Chagrin Falls and West Geauga clinched district titles on Saturday while Berkshire saw its season come to an end.
West Geauga zips past Wickliffe to claim D-IV District Title
West Geauga set the tone for the CVC with a 6-1 rout of Wickliffe, capturing a Division IV, Region 13 district championship.
Amelia Zaffiro opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and Ava Borz doubled the lead in the 16th minute. Lexi Bryan added a 42nd-minute strike for a 3-0 lead, though Wickliffe’s Tiana Torrence answered just 16 seconds later. Faelynn Beckrest scored in the 56th minute, and Borz sealed the win with her second goal in the 60th.
“We always stress that we have to come out strong,” said West Geauga head coach Lidia Rodin. “We have to come out right away with a lot of intensity, and I think that we were able to accomplish that, and the girls really responded well to a high-pressure environment.”
After an early playoff exit last season, the Wolverines are on a redemption path, setting up a Sweet Sixteen showdown against conference rival Chagrin Falls—their first regional finals appearance since 2021.
“I think the important thing is to have a short memory and to be able to bounce back and rally together as a team,” Rodin said. “That’s been a collective effort from the players, to coaching, to the administration, to the parents. We’ve all kind of banded together to support these girls, and they’ve been able to make a lot of good recoveries in that way.”
Chagrin Falls upsets West Branch late for fifth regional berth since 2016
Chagrin Falls edged second-seeded West Branch, 3-2, on a late goal from Mia Buno to claim a Division IV, Region 13 district title and set up the showdown with West Geauga.
The Tigers built a 2-0 halftime lead on goals from Lexi Radomsky in the second minute and Lily Pawar in the 29th. West Branch rallied with Sammi Beatty scoring in the 47th and Ellie Tucker equalizing on a 63rd-minute penalty kick. Buno delivered the game-winner in the 73rd minute, sending Chagrin Falls to the Sweet Sixteen.
“This was what we prepared for in the regular season. The schedule we put together is meant to get us ready throughout the year so that we’re ready for these games come playoff time,” said Chagrin Falls head coach Joe Ciuni. “West Branch came out with more energy in the second half, but we didn’t panic. We were able to keep our heads. We knew if we kept playing our game, we’d get another chance to get that third goal. Mia fought for that third goal.”
The Tigers now face West Geauga in a highly anticipated rematch of their regular-season finale.
Berkshire falls to Poland Seminary in D-IV District Title Game
Berkshire came up short against Poland Seminary, losing 1-0 in a tightly contested Division IV, Region 13 district final. Delaney Ankeles scored the lone goal in the 14th minute, and the Badgers were hampered by the absence of top-scorer Kelly McCandless.
“It speaks volumes to the heart of the team to have their spirits up with Kelly not on the field,” said Berkshire head coach Ian Patterson. “We haven’t played without Kelly for four years. It’s also really good for the younger girls to step up and try to score in these opportunities, and sometimes even in failure, you can learn more from that than succeeding.”
Sophomores Marissa Karl and Emma Rucinski stood out in the loss, giving a glimpse into Berkshire’s future. The Badgers finished the season 11-4-3, matching last year’s regional runner-up finish.
