Athletes from 12 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending December 10.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, December 4 through Sunday, December 10, 2023.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
BOYS BASKETBALL
Name: Cade Davies
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 35 points with 11 rebounds, six assists, and five steals
Coach’s Quote: “Cade has put in an unbelievable amount of work in the offseason,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Michael Tartara. “He has become an all-around player that can shoot, rebound, and handle the ball. He is off to a great start this year.”
Name: Troy Domen
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Averaged 29 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game
Coach’s Quote: “Troy was doing much more than scoring this past week,” said Cardinal coach Kyle Deckerd. “He leads us in points, rebounds, and steals. He always seems to get his hands on the basketball and makes his teammates around him better.”
Name: Dekota Johnson
School: Crestwood
Grade: 11
Stats: Averaged 29 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists
Coach’s Quote: “Dekota played at a very high level this past week,” said Crestwood coach Josh Jakacki. “He has picked up where he left off last year as a scorer averaging 25 points per game so far on the year. Most impressive is his improved effort and work on the defensive end. In both games this week, he carried the load in the second half. Against Ravenna, he scored 31 and had 14 in the fourth quarter, and against Mogadore, he had 23 second-half points. He is one of the many reasons why we have started off fast. Dekota has shown tremendous growth, and we look forward to his continued work and development as a student-athlete.”
Name: Landon Lear
School: West Geauga
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored 65 points with 13 rebounds, and nine assists in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Landon let the game come to him and played a great all-around game,” said West Geauga coach Micah Young.
Name: Santana Sammons
School: Brooklyn
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 37 points with 13 rebounds in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Santana had a very productive week for us,” said Brooklyn coach Jeff Shepherd. “In a win at Wickliffe, he had 16 points and six rebounds. He followed that up with a 20-point effort in a win Wednesday at Cuyahoga Heights. Santana also had a game-winning 3-pointer with one second left in a non-league win at Cloverleaf last Friday.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Name: Maggie Furst
School: West Geauga
Grade: 12
Stats: Averaged 22 points with 15 rebounds and shot 60 percent from the floor
Coach’s Quote: “Maggie was a force for us both offensively and defensively in our two games this week,” said West Geauga coach Brandon Stewart. “She controlled the paint on both ends of the floor and made big free throws when it mattered against Orange. She has been averaging a double-double in our five games this year.”
Name: Julia Jaenke
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 45 points with 18 rebounds, three steals, two blocks, and eight assists in two wins
Coach’s Quote: “Julia filled the stat sheet in both victories last week, averaging 22.5 points and nine rebounds,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Al Martin. “She played every minute in a close, hard-fought game against Lutheran West.”
Name: Ivy Kaminski
School: Cardinal
Grade: 9
Stats: Scored 19 points with 26 rebounds in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Ivy works hard every day offensively and defensively,” said Cardinal coach Kim Domen. “She’s smooth around the basketball and seems to find a way to get rebounds, either offensively or defensively. I’m extremely proud of her and she is making a name for herself within the conference, for a freshman. She’s one of our captains, and is very coachable and is always willing to learn and do what needs to be done.”
Name: Avery Russell
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 9
Stats: Scored 56 points with 18 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals in three games
Coach’s Quote: “Avery is the most competitive player I’ve coached,” said Chagrin Falls coach Brittany Laseak. “She wants to win in every aspect of the game. This mentality has served her well to start the season, and she has not backed away from a challenge. Avery is coachable, has a high basketball IQ, and is willing to take on a leadership role. She had an outstanding week and continues to get better each day.”
Name: Claire Wakim
School: Madison
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 46 points with 13 rebounds, 11 steals, and five assists in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Claire played her best game of the season thus far against Geneva leading her to a double-double,” said Madison coach Heather Reho. “Claire is currently averaging 22 points on the season. She has been stellar on defense and will pick the pass every chance she gets. She has had a very good start to her senior year of basketball. Claire is a leader on and off the floor and we look to her to continue in that role as the season progresses.”
HOCKEY
Name: Henry Cimperman
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored nine goals with four assists in three games
Coach’s Quote: “Henry demonstrated an amazing desire to compete with his team during three league games played in four days,” said Chagrin Falls coach Craig Hoberman. “With the small number of skaters on the team, players are asked to play an extraordinary amount of minutes. Henry met this challenge head-on and during this particular stretch of games rose to the occasion leading to three victories. With nine goals and four assists, he clearly made a significant difference for us, leading to wins. However, just as important was Henry’s contribution to defense. During games, he regularly switches positions from center/wing to defense. His speed and drive allow him to track down opponents when Chagrin has a turnover and break up their plays. Dominant puck control by Henry and his teammates limited scoring opportunities for the other teams and were keys to not only victories but two shutout wins for Chagrin Falls ice hockey.”
SWIMMING & DIVING
Name: Abby Griffiths
School: Geneva
Grade: 11
Stats: Won the 100 fly at the Edgewood Warrior Invitational with a time of 1:09.58
Coach’s Quote: “Abby is a natural leader for our team and has a drive like no other,” said Geneva coach Jamie Lee. “She is always striving to be better.”
Name: Mary Grace Miklacic
School: Lakeside
Grade: 11
Stats: Won the 500 freestyle and placed second in the 50-yard freestyle with 24 teams competing
Coach’s Quote: “Mary Grace is focused and poised to push herself to the highest level this season,” said Lakeside coach Maureen Surbella. “We are excited in the weeks to come.”
WRESTLING
Name: Will Greenberg
School: Hawken
Grade: 11
Stats: Won his second straight Hawken Invitational Tournament title with a 4-0 record and three pins; was named Co-MVP of the tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Will put a lot of heart into his work in the room and during competition,” said Hawken coach Victor Ventresca. “We look forward to continuing to build on this week’s performance.”
Name: Caleb Greenwood
School: Beachwood
Grade: 10
Stats: Went 4-0 with four pins in winning the Ron Madow Tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Caleb looked extremely dominant at the Ron Madow Tournament,” said Beachwood coach Jimmy Greenwood. “He posted a 4-0 record and pinned all four of his opponents. Caleb is extremely motivated, and his training consistency showed at the tournament.”
Name: Paris Willis
School: Lutheran West
Grade: 12
Stats: Went 3-0 with three first-period pins to win the Ashton Hynd Battle by the Lake Tournament at Madison (each pin took fewer than 35 seconds)
Coach’s Quote: “Paris dominated her weight class and defended her 2022 Battle by the Lake title,” said Lutheran West coach Dave Ressler. “She reached her goal of all first-period pins and is on pace to set the school record for most pins in a career.”
Name: King Wright
School: Lakeside
Grade: 12
Stats: Placed second at the Heart of Ohio tournament with three pins and a win over a ranked Kentucky wrestler in the semifinals
Coach’s Quote: “King has worked his tail off from the end of last season until now to try to reach his goals for his senior year,” said Lakeside coach Andy Horvath. “King has made tremendous strides in the weight room and in his technique, and last week was the start of many good things for King. King wrestled his way into the finals with three pins and a gutsy 9-7 decision over a ranked opponent from Kentucky.”
