Notebook: Watterson girls lacrosse team’s postseason run again ends in state semifinal

As the minutes ticked away during the second half of its Division II state semifinal June 1 at Centerville, it was clear the final result for the Watterson girls lacrosse team would be similar to what transpired a year ago.

Cincinnati Mariemont continues to have the Eagles’ number, with its 19-11 victory being its fourth win over Watterson in two years.

Watterson led 3-1 but had no answer for a 10-2 run that helped the Warriors surge ahead.

The Eagles lost to Mariemont 9-5 in the regular season and 14-13 in a state semifinal last year. They also fell to the Warriors 18-14 on April 23.

With a senior class that included one of the state’s best players in senior attacker Zoe Coleman and with the experience gained last season, the Eagles were expecting this tournament run.

“It’s definitely been a different (journey) than last year because we were seeded higher,” Coleman said. “We definitely do have a little bit bigger of a name. It’s definitely been a fun journey, a good ride.”

Watterson finished 17-4, won the CIL and CCL titles and didn’t lose to a Division II central Ohio program all season.

In the state semifinal, Coleman and junior attacker Meg Newcomb both had four goals and one assist and senior attacker Makenna Twombly had three goals and one assist.

Coleman, who had 91 goals during the regular season, helped Watterson earn the No. 1 seed for the Region 7 tournament and scored eight goals in a 15-12 victory over second-seeded Columbus Academy on May 27 in the regional final.

“She’s such a phenomenal player,” Mariemont coach Kevin Ferry said.

Brooke Biagi (midfielder), Bella Eramo (defender) and Kate Geswein (attacker) were other key seniors.

Newcomb, who had 52 goals during the regular season, should be the top returnee on offense.

“In the regular season we beat (Worthington) Kilbourne in overtime (15-14 on May 5), so that was really good, and going undefeated in our region (in Division II) is amazing,” Newcomb said. “We should be proud of ourselves. Going to the final four back-to-back is impressive. That’s the first time our program has ever done that.”

Junior Katie Bettendorf (midfielder), sophomores Amelia Brown (goalie), Carly Henry (midfielder), Avery McClain (defender), Sophia Monesi (attacker) and Marie Rudzinski (midfielder) and freshman Giovanna Francati (midfielder) are other key players eligible to return.

“This season, we had really good chemistry,” Newcomb said. “Last year, we were new and it was my first year for high school because of COVID (in 2020). We were able to build up our chemistry and come up strong this year.”

•Winning a share of the CCL championship with St. Charles and going on a 12-game winning streak following a slow start were the biggest highlights for the Watterson baseball team, which finished 16-9 overall and 6-2 in the league.

The Eagles, who were seeded ninth for the Division II district tournament, had their season end May 24 with a 2-1 loss to fifth-seeded Johnstown in a district semifinal.

Among a five-member senior class was a trio of key players in Jack Byrne (INF), Matthew Monesi (1B/P) and Dominic Orsini (RF/P).

“We were 4-8 overall and 0-2 in the conference and then we rattled off 12 straight wins and came into the tournament really firing on all cylinders,” coach Jeff Boulware said.

Orsini went 25-for-25 in stolen bases and had one save and a 0.58 ERA in 12 relief innings. He was first-team all-league and second-team all-district.

Junior Charlie Bernotas (CF) and sophomores John Baumel (3B/P) and A.J. McAninch (P/2B) were first-team all-league, Baumel was second-team all-district and Bernotas was honorable mention all-district.

Sophomore Nick Kudika (P/3B), who threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win May 19 at second-seeded Licking Valley in the second round of the district tournament, was second-team all-league and first-team all-district. He went 5-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 47 innings and hit .377 with 18 RBI.

McAninch was 3-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings, and junior pitcher Mari Hegenberger-Ellars was 3-2 with 41 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings.

Baumel hit .421 with 17 RBI to lead the offense.

Juniors Ryan Mulligan (OF/P), Brandon Trout (LF) and Ryan Rudzinski (SS) and sophomore Elliott Schmidt (OF) are others eligible to return.

“It was a small senior class, but they produced quite a bit for us,” Boulware said. “Our pitching was just outstanding this year as noted by our (team) ERA (of 2.88). A strike versus ball percentage was so much better this year. It was such a focus for us after our struggles throwing strikes last year. (I’m) very proud of those pitchers and the bulk of them are back for next year.”

•Despite having just two seniors, the Whetstone girls track and field team earned a runner-up finish in the City League meet May 10 and 12 at Africentric.

The Braves’ top competitor was junior Anouk Moritz, who won City titles in the 1,600 meters (5 minutes, 47.07 seconds) and 3,200 (12:04.24) and then scored the team’s only point when she finished eighth in the 3,200 (11:57.9) in the Division I, district 3 meet that concluded May 21 at Hilliard Darby.

Junior Mia Kain and sophomore Sophia Nelson were other key middle-distance runners, and freshmen Catherine Pierce and Kaia Price led the sprint corps.

“It was a good year,” coach Joe Monda said. “We’ve got a lot of young kids, so we’re really happy with how they performed. It was a good group because we scored in jumps, sprints and distance. It was fun taking home a trophy (at the City meet).”

The boys team had one regional qualifier in junior Wyatt Starkie, who was runner-up in the 3,200 (9:47.34) in the district 3 meet and then placed 12th (9:51.58) in the regional May 27 at Pickerington North.

Senior Ismael Obas was eighth in the long jump (20-1) at district.

Juniors Maitland Neff (distance), Malcolm Pierce (sprints), Demond Smith (discus, shot put) and Kiefer Young (sprints), sophomores Alex Hill (middle distance) and Damarion McClinton (sprints) and freshman Felix Martin (hurdles) are others eligible to return.

julrey@thisweeknews.com

@UlreyThisWeek

WATTERSON BASEBALL 

•Record: 16-9 overall 

•CCL standings: St. Charles (6-2), Watterson (6-2), Hartley (5-3), DeSales (3-5), Ready (0-8) 

•Seniors lost: Jack Byrne, Lance Hall, Matthew Monesi, Dominic Orsini and Brian Zetzer 

•Key returnees: John Baumel, Charlie Bernotas, Mari Hegenberger-Ellars, Nick Kudika, A.J. McAninch, Ryan Rudzinski and Brandon Trout 

•Postseason: Def. Licking Valley 2-0; lost to Johnstown 2-1 in Division II district semifinal 

WATTERSON GIRLS LACROSSE

•Record: 17-4 overall 

•CIL standings: Watterson (6-0), Columbus Academy (5-1), DeSales (4-2), Granville (3-3), Bexley (2-4), Columbus School for Girls (1-5), Hartley (0-6) 

•CCL standings: Watterson (2-0), DeSales (1-1), Hartley (0-2) 

•Seniors lost: Brooke Biagi, Zoe Coleman, Maria Decaminada, Bella Eramo, Abbie Foltz, Kate Geswein and Makenna Twombly 

•Key returnees: Katie Bettendorf, Amelia Brown, Giovanna Francati, Carly Henry, Avery McClain, Sophia Monesi, Meg Newcomb and Marie Rudzinski 

•Postseason: Def. Buckeye Valley 27-4; def. CSG 21-11; def. Worthington Kilbourne 12-9; def. Academy 15-12; lost to Cincinnati Mariemont 19-11 in Division II state semifinal 

WHETSTONE TRACK & FIELD 

•City League standings: Boys — Eastmoor Academy (155.5), Walnut Ridge (99), Independence (95.5), Beechchroft (66), Whetstone (58), Linden-McKinley (46), Northland (36.5), East (26), South (22), Africentric (5), Mifflin (5), Briggs (2.5), Marion-Franklin (2); Girls — Eastmoor (136.5), Whetstone (123), Northland (68), Africentric (48), Walnut Ridge (47), Beechcroft (41.5), South (40), Briggs (34), Marion-Franklin (23), Mifflin (22), Independence (16), East (5), Centennial (2), Linden (1), West (1) 

•Seniors lost: Boys — Roobyns Jean, Ismael Obas and Reed Wilson; Girls — Caylan Nixon and Mataya Stokes 

•Key returnees: Boys — Felix Martin, Damarion McClinton, Maitland Neff, Malcolm Pierce, Wyatt Starkie and Kiefer Young; Girls — Ana Kain, Anouk Moritz, Sophia Nelson, Catherine Pierce and Kaia Price 

•Postseason: Boys — 12th (9) at district behind champion Pickerington North (130.5); did not score at regional; Girls —16th (1) at district behind champion Granville (88) 

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Watterson girls lacrosse’s postseason run again ends in state semi