5 Games | Waterloo girls basketball faces early MVAC test

Here are five games to watch for the week of December 12, 2022:

1. Western Reserve at Waterloo girls basketball (Monday, December 12)

While 20 straight victories last season might have made winning seem routine, it's never easy, as the Vikings were reminded of when they lost their first three games of the 2022-23 campaign. (Waterloo's 0-3 start was due in part to star post Kaira English battling back from an injury sustained during soccer season and in part to a brutal early schedule featuring Alliance, Brookfield and St. Vincent-St. Mary.) The Vikings got back on track with double-digit victories over Mathews and Lowellville, but now face a big test in their first Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Scarlet Tier home game of the season.

Western Reserve has traditionally been one of the stronger programs in the MVAC Scarlet and has been remarkably balanced thus far this season, with senior Brooke Schantz and juniors Lisa Eichert and Alyvia Hughes all averaging between 10 and 11.5 points per game. The 3-1 Blue Devils are coming off an emphatic victory over Sebring McKinley and their only loss was to Division II Struthers. Waterloo swept Western Reserve last season, though both games were decided by 10 points or fewer.

2. Warren JFK at Mogadore boys basketball (Friday, December 16)

The Eagles and Wildcats have developed a strong rivalry on the football field and that should carry over to the hardwood, where both programs have a rich history of success. Both have shown promise this year after their seasons got off to late starts due to deep runs by their football teams (with Mogadore playing into Week 14 and Warren JFK playing into Week 16.) The Wildcats started with three straight wins, including Friday's 62-60 thriller at Lake Center Christian, in which Layne Miller exploded for 30 points. The Eagles won their season debut Saturday, topping Champion on the road.

JFK will surely be hungry for revenge after Mogadore won their first two Portage Trail Conference tilts last season, including a classic along Curtis Street in which the Wildcats prevailed 71-68 on Aidin Hiney's 3-pointer at the buzzer. One challenge for Mogadore will be replacing Mason Williams' production in the paint as he is out with a shoulder injury.

3. Champion at Garfield girls basketball (Thursday, December 15)

In each of the last three seasons, the G-Men and Golden Flashes have met with district championships on the line, with Garfield winning the last two times. Both longtime powers graduated a number of the stars seen in their last few meetings, with the G-Men having to bid farewell to Caitlin Lutz, Jenna Smith and the Seaman sisters (Sarah and Sydney), and the Golden Flashes losing a pair of big scorers in Lorinda Dodrill and Ava Howell.

That hasn't stopped Garfield from blasting out of the gate, with three straight wins (all by 28-plus points) to start the season, including a 50-12 win in its league opener against LaBrae. The G-Men have been wonderfully balanced with three players averaging double figures (freshman Mandy Cardinal and seniors Laura McCoy and Madeline Shirkey) and two more averaging at least five points (junior Zoey May and senior Nora Trent).

While the Golden Flashes are off to a 1-3 start, they are dangerous with last year's leading scorer Isabella Meyer and sharpshooter Kayla Haynie always capable of erupting, not to mention Champion boasting probably the best defense and size Garfield has seen so far this season.

4. Streetsboro at Field boys basketball (Tuesday, December 13)

The Rockets shook off a frustrating loss Tuesday to rival Ravenna with an overtime victory at Cloverleaf Friday, in which a young team still finding itself offensively got 29 points (including seven 3-pointers) from sophomore Jack Batten. Between Batten's shooting and promising play from senior posts Bryan Nobles and Dakari Reese, Streetsboro seems poised for better days following an 0-3 start. Meanwhile, Field has its own sharpshooter in Joe Crawford, who knocked down three 3-pointers apiece in losses to Cloverleaf and Ravenna Tuesday and Friday, respectively, while Braxton Baumberger posted double-digit scoring in both contests and has gotten to the charity stripe with regularity.

5. Lordstown at Windham basketball doubleheader (Friday, December 16)

Expect a great evening of basketball at Marty Hill Gymnasium as the Bombers and Red Devils play a doubleheader, girls followed by boys, and Windham also pays tribute to the gym's namesake, Marty Hill. (The legendary Hill stepped down at the end of last season following more than four-and-a-half decades of leading the Bombers.)

In the girls game, Windham hopes to snap a scoring slump. After scoring 35-plus in each of their first three games, including a season-high 47 against St. John, the Bombers have been held under 35 in their last three. (The Red Devils have had their own challenges putting the ball in the basket, as Maplewood and Mathews each held Lordstown in the single digits.)

In the boys game, Cody Apthorpe's Bombers have been a high-flying bunch, averaging 63.2 points, led by speedy guard Chase Eye and versatile Lucas Churchill, while the winless Red Devils have yielded 68.5 points per game.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 5 Games | Waterloo girls basketball faces early MVAC test