Girls basketball: Highland beats Aurora to clinch share of SL American Conference

GRANGER TWP. — Coach James Madison carefully scaled the ladder, cut the remaining few pieces of the net and turned to the fans for a picture. He even smiled, drawing an arms-raised cheer of approval from his players, before placing the net around the neck of senior center Aleena VanKirk. A three-year odyssey filled with unforeseen injury tribulations reached the pinnacle Wednesday. The Hornets clinched the Suburban League American Conference championship with a never-in-doubt 58-37 victory over Aurora, their second in four years but only the third title in school history (1979-80). Highland (19-0, 13-0) also extended its winning streak to 19, matching the Cinderella 2021-22 team for tops in school lore. There's another big game Saturday at Copley (15-3, 12-1), but the mood on senior night was much more about living in the moment. "Literally, I don't even know how to explain it," said defensive pest/wing Grace Weber, who warmed up for the night by rocking out in her car to the song "Ribs" by Lourde with fellow senior Bianca Pallante. "The last four years of my life have been so special, and it's so rare we've had five girls play for the same coach on the same team — literally for the last decade. It's indescribable. It's been such a blessing to have that opportunity." For seniors Weber, Pallante, VanKirk, Grace Madison and Kennedy Morgan, the net-cutting was particularly special. The latter three have represented Highland in some capacity for 10 years, including eight with James Madison as their coach. Grace Madison and VanKirk have missed a combined 41 games with ACL tears, but the class has still managed to surpass 3,000 career points. The milestone was reached against the Greenmen (9-11, 4-9) when Morgan swished home her 162nd career 3-pointer during the first quarter. No one understood the moment better than Grace Madison, who's spent more than half of her life helping turn the soccer and girls basketball programs into Northeast Ohio Division III powerhouses. "I'm definitely going to be sad when it's over," she said. "My dad, he's been coaching me since third grade, and I've been playing with Kennedy (Morgan) and (VanKirk) since third grade and I've made friends along the way, so it's going to be hard leaving them. I'm going to try to take in as much as I can, because I know we don't have that much time left." Highland played a complete game it will need Saturday as well as in the postseason, roaring to a defense-oriented 15-1 lead after one quarter that was never even close to being threatened the rest of the night. Five players scored at least eight points as the Hornets outscored Aurora 52-23 from the field and nine players posted a steal. Morgan tied for game honors with 13 points to go with five rebounds and three steals. Little sister Maddie Morgan was a menace with nine points, four rebounds, five assists and four blocks, Grace Shondel had an all-around line of 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and four thefts and Grace Madison and VanKirk (7 rebounds) added eight points apiece. The Greenmen got 13 points from Addison Witting but shot 4-for-19 in falling behind 29-12 at halftime, committed 26 turnovers overall and lost the rebounding battle 31-27. The game played out nothing like the first, a 53-38 decision on Dec. 21 when the Hornets were wildly inconsistent. They were locked in this time, leaving nothing to chance. "The defense was big tonight," James Madison said. "That was the difference in the game." The players, coaches and parents held a celebratory doughnut party afterward, complete with gift bags and flower bouquets for the seniors. James Madison gave a heartfelt speech, proclaiming he's never had to worry about the seniors not coming to play, something many coaches consider the ultimate compliment. Madison was wearing T-shirt that said "Play like you're starving," his mantra from three years ago when the Hornets made an unexpected run to the Division I regionals. He added there will be more food on the docket if Highland wins a district title, leading to the players yelling "Wasabi!" as their preference. They giggled when Madison responded with "Wu-sabi." Even in a warm-and-fuzzy moment, Highland still found a way to laugh. "These people have grown into my family," Weber said. "They're my best friends on and off the court, and it shows on the court, I think, because we have so much chemistry." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Highland 58, Aurora 37 AURORA &emsp;&emsp;1 11 10 15 — 37 HIGHLAND &emsp;&emsp;15 14 14 15 — 58 Aurora — Brooke Pierce 0-3-3, Julia Miller 1-2-4, Jenna Zuelsch 1-0-2, Brooke Marav 0-0-0, Addison Witting 3-6-13, Charlotte Hart 1-0-2, Caitlin Pierce 1-3-5, Autumn Eichenauer 2-0-4, Jillian Monastero 1-0-2, Reese Wittling 0-0-0, Abbey Feckner 1-0-2. TOTALS: 11-14-37. Highland — Bianca Pallante 1-0-2, Grace Weber 2-0-4, Aleena VanKirk 3-2-8, Kennedy Morgan 6-0-13, Grace Madison 3-0-8, Grace Shondel 4-2-10, Maddie Morgan 3-2-9, Emeri Gausman 1-0-2, Jordyn Caples 0-0-0, Bridget Cope 1-0-2, Kennedy Lawson 0-0-0, Sophia Madison 0-0-0, Maddie Ricciuti 0-0-0, Anna Coleman 0-0-0. TOTALS: 24-6-58. 3-point goals — A. Witting, G. Madison 2, K. Morgan, M. Morgan. Rebounds — Aurora 27 (Miller 6), Highland 31 (VanKirk 7). Assists — Aurora 5 (Monstero, C. Pierce 2), Highland 13 (M. Morgan 5). Records — Highland (19-0, 13-0), Aurora (9-11, 4-9). Junior varsity — Highland 33, Aurora 26 (H: Charlotte Chester 10).