Athletes from 15 different schools have been named the Chagrin Valley Conference Athletes of the Week for the week ending September 3.
Each athlete was nominated by his or her coach. All statistics incurred from Monday, August 28 through Sunday, September 3, 2023.
Here’s a look at each Athlete of the Week by sport:
CROSS COUNTRY
Name: Ariana Rebello
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 11
Stats: Ran a time of 22:50 at the Mentor Cardinal Classic
Coach’s Quote: “This is Ariana’s first year running varsity cross country for our girls’ squad and she is also on the varsity girls golf team,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Chadwick Robinson. “Balancing between both sports is a challenge for sure, but Ms. Rebello is able to do so because she is very disciplined, communicates well with her coaches, and is extremely self-driven. Ariana also receives private lessons for golf beyond school and also met with her head cross country coach over the summer in order to get difficult trail-running workouts in with her busy schedule. This past Saturday at Mentor was huge for her, and her hard work paid off when she fell down at the beginning of the 5K race amongst 200-plus runners who were jammed together. After being trampled on by several runners with spikes and with bloody battle scars on her leg and arm, Ariana pressed onwards and began passing her competitors one by one. Had she not fallen early on, there’s no telling how fast she could’ve gone in her second-ever 5K race; only time will tell as the season progresses. We are lucky to have Ariana as a dual sport student-athlete here at Cuyahoga Heights.”
Name: Anna Ring
School: Conneaut
Grade: 9
Stats: Ran a time of 21:38 at the McDowell Invitational, good for 13th place
Coach’s Quote: “Anna is new to the sport of cross country,” said Conneaut coach Jessica Kennedy. “She has trained all summer and puts 110 percent effort into every workout. She has been running well and improving each week.”
Name: Holly Vis
School: Perry
Grade: 11
Stats: Placed 16th at the Mentor Cardinal Classic with a time of 20:09
Coach’s Quote: “Holly Vis improved upon her performance from week one as she raced to another personal best to lead her team,” said Perry coach Kristen Thomas. “She was aggressive from the start, and she maintained her pace through the middle of the race.”
FOOTBALL
Name: Tony Hall
School: Edgewood
Grade: 12
Stats: Completed 20-of-32 passes with a school-record six touchdown passes; ran for a five-yard TD
Coach’s Quote: “Tony played a game for the ages Friday night,” said Edgewood coach Olajuwon Cooper. “He was in great command of the offense. He broke his own school record for most TD passes in a game with six. He also set a school record for most TDs accounted for in a game. Tony continues to play at a high level and be a great leader for us, week in and week out.”
Name: Rocco Ressler
School: Independence
Grade: 11
Stats: Completed 13-of-23 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown; rushed for 60 yards and a score as a fill-in QB due to injuries; recorded 12 solo tackles and eight assists
Coach’s Quote: “Rocco did an excellent job stepping into the quarterback position with only one week to prepare,” said Independence coach Rick Adams. “He gave us opportunities to compete and be successful.”
Name: Charlie Sommer
School: Crestwood
Grade: 11
Stats: Completed 13-of-16 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score
Coach’s Quote: “Charlie had a great performance on Friday night,” said Crestwood coach Jack D’Amato. “He was very efficient in the pass game, which allowed the team to extend the lead. Charlie also got it done on the ground, rushing for a touchdown.”
GOLF
Name: Troy Domen
School: Cardinal
Grade: 12
Stats: Shot a 38 in two dual matches
Coach’s Quote: “Troy has led the Huskies to a good start on the season,” said Cardinal coach Mike Topalian. “He has been medalist at all four of our CVC matches so far as well as the preseason tournament.”
Name: Mason Feather
School: Edgewood
Grade: 11
Stats: Averaged 38.6 strokes in three matches
Coach’s Quote: “Mason’s consistent scoring and leadership was a big piece to us getting three critical CVC wins against some tough opponents,” said Edgewood coach Jim Lamson.
BOYS SOCCER
Name: Kevin Fonseca
School: Harvey
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored four goals in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Kevin has set the tone for us early this season with his scoring,” said Harvey coach Natalie Sisler. “Entering the season, we had high expectations for Kevin and so far he is living up to those high expectations. He has scored in all of our matches so far this season and we hope he can continue that trend as we enter into a difficult part of our schedule. This past week, Kevin scored the opening goal against a strong Orange side to help us to victory. Then that Thursday against Edgewood he had three goals. It was really a great week for Kevin and the team.”
Name: Giordano Gulotta
School: Hawken
Grade: 9
Stats: Scored two goals in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Giordano is a freshman who transferred to Hawken at the start of August from California,” said Hawken coach Vlad Muresan. “He has slotted into our team brilliantly, and his technical/tactical proficiency and personality will be massive traits for us going forward. He scored two fantastic goals at Chagrin Falls, one of our main rivals, to put the game out of reach and give us an important victory. The sky is the limit for this kid, and we are excited to see him perform and improve over the next four years.”
Name: Sergio Lozano
School: Lakeside
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded 15 saves in one game
Coach’s Quote: “Sergio is in his first year of playing soccer and had a phenomenal game against our opponent,” said Lakeside coach Destini Adams. “No goals came from one-on-one breakaways and he played like he has been playing his whole life. He’s been dedicated and motivated, never letting his team down. We may have lost the game, but he never quit and had some truly incredible saves.”
Name: Frankie Sassano
School: West Geauga
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored two game-winning goals in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Frankie scored the game-winning goals in both of our matches this week, beating Chagrin 1-0 and Chardon 2-0,” said West Geauga coach Danny Cappelucci. “Frankie has shown himself to be a very important player for us so far this season. He defends and positions himself well to help our team win the ball back in good areas and when in possession he is incredibly dangerous. Frankie has shown up in big moments for our team in the early stages of this season and we look forward to watching him develop and for him to build on his great start.”
Name: Joseph Walchanowicz
School: Independence
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored three goals in two games
Coach’s Quote: “Joseph Walchanowicz is playing forward for us this year, a new position, and he has risen to the challenge,” said Independence coach Brien McDonald. “In our first conference game, he scored two goals against Brooklyn, which helped us notch our first conference win. Two days later, Joseph scored the lone Blue Devil goal against a solid Lake Ridge Academy team to close the deficit from 2-0 to 2-1, which turned the momentum in our favor. Joseph is a tireless worker, and it is exciting to see him grow into a role Independence needs him at.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Name: Alyssa Lawson
School: Berkshire
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored two goals with three assists
Coach’s Quote: “Alyssa has been extremely dangerous for us this fall, especially on set pieces,” said Berkshire coach Ian Patterson. “This week alone she scored the tying goal against visiting West Branch with two minutes left to play on a penalty kick, scored another in CVC play against Independence on a free kick, and assisted all three of the other goals in that contest for a final score of 4-1.”
Name: Michaela Platt
School: West Geauga
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 10 saves on 11 shots including a PK save
Coach’s Quote: “Michaela has already established herself as a true leader for this fresh West Geauga varsity team,” said West Geauga coach Cassidy Lewis. “When the team needed someone fearless to step up and take the role of the varsity goalkeeper, Michaela earned that role with her skills and confidence. She made huge saves in the first conference game against Chagrin. West G was down 1-0 at the half and came back to win 2-1 after scoring two goals and Michaela stopping a penalty kick late in the second half to secure the one-goal lead for victory. Michaela’s 10 saves, including the PK save, helped this team break its four-year non-winning streak against conference rival Chagrin.”
Name: Jordan Rowan
School: Perry
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored six goals with two assists
Coach’s Quote: “Jordan Rowan’s incredible work rate and her tenacity on and off the ball were on display in games against Conneaut and Chardon last week,” said Perry coach Rich Stavar. “She scored six goals and had two assists and did so while spending time at defender during both games.”
Name: Tiana Torrence
School: Wickliffe
Grade: 10
Stats: Scored three goals with one assist
Coach’s Quote: “Tiana scored her first varsity goals this week,” said Wickliffe coach Steve Gribovicz. “Tiana’s speed brings a dynamic element to our offense, and she has the ability to go one-on-one with defenders in space. She put it all together in a victory, scoring three goals and contributing an assist in the first half of our only game played this week.”
TENNIS
Name: Caroline Yeager
School: West Geauga
Grade: 9
Stats: Won a match 6-1, 6-2
Coach’s Quote: “Caroline is only a freshman but competes fearlessly with a no-quit attitude,” said West Geauga coach Mary Kay Yuhas. “Keep Shining bright Caroline, the sky is the limit.”
VOLLEYBALL
Name: Paige Henley
School: Cuyahoga Heights
Grade: 11
Stats: Recorded 43 kills, 29 digs, and six aces
Coach’s Quote: “Paige has proven to be a real presence on the court so far this season and has been a huge contributor to our 5-0 start,” said Cuyahoga Heights coach Kelsey Mason. “She is a go-to option for our setters and has gotten so much smarter with her court awareness. I’m excited to continue to watch her grow and develop this season as an all-around player.”
Name: Gianna Ianetta
School: Edgewood
Grade: 11
Stats: Scored 20 points with 59 assists, 11 digs, four aces, and one block
Coach’s Quote: “Gianna is a huge leader for us and has filled big shoes for us this year by running a faster tempo offense and maintaining communication on the floor,” said Edgewood coach Kyra Vencill. “She’s had a great week and led in points and I could not be more proud of her growth so far this season. She’s a hustler, has great ball-handling skills, helps us converge on offense, maintains a level head, and ensures our attackers know what we are running at all times. She makes smart decisions and works hard for me on and off the court. She is extremely coachable and maintains a positive attitude. She’s a big part of our success so far this year and I look forward to watching her continue to grow.”
Name: Brooke Richmond
School: Geneva
Grade: 12
Stats: Recorded five kills, five assists, four blocks, and two service aces
Coach’s Quote: “Brooke has been doing a great job leading her team this week,” said Geneva coach Annah Haeseler. “We have played a very tough schedule to start our season and Brooke has led with positivity and grace. I am proud of how hard she is working and how much of a role model she is becoming for our younger players. She led our attack in the middle and led our defense with four blocks in two matches.”
Name: Jazmyn Stevens
School: Crestwood
Grade: 12
Stats: Scored 21 points with 17 assists, 13 kills, four aces, four digs, and two blocks
Coach’s Quote: “Crestwood Volleyball went 2-0 this week with the dominating play of Jazmyn Stevens,” said Crestwood coach Wanda Hoffman. “Jaz is one of our 6-2 setters and plays all six positions. Stevens is an aggressive attacker from the left side. Her key role is to keep our offense running smoothly, and she is doing an excellent job at it. The jump serve that Jaz delivers is extremely difficult to receive, earning both her and the team many points. Jaz will be receiving her four-year letter award this year.”
