After a strong basketball season which led to its best record ever, and to a second regional tournament advancement in three years, Cardinal Stritch is the unanimous favorite to win the 2017-18 Toledo Area Athletic Conference championship.
Fourth-year coach Jamie Kachmarik’s Cardinals are a team of the present and a team of the future. Their three most productive returnees are underclassmen, as are three other players included in what could be a 10-deep rotation.
Stritch (21-5, 11-3 TAAC) seems to have a little of everything — size, ball-handling, scoring balance, depth, experience — and this formula led conference coaches to give the Cards the maximum possible 64 voting points in a preseason poll.
This is uncharted territory for Cardinal Stritch, which never has won a boys basketball league championship since the school opened for the 1961-62 school year — either in its days in the City League (1971-94), or since joining the TAAC in 1995.
“The biggest thing I’ve been telling our players is that they’re no longer sneaking up on people,” Kachmarik said. “Now, we have that red ‘X’ on our backs, so we’ve got to be prepared every game, and we can’t look ahead to any future games.
“It’s going to have to be one game at a time. That’s our main focus. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it as a team. We’ve been emphasizing that the whole preseason.”
Maumee Valley was second in the poll with 53 points, defending TAAC champion Toledo Christian was third at 50, and the 2015-16 champion, Ottawa Hills, tied 2014-15 champ Gibsonburg for fourth with 35 points each.
Kachmarik’s Cardinals are paced by the underclassman trio of sophomore guard Joey Holifield (13.8 points, 4 rebounds), junior point guard Jordan Burton (12.6 points, 4 assists), and junior forward Little Anderson (8.6 points, 5 rebounds).
“We’re getting young men who want to play basketball, and have dreams and aspirations of playing beyond Cardinal Stritch,” Kachmarik said of the develop of the program. “That keeps the players hungry and competitive. They’re trying to take the program to the next level.”
Stritch was on the brink of becoming a conference champion last season before inexperience might have thwarted the Cards’ aspirations against a more veteran Toledo Christian team.
After falling 40-37 at home against eventual champion TC early in the season, the upset-minded Cardinals went to the Eagles’ home court Jan. 20, built an 11-point lead at halftime, and still led by four entering the fourth quarter before faltering late and losing, 51-47.
The reeling Cardinals then lost four nights later, 45-43 to Ottawa Hills, and those two narrow losses ultimately cost Stritch the TAAC title.
“They started to score and get the ball inside, and then momentum shifted on the road,” Kachmarik said of the loss at TC. “But our backcourt [Burton and Holifield] is a year older. Last year it was a sophomore and a freshman, and now they’re a junior and a sophomore. They have the experience of winning some close games in the tournament run.
“I think our kids grew up a ton on that run last year, and they’re a little more ready for the tough games, both at home and on the road.”
The Cards rebounded to win 12 consecutive games, including three in Division III tournament play. That run was highlighted by back-to-back district wins against Northern Buckeye Conference co-champions Genoa (20-3) and Eastwood (20-4) to reach a regional semifinal, where they lost to Archbold.
Kachmarik is now hoping his team can turn that quality experience into momentum to start this season.
“The big thing is that our practices are so much more competitive now,” Kachmarik said. “We’re deep with guys who have tons of experience, and some of the hardest games we have are in our practices.
“Every day in practice is a war because everybody wants playing time. If you want playing time, you’ve got to earn it during the week in practice.”
Here is a look at the teams in predicted order of finish:
CARDINAL STRITCH
Coach: Jamie Kachmarik, fifth season
Last season: 21-5 overall, 11-3 TAAC
Top players: Seniors Terrance Taylor, 6-4, F; Jeff Dunsmore, 6-2, G; Collin Yost, 5-9, G; Alex Adams, 6-6, F. Juniors Jordan Burton, 5-10, G; Little Anderson, 6-3, F; Nolan Finch, 6-6, F; Ashton Caryer, 6-6, F. Sophomore Joey Holifield, 6-1, G.
Outlook: The Cardinals seem destined for perhaps the best season in school history with all the parts still in place from the team that produced the program’s top win total last season.
Holifield is the court leader as a sophomore along with Burton, who enters his third season as a starter. Anderson is versatile and capable of instant offense, and Dunsmore (5.7 points) brings a physical presence along with leadership.
Kachmarik’s roster is experienced and deep with good overall size, scoring balance, and the ability to create and handle pressure. Improving their defense in the post and on the perimeter will be keys to the Cardinals maximizing their success, along with taking things up a notch in rebounding and perimeter shooting.
“The keys to the season are making sure we play as a team and really focus on the defensive end,” Kachmarik said. “With our size, we need to be a great rebounding team on both ends of the floor. We used to be the team that was doing the hunting, and now we will be the team that is hunted every night we play. We have to be mentally tough, night in and night out.”
MAUMEE VALLEY
Coach: Rob Conover, third season
Last season: 15-8, 9-5
Top players: Seniors Jaiden Woodley, 6-6, F; A.J. Johnson, 6-3, F; Sam Crane, 6-4, F. Junior Parker Chatman, 6-0, G. Sophomores Zeb Jackson, 6-1, G; Dez Jett, 5-9, G.
Outlook: The Hawks have the TAAC’s biggest 1-2 scoring punch returning in Jackson (19.4 points, 4.4 assists), who led the conference, and Woodley (14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds), who was second among TAAC rebounders. Johnson (6 points, 6.2 rebounds) and Jett (5.6 points) add depth as Conover’s team returns four starters plus three other letterwinners.
The Hawks, who last won a TAAC title in the 2011-12 season under former coach Jim Robinson, will count on ball handling, post offense, experience, and their ability to break pressure as strengths. Conover views his team’s lack of overall depth and size, perimeter defense, and rebounding as areas needing the most improvement.
“If we continue to develop chemistry, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, our team will have a chance to compete for a league championship,” Conover said.
TOLEDO CHRISTIAN
Coach: Dave McWhinnie, 17th season
Last season: 19-5, 14-0
Top players: Seniors Delano Smith, 6-0, G; Landon McGill, 6-2, F; Jeff Hardy, 6-3, F; Owen Gast, 6-1, F. Junior Caleb Catchings, 6-0, G.
Outlook: The Eagles picked up their sixth TAAC title in the past dozen seasons under McWhinnie (262-114 record) a year ago but will have a tough time trying to become the first conference team to repeat since Ottawa Hills won or shared four consecutive crowns between 2008-11. TC returns two starters and three other letterwinners, but must fill the graduation void left by standout 6-8 post player Joe Ochoa (12.7 points, 13.1 rebounds) and Joel Gleason (11.4 points).
Smith (11.4 points, 4 rebounds), McGill (8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds), Hardy (4.4 points), and Gast (4.8 points) will look to collectively pick up the slack with greater offensive roles this season.
McWhinnier sees experience, ball handling, overall size, and the ability to handle pressure as pluses entering the season, and is most concerned with his team’s rebounding, post offense, and perimeter and post defense.
“We have to defend and rebound to contend this year,” McWhinnie said. “The league will be very competitive with several very good teams. We have two returning starters but feel good about the mix of players we have returning. We expect to be competitive in every game, and hope to compete for a league title. We have seven seniors, one junior, and some other underclassmen who could contribute. We expect our depth to help us throughout the season.”
GIBSONBURG
Coach: Brent Liskai, 16th season
Last season: 10-13, 7-7
Top players: Seniors Josh Ernsthausen, 6-3, W; Nate Kissell, 6-2, F; Joe Adkins, 6-2, F. Junior Addison Weaver, 6-3, W. Sophomore Theo Hernandez, 5-7, G.
Outlook: The Golden Bears hope to carry some of their football momentum over to the basketball court, having ended their tenure in the TAAC in that sport with three consecutive championships. In its final basketball season in the conference before joining the Sandusky Bay Conference next year, Gibsonburg will build around two returning starters and one other letterwinner in chasing its first TAAC title since a magical 24-1 season in 2014-15.
Back to lead the Bears are Ernsthausen (14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds) and Weaver (5.7 points, 3.5 rebounds).
Liskai (184-138 record) likes his team’s overall depth and size, and is counting on rebounding and perimeter shooting as positive areas. His main concerns are the team’s inexperience, post play offensively and defensively, and also defending the perimeter.
“We will improve game by game as our young perimeter [personnel] gains more experience,” Liskai said. “We have two experienced starters back in Ernsthausen and Weaver, and we have decent overall size, which should allow us to play different styles and be unpredictable to guard. The keys will be how we handle the early season road schedule, and the extremely talented league this year.”
OTTAWA HILLS
Coach: John Lindsay, 23rd season
Last season: 14-8, 9-5
Top players: Senior Michael Helgren, 6-0, F. Juniors James Silk, 6-3, F; Tommy Coil, 6-4, C; Tysen Chappell, 5-10, G; Michael McGee, 6-0, G. Sophomores John Kight, 6-0, G; Drew Hoffman, 6-0, G.
Outlook: With several members of Ottawa Hills’ Division III state runner-up soccer team on the roster, the Green Bears are hoping some of that momentum will rub off this winter. But, only one starter returns, plus four other letterwinners, so any serious climb in the TAAC standings would be overachieving for a Bears team that placed fourth in the conference a year ago.
Silk (7 points, 3.1 rebounds) is the most productive returnee. Helgren, Coil, and Chappell combined to average 4.6 points, so finding steady scoring sources will be crucial for Lindsay, whose Green Bears have won or shared six TAAC titles in the past 10 seasons. The previous conference crown came in 2015-16.
Lindsay points to overall depth, scoring balance, ball handling, and the ability to handle pressure as strengths, and is most concerned with his team’s lack of overall experience and size, and their potential problem areas of rebounding and post offense.
“Our guys are hard-working and very coachable,” said Lindsay (343-156 career record). “Our goal is to get better each day.”
DANBURY
Coach: Nathan Keller, third season
Last season: 7-16, 3-11
Top players: Seniors Brad Pruitt, 6-5, C; Noah Calton, 6-0, G; Justin Tibbels, 6-0, F. Juniors Saylor Evans, 5-11, G; Noah Stys, 5-10, G; Ian Kuzma, 6-4, F.
Outlook: The Lakers appear poised to elevate in the TAAC standings this season behind three returning starters and four other letterwinners. Pruitt (12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds) and Tibbels (8 points, 4 rebounds) are the most productive returnees, and will be counted on for leadership.
Danbury’s last TAAC title came in 2004-05.
Keller expects the Lakers to be solid in creating pressure, perimeter shooting, defending the post, and rebounding. His chief concerns are post offense, a lack of overall size, scoring balance and an overall lack of significant experience.
“Our team has good size with Brad Pruitt and Ian Kuzma in the post,” Keller said. “A key to our season will be how our guards handle pressure, and our ability to make shots from the perimeter. We have an experienced group coming back.”
EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN
Coach: Dave Regnier, 27th season
Last season: 3-19, 2-12
Top players: Seniors Tariq Hardiman, 6-0, F; Gary Black, 5-11, G; Brennan Morris, 6-5, F; Eli Grau, 6-2, F. Juniors Gunnar Parmelee, 6-1, G; Jailon Walker, 5-8, G; Johrdan Coleman, 6-1, F. Sophomores Caden Williams, 5-6, G; Mason Friesner, 6-2, F.
Outlook: The Warriors return all five starters plus four other letterwinners, so Regnier is optimistic they will make competitive strides in the TAAC this season. Parmelee (13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds), Walker (13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds), Williams (8.8 points), and Black (6.5 points) provide a solid core to build around.
Regnier points to experienced depth, scoring balance, and perimeter shooting as positives for his team, and sees post offense and defense, overall size, and rebounding as the most likely trouble areas.
“We are excited about the potential of this group to be more competitive than we were last year,” Regnier said. “We are excited about the experience gained last season, and the growth we have seen in them since. Keys to the season will be execution on both ends of the floor and keeping key guys healthy.”
NORTHWOOD
Coach: Allen Drake, second season
Last season: 1-22, 1-13
Top players: Seniors Gabe LaPlante, 5-10, G; Tyler Lindhurst, 5-8, G. Junior Donte Dixon, 5-11, F. Sophomore Logan McDermott, 6-10, C. Freshman Demond Marks, 5-9, G.
Outlook: No team in northwest Ohio has struggled as mightily in the past four seasons as the Rangers, who are 3-89 overall in that span and 1-59 in TAAC play. The 41-38 conference victory Jan. 20 against Emmanuel Christian snapped a 58-game TAAC losing streak for a team that has lacked in size and skill.
As they look to improve this season with four returning starters, the Rangers will build around Dixon (6 points, 6.8 rebounds), McDermott (5.4 points, 8.1 rebounds), and LaPlante (5.3 points).
Drake thinks perimeter shooting, rebounding, post defense, and scoring balance will be his team’s more solid areas this season, and sees potential trouble with a lack of depth, ball handling, especially against pressure, and perimeter defense.
“My expectations for this season are very high, considering the players that are returning,” Drake said. “Over the summer, these guys have put in a lot of work that has increased their basketball IQ as well as their talent level. I expect us to surprise a few teams this year with our style of play.”
Contact Steve Junga at sjunga@theblade.com, 419-724-6461, or on Twitter @JungaBlade.
First Published November 30, 2017, 7:44 p.m.
