Champs prepare to excel again

March 28, 2016 at 12:05a.m.

Coming off a third state championship in five seasons, Champion High School softball coach Cheryl Weaver knows her Golden Flashes are about to face everyone’s best efforts.

“We know there are bullseyes on our backs and other teams will rise to the occasion,” Weaver said of the 2016 softball season.

She speaks from experience — Champion won back-to-back Division III state titles in 2011 and 2012.

“We’re going to get [opponents’] A game every game,” Weaver said.

Champion’s non-league opponents are looking forward to the challenge. Poland head coach Matt Campbell said you only get better by taking on the best and admires Champion’s “stability.

“It starts with a good head coach and Cheryl is one of the best,” Campbell said. “She gets everything out of her girls and is just a tremendous person. Champion has a good feeder system and we’re fortunate to play them.

“It’s a good test.”

Ursuline head coach Michael Kernan agreed.

“Cheryl handles [her players] as well as any coach in the area,” said Kernan who guided the Irish to a state appearance in 2009.

After 16 seasons, Weaver has a 321-93 record.

Last June at Akron’s Firestone Stadium, the Golden Flashes won the school’s sixth state title by defeating Bloom-Carroll, 4-0, in the state championship game. In her final varsity game, Haylee Gardiner fired a two-hit shutout.

“We got a couple of strikeouts in the first few innings and I knew that she was on,” said catcher Molly Williams who called Gardiner’s pitches. “This was probably the best game she’s thrown all year.”

Does Champion have enough talent to defend its crown? It’s way too soon to tell.

Gone are Gardiner (The Vindicator’s 2015 Softball Player of the year after a 19-2 season) and third baseman Brittany Allen. Both were clutch in the tournament.

But the Flashes are not starting from scratch. Last year in the regular season, Weaver alternated Gardiner with (now junior) McKenzie Zigmont (11-2, 1.60 earned-run average).

“I wanted them to both get pitching time in,” said Weaver, admitting she was looking beyond the current season.

When the playoffs began, Weaver stuck with Gardiner. The move paid huge dividends.

The Flashes return sophomore shortstop Megan Turner (.466 batting average), junior Williams (.415) and senior first baseman Amber Ricci (.400).

Weaver expects Girard and Newton Falls to challenge her team for the All-American Conference Blue Tier title.

AAC Red

For years, Poland (19-9 in 2015) and Canfield (23-8) have dominated the AAC’s biggest tier and the Division II district tournament. But both squads lost a lot of key players to graduation — five starters for the Bulldogs, eight players for the Cardinals including four-year shortstop Rachel Tinkey (The Vindicator’s 2015 Female Athlete of the Year),

Campbell expects this season to be wide open.

“There’s no clear number one,” Campbell said. “Howland with Sara Price pitching is pretty good and Boardman is improving with a couple of solid pitchers. Jefferson has a stud pitcher and Fitch is no-slouch — our league is going to be pretty good.”

Poland’s returning starters include pitcher Kristyn Svetlak, outfielder Claire Testa, shortstop Kat Wilson and third baseman Audrey Schweers.

Canfield, last year’s Division II district winner, returns senior catcher Amelia Manenti, junior outfielder Ally Sammarco and junior second baseman Maura Kennedy. Pitchers Kayla Troxil (senior) and Brittany Durkin (junior) should get most of Canfield’s starts.

Boardman (12-16) lost just one starter (Kristen Huck) from last season. Among those returning are senior outfielder Anna Saxton, senior shortstop Olivia Russell, senior pitcher/first baseman Sydney Aey, senior third baseman Marissa Hanna and senior catcher/third baseman Miyah Mitchum.

Fitch (15-14) lost four letter winners. Senior pitcher Alex Franken had a batting average above .400. Other seniors returning are outfielders Ashia Forest-Walker, Kara Potkonicky and Alyssa Porter.

Falcons head coach Steven Ward says his junior infielders are the strength of the team: first baseman McKenzie Luknis, second baseman Maddie Everhart, third baseman Bri Protain and catcher Emily Haggerty. Another junior, Julia McMenamin, will start in the outfielder.

Ward agrees with Campbell that the Red Tier race will be competitive.

“It’s up for grabs this year, but it will come down to who starts fast,” Ward said. “Howland is always tough and scrappy, Warren Harding played us tough last year and their program continually gets better.”

Mahoning county

Like they did in 2010 after their state trip, Kernan’s Irish (12-13) are rebuilding. As many as four freshmen could be starters during this week’s games in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Ursuline’s three returning seniors are Megan Ross, Nikki Malkovits and Janessa Rich.

Cardinal Mooney, on the other hand, is not. The Cardinals (16-7) only lost one starter to graduation.

Anchoring the Cardinals’ infield will be seniors Jami DiFabio (shortstop, .493, 26 RBIs) and Sydney Kocher (third baseman, .468, 30 run). Junior second baseman Bridget Sweeney (.444) hit six homers and drove in 32.

Cardinals head coach Mark Rinehart has a 365-197 record after 25 seasons.

ITCL

South Range and Western Reserve were league winners last season, the Inter-Tri County League’s final one as a two-tier conference. (The league will use a three-tier format for two seasons then disband next spring.)

The Raiders have six seniors returning from last year’s Division III regional team: left fielder Morgan Czopur, pitcher Caragyn Yanek, shortstop Codi Taylor, second baseman Lydia Baird, third baseman Morgan Smith and center fielder Felicia Gaeta.

The biggest change for the Raiders is that Jeff DeRose returns as head coach now that Don Feren is South Range’s athletic director.

Western Reserve was a Division IV district winner, defeating St. Thomas Aquinas, 9-6. In the regional semifinal, Mathews senior Cheyenne Eggens dominated the Raiders (14-8) in a 9-0 victory. Eggens was The Vindicator’s Softball Pitcher of the Year.

In the regional final, the Mustangs (24-6) lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Cuyahoga Heights.

Western Reserve head coach Joe Serensky has six starters returning, including shortstop Jenny Stubbs, second baseman Alexis Miller and outfielder Sydney Miller. Maddie Kreitzburg, who split time on the mound and at first base, most likely will get most of the pitching starts, replacing Aleah Hughes who graduated.