Coach: Jeff Overmyer, 12th year.
Record: 125-114.
Last year: 6-15 (1-11 SLL).
Key players: Joey Newland, 5-10, Sr., PG; Tyler Pickard, 5-11, Sr., W; Devin
Sibby, 5-9, Sr., W; Mark Vogelpohl, 6-2, Sr., P; Taylor Darling, 6-3, Sr., P; Jacob
Young, 6-0, Jr., W; Andrew Price, 5-11, Sr., P.

Forecast: The Comets enter the Northern Buckeye Conference looking for their
first championship since 2008, when they won the Suburban Lakes League title.

Seven lettermen return, including Pickard, who led the team in rebounds (5.9)
and averaged 5.6 points per game. Newland averaged 5.7 points, Young
averaged 4.8 points and Vogelpohl and Sibby averaged 3.6 and 3.3 points per
game, respectively.

“Newland, Sibby and Young have experience in the backcourt and will provide
scoring punch from the perimeter,” Overmyer said. “Vogelpohl and Darling will
be counted on to score on the interior, rebound and defend the opposition's
post scoring threats. Pickard has the versatility to play inside or on the
perimeter, which gives us the opportunity to mix up our lineups to exploit
mismatches.”

Genoa graduated six seniors from last year's team, including Luke Sutter
(8.7 ppg., 5.8 rpg.).

Overmyer said he expects this year's squad to challenge for the inaugural
NBC championship.

“We will need to start the season off strong despite getting a late start from
the extended football season,” he said. “Improvement from one practice to the
next, and from one game to the next, will be critical in the success of the team
this season.

“The conference is balanced from top to bottom and games should be very
competitive every night. Lake, Eastwood, Otsego and Woodmore return
many key players from last season and should be expected to contend.”

Forecast: DeStazio's Comets surprised a lot of people last season, which ended with
Genoa losing to Suburban Lakes League rival Lake in the district finals. Seven seniors
have graduated from that team, leaving DeStazio in rebuilding mode as the Comets
join the Northern Buckeye Conference.

“This team is very young in experience,” he said. “The returning letterwinners
were role players, and seven of our 11 varsity players played jayvee last season.
This team is a lot different than last year’s team. We are not as big and we will
have to score more off our defense than our offensive sets. I think as a team we
are quicker and maybe even a better outside shooting team. We will get better
each game as the confidence level grows.”

The Comets' more experienced players are Giles, Kraemer, Beck and Bergman.
Giles and Kraemer both averaged two points a game as juniors.

“Hunter is one of our better outside shooters,” DeStazio said. “She is very quick
and we expect her to be one of our leading scorers. Nicole is the most athletic
player in our program. She's very quick and she has improved her ball handling and
has become a very good outside shooter.”

Beck was injured last year and did not play much until the end of the season;
Bergman's role will be to play good defense and grab lots of rebounds.

Genoa's top prospects, are 5-7 junior wing Selena Peer, 5-8 junior wing Haley
Plantz, 5-11 junior post Karlie Borowicz, 5-6 junior wing Chelsea Lavelle, 5-8
sophomore point guard Ciara Albright, 5-8 sophomore guard Katie Jensen, 5-8
sophomore post Brynn Skilliter and 5-8 junior wing Angelita Zacharias.

“Selena is very athletic and quick, and she has worked very hard on her shooting,”
DeStazio said. “We expect her to be one of our better defensive players. Haley is
one of our better shooters, and her ability to shoot the three should help us
spread the defense.

“Ciara will share the point guard position with Hunter Giles. She also gives us good
size at the guard position and she is a very good shooter. Jensen will be one of those
players that we can use at any position on the floor. She's very smart and is a good
shooter and a good rebounder. Brynn is very strong and will give us good post
defense, and she could be one of our leading rebounders.”