Monday, March 27, 2023

Cuyahoga Heights seeks to compete

Cuyahoga Heights finished 14-9 overall and 8-7 in the rugged Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division last season. The Redskins suffered key graduation losses but return two starters and two other letterwinners this season.

It won’t be easy to replace Jordan Martin, the CVC Metro Division Co-MVP and third team all-Ohioan who led the Redskins in nearly every offensive statistical category, but the Redskins have the talent to achieve their goals of competing with the best teams in the CVC and earning a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Head coach Michael Tartara, who is 90-90 in nine years at Cuyahoga Heights, expects four seniors and a pair of juniors to fill out the core of his squad this season.

Senior wing David Porter is the team’s leading returning scorer. He averaged 9.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season. Senior guard Grayson Thacker averaged 9.2 points and drained 44 3-pointers last year. Senior wings Michael Kozak and Isaiah Barnes and juniors Kevin Jezerinac, a guard, and Brendan Bowling, a post player, are also expected to be solid contributors.

Tartara set several goals for his team including winning the Joe LaBella Holiday Tournament and winning a sectional title.
 

Steve Harehttp://www.ohiovarsity.com
Steve Hare is the Chagrin Valley Conference's Sports Information Director. He also created and publishes OhioVarsity.com, an online publication dedicated to providing hyperlocal coverage to area high school athletic programs. Hare began covering high school sports for the Lake County News Herald in 1997. Hare attended Willoughby South High School through the middle of his senior year, then graduated from Berkshire High School in Burton in 1986. He played football, wrestled and was an all-Geauga county baseball player (1986). He lives in Chardon with his wife Paulette and their children.

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