Wickliffe heads into the 2024-2025 campaign with four returning starters from a squad that finished 16-6 overall and 6-4 in league play last winter.
Already, the Blue Devils have played well together in the preseason, and third-year head coach Jason Moulton is expecting big things from his team.
“The group we have right now is a lot of fun to be around,” Moulton said. “They compete at a high level and are constantly looking to get better and continue to work hard. If we keep stacking quality days together, we will be a tough team to go against.”
Wickliffe’s roster features several multi-sport athletes, allowing Moulton to plan an aggressive strategy on both ends of the court.
“Our biggest strength will be our athleticism,” Moulton said. “We have a ton of multi-sport athletes, and we know we are going to apply pressure defensively. Whether that is in the half court or picking teams up full court. Our four seniors have been extremely vocal and leading the way for the underclassmen, which is really encouraging.”
While the Blue Devils are talented and competitive, they aren’t very deep, at least for now.
“Our depth will be our biggest question mark going into the season,” Moulton said. “We have a few new pieces that if we can acclimate them to our system and what we do, can be huge for us. It will be a slow grind for them, but we are hopeful they will contribute for our team this season.”
Senior Ava Gabriel returns after earning the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division MVP last winter.
The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 steals, and 4.3 rebounds per game as a junior on her way to first-team all-conference and all-district, and special mention All-Ohio honors. She also sits atop Wickliffe’s all-time leaderboard in several categories including scoring, steals, and 3-pointers made.
“Ava has started her senior campaign strong as she is one our leaders by example,” Moulton said. “She sets the competitive level at practice every time she steps on the court. Ava has put a lot of time in the offseason, and we were excited to watch her continue to do great things.”
Senior Gabby Ervin earned honorable mention All-CVC honors last winter after the 5-foot-8 forward averaged 4.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.
“Gabby is our best defender overall and she will continue to be this year, but the most exciting part is her potential jump on the offensive end,” Moulton said. “Gabby has put in a lot of time in the offseason working on her inside game and her confidence. She is poised to be a game-changer on both ends of the floor this year.”
Amanda Peklay and Alivia Schneider also return to the starting lineup.
Peklay is a 5-foot-7 junior guard while Schneider is a 5-foot-7 senior center.
“Amanda is a returning starter who now moves to the point guard position. She has shown a lot of confidence and control in her game so far. We are very excited with her work over the offseason and can’t wait to watch her have a breakout year,” Moulton said. “Liv is returning for her third year as a starter, and we are looking for her to bring leadership for her senior year. Liv has shown up each summer in the offseason and we look forward to seeing her have a great year.”
Jess Adams, a 5-foot-7 sophomore guard, rounds out the projected starting lineup.
“Jess is someone we have really high hopes for going into her sophomore season,” Moulton said. “Jess is very athletic and can shoot the ball well and can get downhill as well. Jess is gaining confidence each day and we are extremely excited to watch her take a big jump this season.”
Bella Behm and Sophia Ervin should see significant minutes this winter.
Behm is a 5-foot-7 senior forward and Ervin is a 5-foot-10 sophomore center.
“This is Bella’s second year playing basketball after taking a few-year hiatus. After last year of getting back into the swing of things, we are hoping Bella is a big contributing factor off the bench for us this year,” Moulton said. “We are very excited to see Sophia progress from her freshman year. She
will be a big part of our success this year. Sophia has great touch around the rim and in the mid-range.”
Tiana Torrence, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, Becca Leona, a 5-foot-7 sophomore forward, Taylor Little, a 5-foot-10 freshman guard, Reilly Mohner, a 5-foot-7 freshman center, and Emily Borovic, a 5-foot-6 freshman guard, will provide the Blue Devils with depth.
“Our team goal is to always compete for a league championship,” Moulton said. “Our league is incredibly competitive with a lot of great players and coaches and it’s always a lot of fun competing in the Valley. Last year it felt like any team could beat anyone, and I believe it will be similar again this year.”
For Wickliffe to achieve its goals, the Blue Devils will have to remain focused and play intensely throughout the season. They’ll also need complementary scorers to step up.
“Our keys to success are going to be competing at a high level on the defensive end, and getting contributions from others scoring outside of Ava,” Moulton said. “I feel extremely confident that we have multiple people that score the ball this year, we just have to prove it. Teams will key in on Ava, and rightfully so, but we must make them worry about everyone else on the court. I am excited to see the team effort on the offensive side.”
