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From left: seniors Ava Neitzke, Myiah Welborn, and Kendall Braden will lead Toledo Christian this year as the Eagles are favored to win their seventh straight TAAC title.
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2023-24 TAAC girls basketball preview: Toledo Christian once again the heavy favorite

TOLEDO CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL

2023-24 TAAC girls basketball preview: Toledo Christian once again the heavy favorite

Toledo Christian has become a standout girls basketball program in northwest Ohio and statewide, and in doing so has asserted its dominance over the Toledo Area Athletic Conference in recent years.

The Eagles are riding a 40-game conference winning streak on the way to four straight outright conference titles and six straight overall.

Toledo Christian is 49-1 in its past 50 TAAC games, with its last league loss coming to Ottawa Hills five years ago.

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So it comes as no surprise that Toledo Christian is the unanimous pick by the league's coaches to win its seventh straight TAAC championship this season. Ottawa Hills and Northwood tied for second place in the league poll, while Maumee Valley and Cardinal Stritch rounded out the rest of the league.

Emmanuel Christian will not field a varsity girls basketball team this season due to low turnout.

The Eagles lost one of their best players from last year in Mackenzie Royal-Davis after she chose to transfer to Whitmer. But Toledo Christian still has one of the top returning players in the state in University of Toledo commit Kendall Braden and returns a talented and experienced supporting cast led by seniors Ava Neitzke and Myiah Welborn.

“My outlook on what it is going to take is for us to get better every day,” Toledo Christian coach Tim Wensink said of winning another league title. “Second is to always win our rivalry game with Ottawa Hills. Then we have to be mindful of the rest of the league in Maumee Valley, Northwood, and Cardinal Stritch. We don't want to overlook anybody. This year will be a bit different but our goals haven't changed.”

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With a lengthy winning streak in the conference, Toledo Christian should get everyone's best shot when it comes to league competition, but the Eagles also have their sights set on a long postseason run.

“At this point, for our league opponents, when they get to play us it's their Super Bowl,” Wensink said. “We're going to get their best. We're still seasoned and we still have girls who have played in a state championship game before. Those girls are not going to overlook anybody in our league, that's for sure, and neither are our coaches.”

Here is a look at the TAAC teams in predicted order of finish:

TOLEDO CHRISTIAN

Coach: Tim Wensink, eighth year

Last season: 24-4, 10-0 TAAC

Top players: Seniors Kendall Braden, 5-8, G; Myiah Welborn, 5-7, G/F; Ava Neitzke, 5-9, F; junior Grace Fortney, 6-1, F; sophomore Reghan Markley, 5-7, G.

Strengths: Ball handling, perimeter shooting, perimeter defense.

Weaknesses: Rebounding, post defense, depth.

Outlook: Braden (22 points, 5 assists) is the only returning starter from last year's team and is one of the three seniors on this year's team. She is the reigning Blade player of the year. Welborn and Neitzke should help a strong defensive unit on the perimeter with Fortney counted on to be the post presence. Markley is young but is a talented offensive player who could complement Braden's offensive ability. The bench is a young group that will be looked upon to step up when they see time on the court.

“I really feel like this team is very balanced on offense and defense,” Wensink said .”We have great team chemistry. We have great guard play and great post play. They are an athletic group. This team has played a lot of basketball and their IQ level is very high.”

OTTAWA HILLS

Coach: Sean Mercer, 23rd year.

Last season: 8-15, 6-4.

Top players: Senior Eliana O'Rourke, 5-7, G. Juniors Lily Berenzweig, 5-10, F; Haley Gibson, 5-5, G. Sophomore Sydney Snyder, 6-0, F.

Strengths: Post defense, rebounding, inside scoring, scoring balance.

Weaknesses: Depth, handling pressure, creating pressure, and perimeter defense.

Outlook: The Green Bears return three starters from last year's team in O'Rourke, Berenzweig, and Gibson. Berenzweig is the leading returning scorer at 7.6 points per game and added 7.6 rebounds last season. O'Rourke chipped in with 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.

“We are a young team that is working hard to improve daily,” Mercer said. “We must find ways to overcome the scoring void and leadership lost with the graduation of Annie Bazzoli, Ella Berenzweig, Liz Lathrop, Caroline Perz, and Lily Richardson. Eliana O'Rourke, Lily Berenzweig, Haley Gibson, and Sydney Snyder are our most experienced returning players, and they are excited to take on this challenge. Their leadership on and off the floor will be key to this team's success.”

NORTHWOOD

Coach: Andrew Dickey, seventh year.

Last season: 10-12, 5-5

Top players: Seniors Natalie Thompson, 5-7, G; Autumn Schroeder, 5-9, G; Cassidy Genson, 5-5, G; Bree Bolden, 5-8, F; junior Carissa Davise, 5-11, F.

Strengths: Depth, perimeter shooting, rebounding.

Weaknesses: Handling pressure, creating pressure, inside scoring.

Outlook: The Rangers have three starters back from last year's team and have six seniors and six juniors on the roster. Schroeder has battled injuries throughout her career but will be a four-year returning starter and Thompson is also in her fourth year and runs things at the point guard position. Genson is the team's lockdown defender and will be starting in her third straight season. Davise and Bolden provide length and athleticism in the interior.

“We have a senior-heavy team that wants to have fun playing basketball and win some games,” Dickey said. “We will use our experienced varsity squad to grind out wins versus an incredible local team and a tough TAAC league. The TAAC is going to be a battleground this year with everyone trying to steal a game from the defending champs.”

MAUMEE VALLEY

Coach: Jamall Shuman, first season.

Last season: 10-7, 7-3

Top players: Senior Maya Cecil, 5-4, G; juniors Rose Parcher, 5-10, F; Khari Bland, 5-6, G; sophomore Sofia Avram, 5-9, F; freshman Mira Varshney, 5-4, G.

Strengths: Ballhandling, perimeter shooting, rebounding, inside scoring.

Weaknesses: Depth, creating pressure, perimeter defense.

Outlook: Two starters return for the Hawks this season including Parcher, the top returning rebounder in the conference. With only two seniors and two returning letterwinners on the roster, this will be a new-look team for Shuman's first season, but one with plenty of potential to surprise.

“This is a very hard-working group of girls that have a lot of talent and potential,” Shuman said. “With limited numbers this season, we hope to slow the game and have an inside presence. Taking care of the ball by minimizing turnovers will be key.”

CARDINAL STRITCH

Coach: Tim Yenrick, second season.

Last season: 1-23, 1-9

Top players: Senior Asia Brown, 6-0, F; Lillian Hugill, 5-9, F. juniors Mackenzie Kinnie, 5-7, G, Sydney Miller, 5-6, G; sophomore Alivia Castro, 5-7, F.

Strengths: Ballhandling inside scoring, post defense.

Weaknesses: Depth, handling pressure, rebounding.

Outlook: Brown is the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder at 8.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Miller is a transfer from Emmanuel Christian who will play at point guard. Between Brown, Hugill, and Castro, the Cardinals have some decent height inside which will need to be one of the strengths of the team. Kinnie is a talented all-around athlete, who should help Cardinal Stritch on the perimeter.

“Our numbers continue to be our critical issue,” Yenrick said. “Team chemistry with nine new players out of 13 is a factor that contributes to our depth. Our team success will be based on how quickly we can improve our fundamentals and team play.”

First Published November 20, 2023, 8:51 p.m.

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From left: seniors Ava Neitzke, Myiah Welborn, and Kendall Braden will lead Toledo Christian this year as the Eagles are favored to win their seventh straight TAAC title.  (TOLEDO CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL)
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