It Is Truly One For All & All For One In Westlake This Season

Cover photo by @PhotoDAC

Bridget Stroski hit a three pointer with seconds remaining in the Westlake Demons 71-38 win over North Olmsted last night and it earned perhaps the loudest roar of the season. To the naked eye it may have not seemed like a big deal, a “garbage time” bucket in a game well decided.

But with this Lady Demons team, there is no such thing as “garbage time” as every minute counts, just like every player and moment counts. They are truly all for one, and one for all. It may sound cliché, but it is how this team plays, wins, and thrives.

The reason that shot going in was so big is because the Lady Demons understand the importance of everyone getting their moment, everyone scoring, everyone contributing and everyone getting their chance to shine.

For Stroski, the minutes have been hard to come by this season on varsity, but that is not a sign of talent lacking, but rather a sign of just how deep this team is. Perhaps bigger than any bucket going in, was the reaction from her teammates who came unglued in support of their teammate.

No injury, no illness or any perceived shortcoming can ever hold down their spirit. They fight, scratch and claw for respect, and at this point in the season, how could anyone not give it to them?

Their fight and team spirit come from their coaching staff. A passionate bunch that can adjust on the fly and teach while still motivating.

Their leader, the incredible Karen Swanson-Haan who has returned to her hometown to lead the Demons on what is shaping up to become a magical run.  Karen Swanson graduated from Westlake in 1999 and joined the Notre Dame University basketball team the following fall as a walk on.

She wasn’t a five-star recruit, or a kid with a full ride, far from it. She was a talented, driven, hungry and determined young woman who wasn’t going to take no for an answer until legendary head coach Muffet McGraw gave her that tryout. McGraw did, and Swanson made it count.

Notre Dame is famous for many reasons, but the casual fan loves to talk about “Rudy”. I’m not going to go that far, but I will say this about it. Swanson went from fighting for a chance to make the team, to helping her teammates hoist up the NCAA Women’s National Championship Trophy after a thrilling come from behind victory over Purdue. If that doesn’t spell motivation, I don’t know what does?

The coach has instilled that passion in her players and it shows every time they take the court. It showed last season with senior leader Abby Matalavage. An incredible talent who was born only 60 days before the coach was hoisting championship gold. Matalavage was an unselfish hardworking player who did whatever the team asked of her. She was so fast with and without the ball they called her, “Turbo”.

Matalavage may be gone now, tearing up courts at Lake Erie, but her teammates have been making her proud all season. As mentioned, this team plays as a team, with every piece being as big as the one next to it.

It doesn’t matter if it is Anna Williams and Jenna Kowalski coming up from JV to play quality minutes with Varsity, or senior leaders Abby Carrington, Stephanie Randar and Gina Adams dominating the board and lanes.

In a sport where the position of “true center” seems to be fading fast, Randar is old school and will post you up on offense and block your shot on defense. She is a force to be reckoned with down low and has been keeping opponents second guessing all season when they try to drive the lane.

Speaking of driving the lane, for my money no one does it better in the SWC then Gina Adams and Abby Carrington. That goes beyond just girls’ basketball too, that is the entire SWC conference both boys and girls. What makes these two young ladies even more dangerous is their ability to drain the deep ball as well.

If a team locks down on Carrington and Adams, then the motion Demon G attack will find Junior shooting sensation Emma Hall wide open in the corner to nail a three ball herself. When Hall heats up from downtown, there is no stopping her.

Last year in a playoff game against Strongsville, it was Hall having her coming out party, burying 5 three balls from beyond the arc as the Mustangs had zero answers.

I spoke earlier of the depth on this team, and that point was proven against Berea-Midpark when Christina Zkiab stepped up for an injured Hall and had a masterful game against the Berea-Midpark Titans right before Christmas break. It is floor generals such as Zkiab, Gigi Redinger and Summer Salem that know exactly how to slow the pace when needed.

They calm this team down by running the point when asked to do so. Salem is a starter and Redinger is one of the first girls off the bench every game. Both can run the point and both can make things happen by drawing all kinds of attention.

Speaking of Christmas break, while other teams may have been resting, this squad flew down to Florida to participate in a tournament that saw them take on several of the best teams in the Sunshine state. Including a pair of state runner ups during that stretch.

Two rooms holding 12 teenage girls for nearly five days and there was absolutely no fighting. Just bonding and team chemistry building that is crystal clear every time they take the court.

Perhaps what makes this team truly special is a crew of girls that do a lot of grunt work that may not always show up on the stat sheet. Sensational Sophomores Abbie Gardner and Katie Whitesell battle for every single rebound and can be found making several sharp passes on the perimeter as well. Often times it is a key pass by Gardner and Whitesell that leads to a wide-open shot. Also, as they did last night, both girls proved that they score too when they want to!

At the end of the day, what this team does best is their vaunted full court press. Few have been able to break it, and it just goes once again to show their team first attitude. The reason why it works is because they can run it all game if they want and not tire out. They are 10 deep and Swanson-Haan is constantly subbing players in and out to keep them fresh.

They have lost one conference game all season, a heartbreaker to Olmsted Falls much earlier this season. Since then they have not lost a conference game, or any game in the Buckeye state for that matter. They will get the chance to avenge that loss this Saturday at 1:30 on the road in Olmsted Falls.

Win or lose, rain or snow, one thing is for sure, the two hours out of your Saturday will be well spent watching this gigantic matchup. From a coach who fulfilled a dream by coming back to Westlake, to a group of girls who truly play for one another, how could you not root for this team?

(McKee is a 9 time published author of Cleveland sports books, Ohio MMA and also the founder and CEO of KEE On Sports. His books can be purchased anywhere books are sold, or on line at Amazon)