Danbury 5: Seniors looking to leave lasting mark

DANBURY TWP. — None of the five average even 10 points per game. Danbury's five seniors, who have started 17 of the Lakers' 18 games this season together, are more of a spread-it-out kind of team. But when push comes to shove, they're a group that has done significantly more winning than losing. They hope to do a lot more of it before this season ends. "It's been a lot of fun, and we've won a lot," Mia McDonald said. "I think we've gotten closer because of that. Not just because of winning, but going through all the things we've been through and adversity. I think that's made us closer as a team." Mia McDonald, Ella McDonald, Thea Brickner, Maci Brown and Katelynne Bergman have been through the ups and downs any basketball career brings. This year, the group is 15-3 overall and 12-2 in Sandusky Bay Conference River Division play. They've experienced the highs of a game-winning bucket by Bergman to beat Gibsonburg back on Jan. 11. They've also experienced the lows of seeing a double-digit lead against the same Golden Bears slip away in a loss Tuesday. "(Tuesday's) game was tough," Danbury coach Joe Miller said. "I know the girls are still bothered by it. Like I told them, we have a lot to look forward to. This season is definitely not over. I feel like we have a lot of good basketball ahead of us. "We still have a chance to be potentially maybe conference champions and who knows? Last year, we won a district championship for first time in school history. It's not out of realm of possibility to make a deep tournament run and win a lot more games. I know they're not going to be satisfied until they get as far as they can." The group, along with then-seniors Kelly Uhnick, Maria Maringer and Michaela Harris, won the school's first district title when it beat New London. The Lakers finished 24-3 last year, setting the school-record for wins in a season. Danbury fell to eventual regional champion Loudonville in the regional semifinals. "We're able to handle a lot of pressure," Brickner said. "We have our slip-ups, but it doesn't define us. Definitely high expectations. We're all very driven to achieve our goals. We just keep looking ahead, no matter what." Basketball isn't the only sport the group plays together. Bergman golfs in the fall while the other four play volleyball. In the spring, some are together for softball while some are together for track. "I feel like they're almost my family now," said Brown, who was named the SBC River Division Most Outstanding Performer for volleyball this past fall. "We've been together for so long. I trust them with everything. "We've become really close and we do everything together, even outside of basketball. I think that bond we have bringing it into basketball makes it even a bigger thing for us." There's no superstar on the team. Ella McDonald is the leading scorer at 9.9 points per game while Brown is at 7.9 points per game. Mia McDonald is right behind at 7.7 points per contest, and Brickner adds 7.2 points per game. "The five seniors that are starters have been tremendous all year," Miller said. "I feel very blessed to have them in the program doing all the things they do. It's really probably the little things people don't even realize. "They volunteer their time on Sundays to help with our youth organization. They're keeping the scorebook, refereeing and running the scoreboards. It's not just them taking. They give back to the younger kids and try to do whatever they can to encourage them." Brickner and Bergman didn't play their freshman season when Danbury went 16-7 under Dick Heller. The year before in the 2020-2021 season, the Lakers were 8-12. "We had Thea backing Maci last year as a point guard, but it truly wasn't her best position," Miller said. "When we had Maria Maringer playing the 2 (position), it's hard to get Thea a lot of minutes." Miller noted Thea helped carry the Lakers on offense early in the season. "She was our leading scorer for three games at the beginning of the year with her tremendous outside shooting," he said. "She's also a ballhawk. She has a nose for the ball. She gets into passing lanes really well." Brown is just about everywhere on the floor, sometimes flirting with triple-double numbers. She averages 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.7 steals per game. She leads the team in 3-point shooting percentage at 41 percent and has made a team-high 26 triples. Miller compared her to Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback who will play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. "Can't say enough about her ability to control the game at 5-foot-5," Miller said. "She's a point guard that takes pride in her craft. I'm absolutely positive she has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the entire SBC. "It's pretty close to 3-to-1, which is impressive for someone that has to handle the ball as much as she does," he added. "She's phenomenal in her ability to find the open person and make some amazing transition passes. She drops that ball like Mahomes out of the sky." Mia McDonald is third on the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. She also adds 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. "Mia certainly has the ability to get a double-double every night," Miller said. "In the post, she is really strong. She finishes really well. I think she shoots almost 60 percent from the field. She's a force to be reckoned with. She's a good rebounder and plays really good positional defense. "She gets the biggest post player on the other team and sometimes she's giving up two or three inches a night." Ella McDonald has become a Swiss Army knife, Miller said. She grabs 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game and has played every position for the Lakers. "I'll never forget as a sophomore we were down two post players... we didn't know until the day of the game," Miller said. "She went in and played the 5 (position) when she normally plays the 3. She started and did a fabulous job. "Ever since, she's been our Swiss Army knife. She has really done a great job in changing what her responsibilities are to help the team." When Miller took over before the 2022-2023 season, he knew he needed to get Bergman and Brickner back on the court. Bergman takes on the opposing team's best offensive guard, becoming a defensive stopper for the Lakers. "Katelynne's role has expanded as the year has gone on," Miller said. "She is a track star. She runs the floor extremely well. She is on the receiving end of a lot of those beautiful passes that Maci lofts over the defense. She has become our defensive stopper." Danbury went 20-5 in Miller's first season. The Lakers reached their first district final in program history before losing to Buckeye Central. "We always hang out together," Mia McDonald said. "We ride with each other to the games. We're always together. If you want to go somewhere, those are the people you call. I think it's fun going out and doing things together." Danbury is a combined 58-11 since Miller took over as coach. These five seniors have been a big part of that. The coach said while they lack size, they make up for it with quickness. "They play hard," he said. "They don't ever quit. That's why we're in every game that we play. It's why we've had the success we've had the last three years. I think there's maybe two teams that have had the success and wins we have in the last three years. Maybe Bellevue and Margaretta might be the only two. "It's been a good run and they've been a big part of it." All five said chemistry was a big part of why they've been so successful. The group has been together since elementary school. They often know what another one is doing before they do it. "It's definitely made us more like sisters," Bergman said. "We have a really strong bond, especially since we go from season to season together." The group was honored for Senior Night on Thursday before defeating Fremont St. Joseph, 64-27. "We work like a well-oiled machine, especially passing," Brickner said. "We share the ball. We're always looking to give up the ball when we need to our other teammates." Danbury is set to be the No. 1 seed in the Division VII Shelby district when the final rankings and brackets are released Sunday. The Lakers lost to Seneca East earlier this season, but could use that as motivation if the two meet in the tournament. "We're obviously trying to take it one game at a time," Brown said. "We don't want to look too far ahead. We have a tough district this year. We have one team we already played to and lost. We definitely want to go as far as we can. Playing at a regional last year definitely shows us we can do it again." While the goals are high, Miller won't put a cap on what his team can do. He's seen them through the best times and worst times recently. Regardless of how the group ends their careers, they will be able to look back on a great high school career and remember it for a lifetime. "I don't think they're going to be satisfied until they get deep in the tournament," Miller said. "I won't put words in their mouth. I have a lot of faith in them. I don't want to limit them. I don't know what's going to happen for sure, but I do know they care a lot and they're going to put their best foot forward. "I know in their mind they're going to be tough to beat."