Athletes from Berkshire, Brooklyn, Cardinal, Edgewood, Geneva, Hawken, Independence, Kirtland, Orange, Trinity and West Geauga have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Players of the Week.
Each player was nominated by his or her coach.
All statistics incurred during the week beginning Sept. 23 and ending Sept. 29.
Here’s a look at each Player of the Week by sport:
CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Ella Gilson
School: Hawken
Grade: 11
Stats: Finished third in the Midwest Meet of Champions in 18:11
Coach’s Quote: “Ella battled the 90-degree heat in Hilliard to a third-place finish,” Hawken coach Christopher Farroni said. “Ella has been working hard to build the training base needed to compete with the top runners in Ohio. On Saturday, she ran a strategic race in order to be able to withstand the sun, heat and humidity on the open Hilliard course. This meet sets a benchmark to help Ella focus on the upcoming CVC and state tournament. She has competed against some of the top Division II runners and can use that experience to prepare for the upcoming meets.”
Name: Madison Romask
School: Berkshire
Grade: 12
Stats: Finished 31st at the U Wanna Come Back Invitational with a time of 21:01
Coach’s Quote: “Madison ran well at the U Wanna Come Back invite at Madison High School,” Berkshire coach David Kindall said. “She led her team to a 15th place finish and stepped up to support her team that was missing two of the top five runners. Madison was the first Division III runner to come across the line in a highly competitive meet with a lot of Division I and II teams.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Luke Gardner
School: Kirtland
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 283 yards of total offense in one half of football
Coach’s Quote: “He is the fastest kid I have ever coached and he works very hard in the offseason,” Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said. “He is a great leader.”
Name: Blake Jenkins
School: Berkshire
Grade: 11
Stats: Caught two passes for 122 yards and touchdowns of 57 and 65 yards; also returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown and deflected three other passes
Coach’s Quote: “Blake had a huge second quarter on Friday night,” Berkshire coach Josh DeWeese said. “He scored all of our touchdowns during the second quarter, striking twice on receptions of 57 and 65 yards and then later in the quarter returning an interception 76 yards for a touchdown.”
BOYS GOLF
Name: Ryan Green
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Finished second at sectionals with an 80 and also earned a district berth
Coach’s Quote: “Ryan has been working very hard putting in countless hours to try to earn a spot in the state tournament his senior year,” Edgewood coach Chris Juncker said.
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Joe Carley
School: Geneva
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded two shutouts and a PK save in two matches
Coach’s Quote: “Joe has kept us in games all year with his stellar play,” Geneva coach Jeff Hull said. “His 2nd half PK save at Wickliffe in a then 0-0 game energized our team and propelled us to the victory.”
Name: Joey DiLalla
School: West Geauga
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored game-winning goal against Beachwood and game-tying goal against Harvey; has five of team’s 11 goals
Coach’s Quote: “Gone are Dave Beattie and Mo Aidja, so Joey has big shoes to fill,” West Geauga coach Mario Gerhardt said. “He is doing it one goal at a time.”
Name: Daniel Lyner
School: Hawken
Grade: 10
Stats: Played every minute in goal of every match during the week
Coach’s Quote: “Daniel has been a great confidence boost for our team, using his game intelligence and shot-stopping abilities to lead our team through a difficult spell of the season,” Hawken coach Vlad Muresan said. “Daniel has only conceded one goal from open play throughout the whole season.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Anna Blubaugh
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored three goals on three shots and added one assist
Coach’s Quote: “Anna has set an excellent example as captain this year, leading with positivity, maturity and knowledge of the game,” Cardinal coach Vanessa Pintabona said. “She consistently has numerous shots on goal each game but isn’t above setting up her teammates for goals as well.”
Name: Molly Dougherty
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored two goals with two assists in a pair of wins
Coach’s Quote: “Molly has transformed herself into a playmaker by working hard at increasing her speed this summer,” Independence coach Bryan Less said. “She has always been a great passer, but now has the moves and quickness to be a great player.”
Name: Abby Thompson
School: Orange
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded first career hat trick in win over Edgewood
Coach’s Quote: “This was a great game for Abby,” Orange coach Jeffrey Mann said. “She scored our first two goals, and then was unselfish in directing the offense and helping others into a position to score before she earned her hat trick in the final minutes of the game. Her vision and unselfish play have helped develop our young team.”
TENNIS
Name: Rachel Glukh/Sadie Meyers
School: Orange
Grade: 12/10
Stats: Won the second doubles title at the CVC Tennis Tournament
Coach’s Quote: “Rachel and Sadie played one time together and came up inspired and motivated like Lions,” Orange coach Dragan Nesic said. “They kept their positive outlook all the time and came up with skill we were loudly rewarding from the sideline.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Savannah David
School: Brooklyn
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 34 service points, seven aces and 22 digs
Coach’s Quote: “Sophomore Savannah David is our No. 2 defensive specialist and one of our most consistent servers,” Brooklyn coach Debbie Hall said. “Our strongest rotations are when Savannah is in our back row and she averages four to five points scored each time she steps back to serve. She is a great asset to our team.”
Name: Amie McCarthy
School: Trinity
Grade: 10
Stats: Recorded 32 kills, 15 digs and six blocks
Coach’s Quote: “Amie has been outstanding this past week as she has taken leadership role on the court helping her team with a strong offensive performance,” Trinity coach Susan Dezzutti said. “She has been focused and determined in every set giving a 110-percent to both her teammates and herself. Amie is strong outside hitter with great court sense which has helped us be very competitive this season.”
