Bar set high for state champion Lady Red

Even after a state championship, the expectations haven't changed for Bellevue. The Lady Red were 28-1 last season, taking home the Division IV crown after a win over Kettering Alter. Bellevue has won 15 straight league titles dating back to its time in the now-defunct Northern Ohio League. That just means the standard for Bellevue girls basketball is at its peak. "The expectations are very high here at Bellevue," said Lady Red coach Kory Santoro, who is 242-43 entering his 12th season as coach. "They don't change from year to year. Coming off of the state title, we're feeling pretty good. We're excited for another year. We have a very good team." It's easy to say Bellevue is defending its state title. Although more of a Michigan fan, Santoro is taking the same approach preferred by Ohio State football coach Ryan Day. While the Lady Red are the reigning state champions, players have changed. Leading scorer Hailey Rees (15.6 points per game) and do-it-all guards Audrey Turner and Brooke Brown have graduated. Rees is playing college basketball at Indiana Tech. "On paper, people say we're good," Santoro said. "We haven't done anything yet to earn anything. It's a new team with new personnel. I like our makeup, but at the end of the day, we haven't done a darn thing yet." The Lady Red return NCAA Division I Youngstown State signee Kaitlyn Turinsky, who averaged 12.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game last season. The 6-foot-3 post easily could have had more blocks had teams attacked the rim. Most teams avoided it due to Turinsky's athletic abilities. "She averaged a double-double last year, but we think she can get to that 20-point mark and increase her rebounding a little more," Santoro said. "She's an exceptional, rare talent that only comes around once in awhile. We're looking for a big year out of her." The Lady Red aren't shying away from competition. Bellevue opens its season Saturday against Northern 10 Athletic Conference runner-up Carey, which won a district championship last year. The Lady Red also play Division I power Perrysburg, local Division VI heavyweight Margaretta, Division VI consistent contender Berlin Hiland at Classic in the Country and Division III state runner-up Avon Lake. The Lady Red pounded Strasburg-Franklin at CITC last year. "We like to schedule tough games to see where we're at," Santoro said. "We're not going to get any better if we put a running clock on a team. You want to schedule like it is tournament time. You'll be battle-tested. We are big on that. Our schedule will be tough and our schedule will be a challenge." Junior guard Ellie Freitag is back for the Lady Red. At point guard, Freitag averaged just over one turnover a game for Bellevue. She scored six points per game, making 70 percent of her free throws. Freitag gets Bellevue organized on both ends of the floor. "She's an extension of me," Santoro said. "She does a very good job of running our offense. Ellie is smart and shifty. She makes the right play and doesn't turn the ball over a lot. Ellie puts herself in great positions all the time. She doesn't get enough credit defensively." Santoro is excited to have junior sharpshooter CJ Savage back this season. Playing off the bench last year, Savage averaged 7 points per game, leading Bellevue in made 3-pointers (58) and 3-point shooting percentage (37 percent). "She could be one of the top shooters in the area," Santoro said. "She's led the area in 3-point shooting, but she's grown as a player. She's matured as a player. She's going to surprise a lot of people." The wealth of experience returning is joined by freshman Ava Jakubcin-Theis, a transfer from New Riegel. At Midwest Live over the summer, Jakubcin-Theis led Bellevue in scoring in both games it won. She's a winner and pure scorer who will bring something to the table for Bellevue. "Overall, she's a great kid," Santoro said. "She's an exceptional talent and the sky is the limit. She's only going to continue to grow in our system and the players she is playing with. Ava is going to be a great defender and offensive player. She is somebody you're going to want to watch." Santoro said Mazie Gracemyer, who played in 28 games last season off the bench as a freshman, will likely be the fifth starter for Bellevue. Bailey Nichols, Ava Hirt and Lexie Easterwood will come off the bench. "We're very happy with the roster we have," Santoro said. "We can do a lot of different things with these girls. We're looking forward to another great season. Hopefully we can get down the tournament trail like we have in the past."