Medina boys basketball showing growth through challenging stretch

Medina’s boys basketball team looks experienced on paper, with seniors spread throughout the roster. In reality, the Bees remain very much a work in progress, and if history under veteran coach Chris Hassinger is any guide, progress is exactly what lies ahead.

Medina entered the week with a 7-4 overall record, including a 4-3 mark in the Greater Cleveland Conference. The league includes at least three teams expected to make noise in the postseason, with the Bees hoping to make that number four.

Last Saturday, Medina dropped a 71-63 GCC decision to Mentor. The Bees held a 49-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter but were unable to close it out, a result that reflected the team’s ongoing learning curve.

Senior Garrett Myers led Medina with 16 points against Mentor, while classmate Ryan Harubin added 15.

Although the Bees have eight seniors, varsity experience is limited, and the team is gaining it in real time. Earlier this month, Medina showed its potential by taking Brunswick and Mr. Basketball candidate Trey Drexler into overtime.

So while Medina entered the week having lost three of four games, including a trip to Shaker Heights on Jan. 20, the Bees appear to be finding their rhythm. Seniors Brody Kopkas and Lucas Hogan, along with juniors Beckett Miller, Bishop Burch and Korde Carey, continue to show rapid improvement.

Girls basketball

Medina’s girls basketball team slipped to 7-8 overall and 5-4 in the Greater Cleveland Conference following back-to-back losses to strong opponents. The Bees first fell 53-23 to league-leading Mentor, with Addy Shook pacing Medina with nine points.

Medina followed that with a 51-42 nonleague loss to Toledo Start at the Classic in the Country in Berlin. A shaky second quarter proved costly, as the Bees were outscored 18-4. Abby Dress led Medina with 14 points, while Vivian Kelps and Shook each scored 11.

Elsewhere, Highland moved into a first-place tie in the Suburban League American Conference with a 48-44 win at Copley on Jan. 14. The victory left Highland, Copley and Aurora tied atop the league standings at 7-2. Madi Morgan scored 12 points and Rowan Kildoo added 11 for the Hornets.

That result set up a key matchup for Highland on Jan. 21 at Tallmadge, which handed Copley its other league loss on Jan. 10 and sat one game behind the leaders. Aurora and Tallmadge were also scheduled to play the same night, leaving much still to be decided.

Wrestling

Medina placed seventh as a team at the Maumee Bay Classic on Jan. 17 at Oregon Clay High School. Taegan Gilmore finished as runner-up at 120 pounds. Dominic Fillipo placed third at 112, and Cliff Nicholson earned a third-place finish at 285.

Highland captured the team title at the Bill Dies Memorial tournament at Firestone High School in Akron, scoring 294.5 points to finish comfortably ahead of runner-up Louisville’s 253. A total of 32 teams scored at least one point.

Individual champions for the Hornets included Brandon Bickerton at 120 pounds, Austin Bickerton at 126, Niko Giatis at 155 and Lukas Grillis at 190. Brennan Kicker finished runner-up at 150, while Cody Bendau placed second at 285. Kyle Scavuzzo (132), Riley Pylypiak (113), Hoyt Pylypiak (138) and Leonidis Giadis (144) all finished third. Artha Rogers placed fifth at 157, as did Joseph Oriti at 185 and Kallen Whitling at 215.

Buckeye, which split its lineup between two tournaments, finished 19th with 63 points at the Dies Memorial. Vinnie Joy placed sixth at 106 pounds, and Zach Simmons finished sixth at 120 for the Bucks.