Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
The Genoa girls basketball team went 18-6 last year and shared the NBC regular season title with Oak Harbor.
This year, they bring back a pair of All-Ohio selections among seven returners, fueling a potential chance at another championship season.
“I think if they stay united and play hard, they could be good,” fifth-year head coach Glenn Black said. “I think the big thing is about putting the team first, putting the team before ourselves. I think that's probably the biggest thing for us, just making sure we stay united, and we put the team before ourselves.”
The Comets graduated Emersen Bickel and Kayla Boyd, and Izzy West didn’t return, but they bring back four starters in Addisyn Moritz, Makenna Moritz, Lucy Schlageter, and Adrianna Williams.
Addisyn Moritz, who was named Honorable Mention All-Ohio, averaged 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 2.7 assists per game.
Her sister, Makenna, averaged a team-high 16.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and two steals en route to District 7 Player of the Year and Special Mention All-Ohio recognition.
Schlageter averaged 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and two assists on the way to second team recognition in both the NBC and the district.
Williams averaged 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and two steals per game. The multi-sport athlete is coming off a record-breaking all-state soccer season in which she led the Comets to a league title.
“The biggest thing is they love being in the gym,” Black said. “They work hard. And I will say, they do play unselfish basketball when they're on the floor. They’re competitive, and I think that's a big thing with them is that they like to compete. They’re all good kids.”
Those players not only bring athleticism, but versatility.
“We have a lot of kids who can play multiple positions,” Black said. “We don't necessarily have designated areas. We've got a lot of kids who can handle the ball. We've got a lot of kids who can play inside. We've got a lot of versatility. I would say that's probably our greatest strength.”
In addition to that group, Black said junior Kylie Pennington could have a big year after mostly seeing time on JV last year. Stella Rethman will also see significant time, and Keira Combs will play a big role once she returns from an injury, which should be early in the season.
“Kylie’s had a really good summer and a really good preseason for us,” he said. “I think she'll definitely impact the game.”
Two others, Mia Brunkhorst and Allie Antry, could also see time. They are part of a large freshmen class that Black is high on.
“We’re focused on just making sure we're in shape, getting up and down the floor, rebounding, and just playing with some physicality,” Black said. “That's a big thing for us, just playing hard.”
The Comets are also hoping to improve their three-point shooting and free throw percentage while reducing turnovers and being a little better defensively than last year.
“The biggest thing is we're just focused on the process,” Black said. “I wouldn't say that we're focused on one particular game. It's just the way we handle our business every day is our focus. If we do those things, we're fine with whatever the result is.”
The Comets are tabbed to finish second in the NBC behind Oak Harbor.
