Lady Bears want to make more history at state

CASTALIA — Margaretta's girls basketball team has already made history this season. The Lady Bears want to make more this week. Margaretta has won a program-record 26 games this season, but the Lady Bears have not won a game in the state semifinals in five previous trips to the final four. Coach Ray Neill's team gets a chance to change that when it meets Canton Central Catholic in a Division VI semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Nutter Center on the campus of Wright State University. "We've been there before," said Neill of taking the Bears to Dayton in 2023. "There should be some positive in that. The whole experience, they've been on that long bus ride. Staying overnight… our yearly trip to Classic in the Country helps prepare us for that." The Bears, ranked No. 1 in the state this week by MaxPreps, have ridden a strong defense and a grind-it-out style to win five tournament games by an average of 25 points. Margaretta has allowed an average of just 25.4 points per game in the postseason. Only one opponent has scored more than 30. That came in the Bears' 37-31 regional final victory over Patrick Henry. Neill credits assistant coaches Corey Britton and Tony Haerr — he calls them "film fanatics" — with crafting effective defensive game plans. "It was good before I got here," said Neill of Margaretta's strong defense. "Coach (Eric) Kochendoerfer did a tremendous job establishing what it takes to be a good defensive team. I was blessed to have Brian Heck (current Clyde head coach) alongside me as defensive coordinator. A couple years, I had both Brian and Corey Britton and right now we have Corey and Tony Haerr. "Those guys have done great jobs and we as a staff have preached that it's defense, rebounding and offense. Defense travels. We have some girls who have bought into that with a fire." Margaretta is making its sixth trip to the state semifinals — all coming since 1993. Current seniors Cassidy Lane, Ellyse Schaefer and Kenadie Saylor were freshman on the team three years ago and soaked it all in as the Bears dropped a 60-50 decision to Chippewa in an afternoon semifinal. "I remember the lights were so bright and the floor was huge," Lane said. "It was an amazing feeling and I wanted to come back. Us seniors are the captains of the team and we did this." Lane leads Margaretta with 14.1 points per game. The 6-foot post also averages a team-high 9.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals. Schaefer averages 9.8 points per game and is the Lady Bears' all-time leader in made 3-point baskets. She also leads the team with 2.2 assists per game. Saylor averages 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds. All three will play college basketball. The fourth senior starter — Lillian Belak — is third on the team in rebounding with 3.5 per game and is known for her sticky defense. "Lilly Belak and Kenadie Saylor are exceptional defensive players," Neill said. "Cassidy Lane maybe doesn't get the credit she deserves in regards to her ability to deny the ball to the post and also get into passing lanes." Sophomore point guard Ellaynah Schaefer is the fifth starter and averages 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. Canton Central Catholic is 22-5 while recording its first 20-win season in 10 years. The eighth-ranked Crusaders, who are making their first final four appearance since 1981, are led by 5-6 junior Grace Finefrock, who averages 14 points per game. No. 2 St. Henry (25-1) faces No. 3 Harvest Prep (25-1) in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. Margaretta has won 18 straight games since its only loss — to defending Division IV state champion Bellevue. "We put together the schedule we do to prepare for a tournament run," Neill said. "At the beginning of the year, we didn't expect to be here 26-1 because of the level of competition we were playing. That's a credit to our girls. They've just found a way to win games." Neill's status Neill has a 93-17 record in four seasons as Margaretta's head coach. The energetic 73-year-old, who is a proud Margaretta alumnus, said he plans to coach next season and beyond. "Yes, I'd like that," said Neill this week. "Obviously I'm excited about coaching in the new building." Neill alluded to his status as head coach at Tuesday night's community pep rally. "One of the things I'm gonna talk about is there is a misprint in the paper: I'm not 73, I'm 37," he said. The veteran is big on enjoying the moment, and the Lady Bears are doing just that. They stopped in Elida on Wednesday night to watch the Margaretta boys play in a regional semifinal before heading to Dayton. "We're trying to make it the greatest life experience we can, but limit any outside influences that can prevent us from winning two more basketball games," Neill said. Thea's role Thea Wybensinger, a talented sophomore guard who transferred to Margaretta from Port Clinton last fall, averaged 7.5 points in the first 11 games this season. Due to OHSAA transfer rules, she was not able to play the second half of the season. Wybensinger is doing what she can to get the Bears ready for the final four. "My role is to help them get ready at practice," Wybensinger said. "Me, Tessa (Lane), Alyssa (Reinbolt) and Isla (Palomo) are trying to give them the right matchups for who we're gonna play. My role is to watch and learn as much as I can." Wybensinger, who makes a 25-minute commute to school, said she enjoys playing for Margaretta. "I came to Margaretta because I felt it would be the best look for me in the future," she said. "Port Clinton, we heard they weren't gonna have a team so we thought this would be the best for me. I love it here; it's been great."