Lake teams notch wins across sports as Blue Streaks surge past Boardman

December 2 may have been a terrible day for travel, but the Blue Streaks made the most of it as Lake capped its trip to Youngstown Boardman with a dominant second-half performance in a 64-42 win over the Spartans to remain undefeated. 

Lake held a 15-9 lead after the first quarter of the nonconference matchup, but Boardman responded by outscoring the Blue Streaks 16-11 in the second period, leaving Lake with a narrow 26-25 lead at halftime. The Blue Streaks then took control, scoring 23 points in the third quarter to build a 49-35 advantage before cruising to victory. The win contrasted sharply with last season’s home loss to Boardman, showcasing Lake’s improved offensive efficiency as the team shot just shy of 59% from the floor and went 9-of-21 (43%) from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Lucas Draher led Lake with 22 points, while freshman guard Taden Coblentz added 21 for the Blue Streaks (2-0). Senior guard Gavin Salzwimmer scored nine. Coblentz and Draher each hit three of six three-pointers. Junior Logan Miller grabbed seven rebounds, and senior Zach Novak pulled down six while adding a block and three assists.

Girls Basketball

It’s tough to get a read on Lake with last season’s leading scorer still working her way back from injury. In Hayden Croyle’s absence, several players have had to shoulder more of the offensive load, with senior Savanna Horning often leading the way. But not always.

In Lake’s 37-26 nonconference loss to West Branch on Dec. 1, only two Blue Streaks scored, and sophomore forward Kaitlyn Josef delivered a career-high 18 points in the defeat. The Warriors are a perennial postseason force in the Eastern Buckeye Conference, making them a difficult matchup even if Lake were at full strength. Lake led 11-9 after the first quarter but was held scoreless in the second. Still, the Blue Streaks trailed by just six entering the final quarter. Horning added eight points and five assists, and both she and Josef hit two three-pointers. West Branch (2-0) was paced by Audrey Eaton’s 13 points.

Two days later, Lake opened Federal League play at GlenOak and, still without Croyle, secured a 37-34 win to snap a three-game losing streak. Freshman point guard Lily Phillips stepped up with a game-high 15 points, including two free throws with under five seconds left to seal the victory. Trailing 16-14 at halftime, Lake surged with a 17-7 third quarter to take control. GlenOak (1-1, 0-1) rallied to within one before Phillips’ foul shots iced it. Horning delivered an all-around performance with seven points, six assists and five steals, while Josef added eight for Lake (2-3, 1-0).

Swimming

Lake opened the season with two tri-meets, beginning Dec. 3 at Massillon Washington. Both the boys and girls teams defeated the Tigers but fell to Kent Roosevelt. The Lake girls beat Massillon 126-26 and lost to Roosevelt 117-57, earning three individual wins: Addyson Whaley in the 200 freestyle (2:11.15), Elizabeth Stephens in the 200 individual medley (2:34.33) and Elizabeth Kotyk in one-meter diving (74.30). Stephens and Whaley joined Olivia Davis and Nicole Hayes on the second-place 200 medley and 200 freestyle relays.

The boys also split their meet, defeating Massillon 78-39 and falling to Roosevelt 122-47. Lucas Bauer provided both wins for Lake by taking the 200 freestyle (2:02.92) and 100 butterfly (1:04.65).

Two days later at C.T. Branin Natatorium, Lake faced Alliance and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. The Lake girls swept both opponents, defeating Alliance 81-7 and CVCA 59-35, with multiple first-place finishes. Stephens, Davis, Hayes and Whaley won both the 200 medley relay (2:08.00) and 200 freestyle relay (1:51.92). Whaley added wins in the 200 free (2:12.66) and 500 free (5:54.58), while Stephens won the 100 butterfly (1:13.21) and Davis took the 100 backstroke (1:14.79).

The boys defeated Alliance 47-35 but lost to CVCA 63.50-28.50. Bauer, John Hagan, Eliot Westhoven and Benjamin Kotyk tied CVCA for first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:39.86). Kotyk earned the team’s lone individual win in the 50 freestyle (24.95).