PTC Report

by Tom Nader

The Streetsboro girls basketball team has opened the season with a 3-4 record and sits in the middle of the pack of the Portage Trail Conference’s County Division.

Most teams would not garner too much excitement from that record, but for a Rockets program that has struggled for the last few years, the record speaks loud and clear of the improvements the team has made.

The Rockets’ win total of three has already surpassed the number of victories last season’s team had when it finished 2-19. Streetsboro’s team has won a combined seven games in the previous three years.

First-year head coach Amanda Blazetic said prior to the season that she felt her Rockets could compete for the title in the County Division. With Mogadore and Garfield appearing like the top teams in the division, the opportunity for Streetsboro to leapfrog to the middle of the standings has become a reality and would be a tremendous accomplishment.

The Rockets’ most recent victory, a 51-47 win over Rootstown, featured 10 points each from Shannon Blondaeux and Jennifer Langford. Before that, in a win over Windham, the team was led by Rachel Kolke’s 17 points and Merrissa Wilcox’s 13.

The team has shown the ability to rely on a variety of players to score, often having eight or more reach the scoring column.

The chance at a championship may elude the Rockets this season, but it appears the progress being made may have them one step closer.

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BERRY GOOD — Ravenna guard Chanel Berry established herself as a top player within the PTC long ago, but continues to solidify that honor. She is a good shooter, has good vision to make timely passes on target, plays tremendous defense and her speed only adds to her abilities. Her most recent standout performance came in the most critical of times against Norton recently. Norton had previously been unbeaten in the Metro Division, but ran into a Ravens’ team that also has its eyes set on a division crown.

Berry scored 17 points, which is applaudable on its own, but then she hounded Norton’s top scorer (averaging 20 points per game) to just five points.

Many Ravens played solid games, but Berry’s impact on the game helped her team to a profound 58-46 victory.

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NO KIDDING! — Field head coach Jeff Kidd reached a milestone recently by winning his 100th career game.

Now in his eighth year, Kidd led the Falcons to the 2008-09 Metro Division championship and has compiled a 100-56 (.641) overall record.

Kidd also used to be the Falcons’ volleyball head coach before stepping down from the position two years ago to focus primarily on his teaching and on the girls basketball team.

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THE SPOTLIGHT — Before teams begin the 2010 part of their schedule, a couple of interesting games will close out 2009.

• Crestwood at Streetsboro (Dec. 30) — Two teams currently placed in the middle of their respective division standings will meet in a classic cross-town rivalry.

• Mogadore at Tallmadge (Dec. 30) — A non-division game, but another on the schedule for the Wildcats that puts them up against top-tier talent.

• Rootstown Holiday Tournament (Dec. 28 and 30) — The annual tournament hosted by the Rootstown Rovers typically includes exciting finishes.

E-mail: tnader@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-296-9657