Student-athletes from Beachwood, Cardinal, Geneva, Independence, Orange, Perry, Richmond Heights and West Geauga have been selected as the CVC Athletes of the Week for the week ending Oct. 7.

Each student-athlete was nominated by his or her coach.

CROSS COUNTRY

ERICA ESPER, INDEPENDENCE

Name: Erica Esper
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Finished 22nd at the Legends Meet after finishing 182nd in 2017
Coach’s Quote: “Erica entered cross country season in much better shape this year and is racing nearly two minutes faster than she did last year, her first season of competitive running,” said Independence coach Craig Polman. “Despite losing a shoe in the mud with over a mile to go in the race at Trumbull County Fairgrounds, Erica persevered turning in what may have been her best performance of the season helping to secure a fourth-place team award.”

JOHN PATTERSON, WEST GEAUGA

Name: John Patterson
School: West Geauga
Grade: 10
Stats: Finished third at the George Gross Invitational with a time of 17:55 to lead the Wolverines to the team title

FOOTBALL

JACOB ALLEN, PERRY

Name: Jacob Allen
School: Perry
Grade: 12
Stats: Caught two passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, returned two kickoffs for 137 yards and a touchdown and carried three times for 34 yards; also recorded seven tackles on defense
Coach’s Quote: “Jacob made a major impact in all three phases of the game,” said Perry coach Matt Rosati. “He was explosive.”

SAM BABBUSH, BEACHWOOD

Name: Sam Babbush
School: Beachwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Finished 1-for-1 in field goal tries with a 38-yarder to his credit and put 7-of-9 kickoffs into the end zone; also finished 7-for-7 on extra point attempts and averaged 41 yards on three punts
Coach’s Quote: “Sam’s right leg is a force and a weapon,” said Beachwood coach Damion Creel. “He is a tremendous asset to have when our opponent on a consistent basis has to start a drive on their own 20 yard line.”

JOHN MCWILLIAMS, RICHMOND HEIGHTS

Name: John McWilliams
School: Richmond Heights
Grade: 12
Stats: Passed for 90 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 74 yards and another score; converted a two-point conversion and recorded eight tackles with three pass breakups
Coach’s Quote: “McWilliams led the Spartans in rushing yards and passing yards Friday night against Berkshire,” said Richmond Heights assistant coach Derrick Fair. “McWilliams did an excellent job on the Badgers’ No. 1 receiver as they tried to target him but McWilliams was there to break up the pass. Despite a few drops by some other Spartan receivers, John was able to connect with basketball teammate Emmanuel Sims for a couple of TDs. McWilliams also found junior slot receiver Jaelin Johnson on two completions for 35 other yards giving him a total of 90 yards as the senior led the Spartans to a comeback win in Burton.”

KYLE POLACK, CUYAHOGA HEIGHTS

Name: Kyle Polack
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 11
Stats: Caught four passes for 65 yards with three touchdowns, including a 50-yarder late in the fourth quarter; also recorded eight tackles, with five solo stops and one interception
Coach’s Quote: “Kyle made big plays on both sides of the ball in a crucial league win over Wickliffe,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Al Martin.

BOYS SOCCER

CADE HORVAT, ORANGE

Name: Cade Horvat
School: Orange
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored the game-winning goal in two different games including one against state-ranked Chagrin Falls
Coach’s Quote: “Cade has shown time and time again the willingness to get himself in the box and be a goal scoring threat,” said Orange coach Declan McGivern. “Cade is a keen listener and is eager to continue to learn and grow as a player. As an attacker, he has improved vastly on the defensive side of his game. He is becoming tactically more astute and showing a great attitude to want to play on both sides of the ball; a key characteristic for any successful player.”

JIMMY SENICK, INDEPENDENCE

Name: Jimmy Senick
School: Independence
Grade: 10
Stats: Defensive effort helped Blue Devils win two games during the week
Coach’s Quote: “Jimmy is our stopper/marking defender and helped lead us to two wins this week including a 6-1 win vs Beachwood for our fourth consecutive league title and 6-0 shutout win against Holy Name,” said Independence coach Ryan MacRaild. “He has held many top scorers in the area to a limited scoring opportunity and is part of a defense that has allowed only five goals this season.”

VOLLEYBALL

CAMILLE CUMMINS, CARDINAL

Name: Camille Cummins
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 64 kills in three games including a school-record 31 kills in a win over Beachwood
Coach’s Quote: “Camille has really stepped it up this season,” said Cardinal coach Karisca Chambers. “The amount of work she did in the offseason really has shown through during gameplay. She’s a great leader and able to shake off her mistakes. I’m so proud of her and I can’t wait to see what she does for us in the postseason.”

BECCA QUIRK, GENEVA

Name: Becca Quirk
School: Geneva
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 34 points with five aces during the week and now has 40 aces on the year
Coach’s Quote: “Becca has been our strongest server this year,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “Her serving is like no other. It is powerful, but what is special about her serve is that she can hit any spot on the court. I give her a number, she hits it with accuracy and power. She is also a great setter. Her ball placement is on point and she has a calm, quiet leadership style that helps to set the tone for this group of girls. I am lucky to have such a versatile player on my team.”