Akron.com

Highland girls basketball coach praises team’s fortitude



GRANGER — Highland High School girls basketball head coach James Madison said one word best described this year’s team.
“Class,” he said. “This group of girls demonstrated ‘class’ all season long. Whether we won a big game or had a tough loss, these girls did it with class.”
The team finished with a 19-5 overall record and 10-2 in the league this season, Madison noted.
“I was very happy with the girls performance this year,” the coach stated. “We had a lot of players returning with varsity experience. All five starters and the top three subs returned, so lots of varsity experience returning. They were all juniors with the exception of one sophomore and one freshman. We had high expectations to win a lot games this year, which we did. We beat Barberton in the sectional final, then we lost to Hoban in the district semifinal. It was a very close game and the girls competed hard.”
Madison said his favorite memory of the season was “beating Barberton in the sectional final.”
“It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season and the girls really stepped up and rose to the challenge,” he said.
Looking back, Madison said the team was tested early, which paid dividends as the season unfolded.
“We played a lot of games to start the season off in a very short span. That prepared us for anything that came our way,” he said. “I’m happy our team was mentally ready to handle that grind of a schedule. Our experience also was a key strength, as the girls have been battle tested. Most of our team has been on the varsity since they were freshmen and it pays off in tight games because they have been there before.”
According to Madison, each starter brought something noteworthy to the table.
“Junior Kendall McCormick averages about 15 points a game. She is our top scorer, and when we really need a bucket, we depend on her to score,” the coach said. “Junior Tess Myers is our point guard. We rely on her to get her into our offense and stabilize things for us. Sophomore Madison Miller is our second-leading scorer at 8.5 points per game. She is a very good wing player that we rely on to do a lot of scoring for us as well. She was our best three-point shooter on the season. Junior Alexis Furyes averaged six rebounds and four-and-a-half blocked shots a game. She led the area in block shots. Junior Lindsey Frederick averaged four points per game and four rebounds a game.”
In addition, Madison said, several other players stepped up and offered valuable contributions toward the team’s success.
“The top sub off the bench, freshman Alayna Tessena, averaged six points per game and six rebounds a game,” he said. “Other key contributors are Brooke Stuart, Taryn Kenny and Lauren Frederick. They are all juniors. All three of them provided us with quality minutes off of the bench.”
With everyone slated to return for the 2020-21 season, Madison said the Highland girls basketball program is well situated for success next season and beyond.
“The future is bright,” he said. “We have our whole team coming back next year and we are excited to compete for a league championship and a district title.”