AKRON, OHIO 44306 JANUARY 23, 2007 Singer Lily Allen

Varsity Sports
Girls basketball is on a win streak heading into Walsh game
BY MATTHEW JORDAN
Most teams with a 11-
2 record are playing
at their full potential.
Senior Erin Orsini thinks the
girls basketball team is not one
of these teams.
“I always think there is room
to improve,” she said. “Hopefully
in our last nine games we
will be able to gel together.”
Head coach Tracy Miller
would like to change things offensively.
“We have to improve our
half-court offense,” Miller said.
“We are an up-tempo style
team, and teams try to break us
down and not let us get into our
fast break set.”
The Knights will have a
chance to work together tomorrow
against rival Walsh Jesuit.
In the latest Associated Press
state poll for Division II, the
Warriors are ranked number one
overall.
Miller explained why he
thinks Walsh is number one.
12
“They have six or seven players
who play very well together,”
Miller said. “We are going to have
to play one of our best basketball
games to beat them.”
Walsh head coach Don
Smith has similar respect for
Hoban.
“Hoban has a great tradition,”
Smith said. “They have an outstanding
coaching staff and overall
very high quality players.”
According to Smith, junior
Brianna Segerson and senior
Johanna Zaccari are Walsh’s returning
starters and cocaptains.
Orsini is excited to play the
Warriors.
“Walsh is the big game for
us,” she said. “It is always a
close game with Walsh, no matter
who is playing on either
side.”
Sophomore Nikki D’Amico is
Not having much luck, boys hope to beat Warriors for third year
BY ANDREW LICKING
Halfway through the season, the
boys basketball team is now 4-6
overall and 2-3 in the North Coast
League.
After a 15-point loss at Buchtel Dec. 5,
and a five-point loss to Youngstown Ursuline
Dec. 12, the team rebounded with a decisive
14-point victory at home against NCL
opponent Cleveland Central Catholic.
This win did not get the team over the
hump, though. It lost its next four games to
St. Peter Chanel, South Urban, Holy Name
and Padua Franciscan. The games against
both Holy Name and Padua were down to
the wire and decided by 2 points each.
Since then, the Knights have won two
games, against Lake Catholic and East by
12 and 7 points, respectively.
Junior guard Mitch Dorfman thinks that
as a whole, the team is showing progress.
“We started off slow, but now we have
Senior Tenishia Benson (center) receives congratulations from
Heather Armbruster, Shantel Lawler, Erin Orsini and Kerry Hocevar
on signing with the University of Cincinnati.
“We started off slow,
but now we have begun
playing as more
of a team.”
—junior Mitch Dorfman
begun playing as more of a team,” he said.
Senior guard Nick Casto, who has started
to see some significant minutes of late,
thinks the team is making strides in the right
direction.
“We had a rocky start to begin with, but
things are shaping up,” he said. “We’re
working hard every day trying to turn the
season around. As of right now, we’re looking
to win some big games.”
This Friday at 7:30, the Knights will defend
their two-game win streak in what is certain
to be a big game at home against Walsh.
Historically, the Walsh game has been
impressive. Whether it was last year’s domi-
Photo by Mary Anne DeCenzo
optimistic.
“We haven’t won [against
Walsh] for a few years,”
D’Amico said. “Hopefully we
can win this year.”
On Martin Luther King Day
weekend, Hoban participated in
the Classic in the Country IV at
Berlin Hiland High School. This
statewide minitournament attracts
scouts from all over the
country and is a preview for the
state tournament. Hoban defeated
the Green Wave of
Greenville convincingly, 76-39.
Orsini was impressed by the
Knights’ play against Greenville.
“[The margin of victory]
wasn’t because Greenville was
that bad,” she said. “We just
played well on both sides of the
ball.”
Hoban is going into the
Walsh game riding a eight-game
winning streak. These wins include
convincing victories
against Holy Name, St. Thomas
Aquinas, Padua Franciscan and
Youngstown Ursuline.
nation by Hoban or the Knights’ 20-point
comeback two years ago, the game’s recent
history does not disappoint the Hoban fan.
Dorfman talked about the team’s preparation
for the game.
“We’re focusing on our effort, making
sure we are hustling and working the ball
around to get everyone involved,” he said.
“Walsh is a rivalry game, and all rivalry
games are tough.”
According to Dorfman, the team will also
try to control Walsh’s bigger players in the
paint. To do this, the team will look toward
sophomore Brian Slack, who averages over
10 rebounds per game and has six blocks this
year, and senior Mitch Kolesar, who has five
of the team’s 13 blocked shots in the season.
Dorfman believes wholeheartedly in a
strong home-court advantage.
“It really pumps you up for the game
when you come out and you see the place
full of people,” he said. !
THE VISOR JANUARY 23, 2007