Athletes from six different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending Sunday, May 10, 2026.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All are based on the period from Monday, May 4, to Sunday, May 10.
BASEBALL
Name: Carter Crofoot
School: Perry
Grade: 10
Stats: Batted .400 (6-for-15) with 1 double, 3 triples, 7 RBI, 2 runs scored, and 4 stolen bases
Coach’s Quote: “Carter delivered for us last week in some big situations,” said Perry coach Matt Platt. “He has had several at-bats with guys on base and found a way to drive them in. He continues to have good plate appearances and put good swings on the ball.”
Name: Highley Devine
School: Beachwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted .727 (8-for-11) with 2 doubles, 3RBI, 5 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases
Coach’s Quote: “Highley has been crushing the ball this spring and always seems to find himself in the middle of a rally,” said Beachwood coach Matt Lamovec. “His high energy has been a tone-setter for this club all year long.”
Name: Ethan Nielsen
School: Chagrin Falls
Grade: 11
Stats: Pitched five innings, allowing zero earned runs on two hits with 5 strikeouts
Coach’s Quote: “Ethan was on a mission in the offseason to become one of our top pitchers, and he has certainly done that,” said Chagrin Falls coach Michael Sweeney. “Ethan has earned the No. 2 spot in our rotation and has performed extremely well. Ethan has also come back strong from a shoulder injury in the middle of the season. On the season, Ethan has a 1.326 ERA, and opponents are only hitting .186 off of him. The hard work that he puts in throughout the week to get ready for his next outing is impressive. Ethan has improved quite a bit each season, and he continues to get better and better.”
Name: Anthony Sobonya
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted .455 (5-for-11) with a double, 5 RBI, 5 runs scored, 2 walks, and 4 stolen bases; struck out all nine batters he faced in three innings of work
Coach’s Quote: “Anthony had an impressive week at the plate and on the mound for the Blue Devils,” said Independence coach Jim Crooks. “As a mainstay for the Indy Boys for the last three years, Anthony is saving some of his best play for the end of the season during his senior year, and his performance during this past week was a showcase of his talents.”
SOFTBALL
Name: Kailyn Cerjan
School: Geneva
Grade: 12
Stats: Batted 1.000 (5-for-5) with a double
Coach’s Quote: “Kailyn had some amazing catches in the outfield this week to save runs from crossing the plate,” said Geneva coach Eleshia Pitcher. “She also had some key hits, including a game-winning single to score the run in our come-from-behind win over Fairview.”
Name: Paige Higgins
School: Madison
Grade: 9
Stats: Batted .385 (5-for-13) with a double, a triple, 7 RBI, 2 runs scored, 3 stolen bases; Allowed two runs in a five-inning complete game
Coach’s Quote: “Paige has had a tremendous freshman season for us, batting .409 with four doubles, two triples and two inside the park home runs, leading our team in runs scored (25) and among the tops in runs batted in,” said Madison coach David Negin. “In addition, Paige has pitched well for us, knotting four wins on the season. What is exciting is she still has much room to grow, and she has the work ethic in order to take her game to even a higher level.”
Name: Lila Manfredonia
School: Independence
Grade: 10
Stats: Batted .883 with a double, a triple, 4 RBI, 4 runs scored, and 3 stolen bases; went 2-0 in the circle with a 0.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts with zero walks in 10 innings (no-hitter and one-hitter)
Coach’s Quote: “Lila continues her dominating season,” said Independence coach Zoltan Zoltai. “More than anything, it’s her consistent, hard-nosed play. She does a nice job of locating her 60-plus miles per hour fastball, getting ahead in the count on hitters, and powering past them. Offensively, her game just keeps getting better. Every time she hits the ball, the mere sound of her bat is something everyone takes notice of. Each week, her game continues to evolve to the next level, which has made teammates around her elevate their level of play. Lila is something special.”
