Coming off of a 20-3 season including a school record 17 consecutive wins and an undefeated record in the NCL, the squad will need young talent to step up big. Two returning seniors, 1st Team All-NCL Krissy Sokol and Honorable Mention NCL Taneka Lewis, will look to lead the Knights with solid varsity experience under their belts. However, these two key players have noticed the overall smaller stature of the team.

“We will get around our size issue by running the ball and making sure we are aggressive down low to make our presence felt,” Sokol said.

Lewis likewise feels that this obstacle can be surmounted with a few new wrinkles to the game plan heading into the season.

“We’ll have to play a more full court game and not get caught up in half court games with bigger teams,” Lewis said. “We will fast break and put pressure on the ball and trap to cause easy turnovers to get easy points.”

Last season the team was able to generate a 20-win season with the help of highly decorated graduates Rachel Tecca, Nikki D’Amico and Brittany Brown– all current college athletes. Along the way, the team was able to capture its fourth consecutive NCL Blue Division Championship and an OHSAA Sectional Championship.

Tecca, a member of the women’s basketball program at the University of Akron, feels strongly that despite the small stature of this year’s team great accomplishments can be made.

“The Hoban girls have great potential for this season,” Tecca said. “They may be small, but they have great shooters and great speed.”

The team will need to capitalize on precise shooting and team speed as they face a rigorous schedule. Sixth-year head coach Tracy Miller believes that they can find success nonetheless.

“We play a tough schedule opening with Ursuline, St. Vincent-St. Mary and Walsh, but we are ready,” Miller said. “We are young this year and our biggest challenge will be finding a continuity with five girls playing together at one time on the court.”

Lewis agrees that gelling as a single unit will be the most important task this season.

“Team chemistry at this point is good. It’s better than it has been in the past,” Lewis said. “We kick it together on and off the court and it will work in our favor in the long run.”

Another challenge to be faced this season is the inexperience of underclassmen. Leading the way will be junior and Second Team NCL member Emily Orsini.

“They are also very young, but it seems like they are all eager to learn and have the desire to win,” Tecca said.

Despite the challenges to be faced this season on the court, Lewis feels that the most important battle will be fought while the clock is not running.

“Our biggest key to success will be our mentality and the mindset we have going into games,” Lewis said. “You have to know you can do something before you can actually do it.”

The preparations made on and off the court will be on full display this Saturday as the squad tangles with rival St. Vincent-St. Mary at 2:30 PM in Barry Gym.

“We have plenty of room for improvement this season,” head coach T.K. Griffith said.

Last season, in spite of the losing record, the boys were NCL champions with an 8-5 league record. Major wins over league rivals like Lake Catholic, Holy Name and NDCL secured the title. Matt Seikel and Greg McMullen received First Team All-NCL honors. A.J. Pero and Adam Zsely followed with Second Team All-NCL honors. Pero, Zsely and McMullen all return this year and will be key factors to the team’s success.

When comparing this team to last season’s, the difference is experience. The majority of the team has already received their baptism by fire with solid playing time throughout the past season.

“Though still young, the team has a lot more experience,” Griffith said. “Almost all of them know the stress and pressure of a varsity basketball game.”
To make up for falling short last season, their schedule is the hardest the team has seen in years. Teams like Walsh, St. Peter Chanel, Kenmore, Cleveland Central Catholic and St. Vincent- St. Mary will attempt to interrupt the Knight’s domain at Barry Gymnasium.

“We have the talent to play with any team,” senior captain Pero said.

The depth of the squad is possibly the greatest weapon in their arsenal.

“We have 12-13 guys who are ready to play at all times,” senior captain Zsely said.

“We’ll be able to rotate at will without missing a beat or dropping the talent level,” junior guard Trevor Oldham said.

The younger players of the team will consist of sophomore posts McMullen and LaTroy Lewis as well as sophomore guards Sean Robbins and Michael Reeves. Several veteran juniors like Trevor Oldham, Nate Greczanik and Evan Luse will also bring an edge to the team. Seniors Zsely, Pero and Norm Jesser lead the crusade.

“We need to develop a greater team chemistry and while we are at it learn our 60 offensive plays,” Pero said.

Sophomore center McMullen will not be healthy until around the first game due to a wrist injury. The 6’5’’ tower of power is expected to be a stronghold to the team’s success.

Another player to watch is senior guard Adam Zsely. He has proven himself to be a reliable talent. Pero is also expected to “make it rain” this season with his lights-out shooting ability.

A team motto commonly used on and off the court is stick-to-itiveness. Zsely describes it as, “Sticking with every challenge, no matter how hard it gets.”

With the boy’s brutal schedule, stick-to-itiveness will be essential to securing the tradition of Hoban basketball.

The boys begin their campaign on Tuesday, Dec. 8 against Padua Franciscan; then, only three days later clash with the Irish of St. Vincent-St. Mary.

“I’m excited to start the season and have a fresh start,” said Gutlove, a dancer with 12 years of experience.

The team debuted 15 years ago, making it a fairly new group. Since then, the team has continued to grow in size and spirit.

“I have loved building the team up and making it more accepted at Hoban,” Pizer said.

After a decade and a half of cheering on Hoban teams, the girls have not lost their zeal for dancing. They initiate each season with a summer camp at Pizer’s studio where they start learning several dances. To improve their technique, they practice two to three times a week and before games, performing a different dance to a new song at most home games.

“I pick most of the songs,” Pizer said. “I try to keep them crowd friendly and do different genres like jazz, lyrical, and musical theater because we have a lot of different people to entertain.”

Their success has been forged by the efforts of Pizer, a dancer since age three. She started to seriously dance at age nine and began teaching her own classes at 15. Currently, she owns her own studio, 8 Count Dance, located in Green. She has been the Hoban coach for three years.

“The girls did not have a coach, and I stumbled upon the job,” Pizer said. “I was a student teacher at Hoban so it worked well to teach and then go to practice.”

Although Pizer choreographs the routines, the captains contribute a lot as well.

“If Tara cannot come to practice, we run and correct the dances and at games we make sure everyone is there,” Gutlove said.

As co-captain, Testa is also motivated by her role and love of dance for the coming season.

“It is really fun to see the audience’s faces and our classmates’ reactions because they really like the dances,” Testa said.

With an ample supply of leaps, twirls, energy and smiles, the dance team can entertain and revive the crowd and basketball team.

“If people don’t think cheerleading is a sport, I think they should come to one of our practices,” head coach Marilyn Stripe said.

Hoban cheerleaders begin in early summer with three practices a week, including tumbling, mounting and learning dances and cheers. The girls also participate in a five-day OHSAA camp, which consists of cheering from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM.

“We started practice in June to prepare for our intense cheer camp,” senior Jen Kalbus said. “We trained by running the hills, doing line drills, lifting weights and dancing.”

Besides a busy summer, the squad also has the longest season out of all Hoban teams. They cheer for two consecutive sports, football and basketball, and then compete in statewide competitions.

To keep up with their demanding schedule, the Knights practice three days a week. One of the practices is spent at Perfect Balance to practice tumbling and mounting. The other two days the team is forced to practice in the cafeteria because of the lack of gym availability.

“The girls pay out of their own pockets to go to Perfect Balance,” Stripe said. “When we are there we practice for a hour and a half. The girls work really hard during this time.”

Besides being physically demanding due to the gymnastics aspect, cheerleading also has a mental facet. Just as sports teams, like basketball or volleyball, come up with their own plays, the team makes up their own dance routines and cheers.

“The girls make up all dance routines or add motions to past ones,” Stripe said. “The only routine they are taught is their state competition routine.”

While the choreography is compiled together by all members of the squad, the senior leadership shines. Kalbus, Cassie Balawender, Maria Chiurazzi, Amelia Marshall, Brittany Martina, Jeana Milan, Alyssa Palcko, Angela Paridon and Anne Marie Shaffer all contribute to make school spirit overflow in the stands.

“We are all leaders,” Kalbus said. “Brittany, Amelia and Angela take charge when making up and teaching cheers and dances. They are huge assets to the squad.”

“She’s the glue of the athletic department,” head football coach Ralph Orsini said.

Lancianese, a 1977 Hoban graduate and a parent of six Hoban alumni, is one of the first faces Hoban student-athletes encounter when they turn in their physicals.

“I keep track of the physicals and eligibility lists and help out the coaches with whatever they need,” Lancianese said.

She organizes senior nights and banquets to make sure that every student-athlete is given the recognition they deserve.

“My favorite part of my job is the athletes, the students,” Lancianese said.

Her love for the students is shown in the snacks she keeps on her desk for the students to nibble on throughout the day. Although the athletic office has moved behind the gyms, Lancianese’s presence is still strongly felt by the students.

A frequent fixture at most home games, Lancianese can be seen bundled up during fall sporting events when the weather is less than favorable. However, Lancianese admits that she has a favorite sport to watch.

“Football. It’s always been, even when I was growing up,” Lancianese said.

When she is not cheering on teams from the sidelines she is organizing player lists, recording game scores and scheduling practices.

“I don’t think any athletic team could be successful without her,” athletic trainer Candace Larlham said.

The hard work and dedication that Lancianese shows to every sport makes her the undisputed MVP Hoban athletics.

Thirteen students are aides for the upcoming winter season, ten girls and three boys.

“I try to place one student aide with all contact sports,” Certified Athletic Trainer Candice Larlham said. “I can usually place two student aides with each sport. For example this winter we have student aides with boys and girls basketball at all levels, wrestling and swimming.”

Each aide has many responsibilities. They are in charge of making sure stocking the kit, cleaning the training room, and preparing water and ice for their team.

The most important role of the student aide is learning about injuries and anatomy. They must be able to tape and know when to send an injured player to Larlham. Because of their responsibilities to the players, many of them attend summer camps to learn techniques and assessments.

“The student aides are a tremendous help,” Larlham said. “They make life a lot easier and free up a lot of my time to focus on injury evaluation and treatment by taking care of the daily needs of the team.”

Athletes incur many different injures that student aides need to be prepared to handle. They are normally the first ones on the court or field to assist an injured player.

“My favorite part is getting to know the teams and seeing athletes’ injuries from beginning to end,” senior Alex Clark said.

Clark has been a student aide since her sophomore year and has lettered six times. She thought it would be a lot of fun and a great learning experience.

“It is a great program and I have met so many great people,” Clark said. “They really appreciate what we do. I love training and I’m super glad I got involved.”