Usually after a high school basketball season ends, a coach has to figure out to replace the production of his graduating players. But the Streetsboro Rockets girls’ basketball team will have all of their pieces in place to start the season, graduating only one senior from last year’s Division II district semifinal squad.
“We graduated some pretty important players almost every season,” said Coach Carl Singer. “This is the first year we are going to basically have everybody back and will still have four out of our five starters coming back to begin next year.”
For the nineth-year coach, it marks the first time in his tenure at Streetsboro he will return the same squad from the previous season, and he added that having everyone back has given the Rocket girls a head start preparing for the 2023-24 season.
“That makes a huge difference and definitely puts us ahead of the game and credit to the players because they put a lot of time into the offseason too and put in the work and got a lot better,” he added. “We are definitely way ahead of where we were last year.”
Although Streetsboro had a successful season last year, they still left a lot to be desired by falling short of capturing the Metro Athletic Conference banner and having their playoffs ending in a loss against Perry in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II district semifinal.
Singer acknowledged the Rocket girls are determined to finally win a league championship and believe the sky is the limit for a squad that fields a starting line-up of only one senior, two juniors and two sophomores.
Streetsboro’s focal point on offense will once again be junior center Naomi Benson, who enters her third year as a varsity starter after averaging 15.3 points, 14.4 rebounds 1.9 blocks and 2.3 steals last year.
In addition to being a dynamic post player, Singer noted that the 6-foot-3 junior has added a touch to her outside shot, expanding her versatility on the floor.
“She is truly a special player,” Singer said.” She does so many things well. I can say from what I have seen so far this year she has improved her outside shot a little bit which will make her even more difficult to guard. She has got a little bit more of that killer instinct in her where if she needs to take over a game, I think she can take over a game.”
Benson is not the only imposing presence in the paint, as senior forward Ella Kassan will also be a key post player.
The 6-foot senior recorded 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.0 assists per game last year.
“If you stop one it is really hard to stop the other,” Singer said. “Ella is one of our better shooters and we can spread the floor with her. She and Naomi can interchange, and we can go a little high-low and it is really tough to stop all of that.”
Streetsboro’s size advantage continues with 5-foot-11 sophomore guard/forward Carlee Bedford, who averaged 5.7 points, a 32% shooting clip on 3-pointers, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
“Carlee plays the wing for us when Ella and Naomi are in there, has the skills of a guard, and handles the ball really well, can attack the basket off the dribble and can shoot it also,” Singer said of Bedford. “She is able to go in and if Ella or Naomi needs a break, she can also go inside and do some damage in there and is honestly a special player.”
Streetsboro’s guard play will be paced by 5-foot-5 sophomore Olivia Johnson-Wilson, who recorded 5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 3.2 assists per game last season.
“She is definitely the motor that makes us go and she is so high intensity all of the time and keeps us going and going on the defensive end,” Singer added. “I do not think there is a better on-ball defender in the area. She shuts people down and people have just looked nervous trying to handle the ball around her because she just brings that intensity.”
The Rockets’ other starting guard will be 5-foot-7 junior Sydney Abbuhl, who averaged 6.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals and shot 34% from beyond the arc last year.
Streetsboro’s depth is impressive, with four seniors, Cara Tiller, Maiya Taylor, Maddy Hajec and Kaleigh Lilly, coming off the bench to support the starting five.
“I definitely do not think it is a very common theme and I credit the seniors 100% because I know other programs that have run into those kinds of issues,” Singer noted. “Sometimes those kids do not want to stick with it anymore because they are seniors and feel like they should be the starters, but our seniors are all bought in and such great kids.”
Streetsboro is also determined to finally take the conference crown from Norton, which has been league champions for five straight seasons dating back to when the schools still competed in the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division, and win the first girls’ basketball league title in school history.
After beginning their season with a home game against Akron Ellet next Tuesday evening, the Rockets will host MAC foe Norton on Friday night at 7 p.m.
