High school basketball: Area standouts take to court for one last time in Hoopla! games

Most of Medina County's top senior basketball players will suit up for the final time tonight in the Hoopla! Medina County Senior All-Star Games sponsored by The Gazette and Brunswick Rotary. Founded in 1990, the games and 3-point contests spotlight the area's seniors for a curtain call of the season. Doors open at Buckeye High at 5:30, followed by the girls 3-point contest and game at 6 before the boys finale. The teams used to be split by conferences, but the vast geographies of the county's leagues have made that format obsolete. Teams are now picked with the best balance of players, though results have varied due to the growing enrollment gap between the large schools (Brunswick, Medina, Wadsworth, Highland) and small schools (Buckeye, Cloverleaf, Black River, Medina Christian). In the boys game, the light team coached by Buckeye's Jeremy Salmonski will feature the Bucks' Turner Dolata, Austin Hyre, Derek Snyderburn and Jacob Snyderburn, Cloverleaf's Jackson James and Brody Adams, Medina's Garrett Myers, Brody Kopkas and Luke Webb and Black River's Zane Bungard. The dark team coached by Brunswick's Joe Mackey boasts the Blue Devils' Sean Barnett, Luke Stella and Brandt Almady, Highland's Joshua Butcher and Nick Dobkowski, Wadsworth's Payton Salzwimmer, Isaac Byers and Roy Hoertz and Medina Christian's Isaac Maletich and Nick Malicoat. Though defending champion Trey Drexler of Brunswick will not compete due to a broken wrist, the 3-point contest remains loaded with talent. Barnett (74 3-pointers), Black River's Parker Broadsword (65), Hyre (59) and Medina's Beckett Miller (54) combined to make 252 3-pointers this season. On the girls side, the light team coached by Buckeye assistants Chloe Adkins and Madison Ross will have the Bucks' Kylee Kash, Cloverleaf's Evie Barth, Kayla Shook, Madi Young and Merrin Crow and Brunswick's Ryleigh Zenda and Olivia Moats. The dark team coached by Black River's Erin Jackson counters with the Pirates' Morgan Kubitz, Anya Koberna and Savanna Mullet, Medina's Abby Dress, Addy Shook and Aly Gacek and Wadsworth's Marah Minor. The 3-point contestants are Dress (50), Brunswick's Aaliyah Wilson (49), Barth (41) and Wadsworth's Analise Lucey (36). No other player in the county had more than 29 3-pointers this season. Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.