Caitlyn Enlow and Brooke Donatelli.

The squad will travel to rival Boardman Glenwood Middle School Feb. 1 for a game that both teams look forward to each and every season.