Fall Athletics Wrap Up

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Athletics Director Bob Beatrice Shares News from the Crossroads Current Fall Athletics Season

Girls’ Volleyball

The 2018 volleyball season was a total success for the Current. We accomplished many of our goals for all three high school teams, and 37 girls were able to have fun, learn, improve, and work together.

The C team, comprised of freshmen and sophomores, played a limited schedule composed of like opponents. The object was to give these girls an opportunity to learn to play the game the right way and progress in their skill development. They did a great job! Members of this team include; Jena Denney, Ellie Hughes, Ashleigh Johnson-Jones, Astrid Bliss, Meredith McWilliams, Kieran Warren, Camielle Wilson, Lizzie Braver, Lauren Moore, Tru Longer, Julia Wolff, Ella Nolan, Mia Martinez, and Elizabeth Edwards. Some of these girls swung from C to JV to get more experience.

For JV players, the goal is to learn and understand the compete level necessary to be successful at the Varsity. Although younger players can be  less consistent, the training ground is set to have higher expectations of performance and accountability. We were very pleased with the success of this team and the development that we saw from many players. On the weak side of the court, Ashlyn Wiley and Amelia Adams shared the court time and did strong work. The middle hitters included Maya Ledbetter, who is really starting to come into her own. The freshmen MH included Elizabeth Edwards, Julia Wolff, and Lauren Moore. All of these girls have good futures. On the outside, Niejah Crump led the way with a breakout season. Grace Rogers, Caroline Buchholz, and Tru Longyear also contributed on the outside. Helene Plumb was the primary setter while Ella Nolan and Mia Martinez got some good experience backing her up. Zoe Zigler was a solid back row player while VJ Shaw handled the very important libber spot.

The Varsity team had an outstanding season, falling just short of their ultimate goals. The team finished 23-7-1 with an 8-2 record in the SCAA. The only conference team that beat the Current was the powerful Maplewood-Richmond Heights team who finished 29-2. Crossroads beat Ritenour to win the University City Tournament Championship, avenging two consecutive championship losses. We also got to the District Championship, but fell to Lutheran North.

This team was very deep and had a nice blend of veterans and young players. Our seniors were good players and good teammates. Narchelle Chism had her best season but found herself behind some excellent players on the depth chart in the middle. Same situation for Kayla Williams, who played well when put in the game. Paige Nolan completed her career with an outstanding season at setter. She was consistent and provided strong leadership. Paige was named Honorable Mention All-Conference. Malasia Taylor served as our libero during her tenure. Perhaps the best all-around player in the conference, Malasia was deservedly named 1st Team All-Conference.

This team is lucky to have a strong junior class. Zoe Venable headlines this group and again was named 1st Team All-Conference as an outside hitter. Catherine Birch was named Honorable Mention All-Conference and is an extremely consistent performer. Nya Steward was named 2nd Team All-Conference as she has developed into a strong middle hitter and blocker. Madison Fuller and Olivia Smith both provided strong play on our weak side. Claire Guest was a change of pace middle for us, and Mirriana Brigham had some good moments. Sophie Cohen appears ready to take the reigns at setter next season with a strong season. Meg Corbett did a nice job in the back row and is in line to take over at libero. Freshman Tayah Burnett announced her presence this season playing well while winning the second MH position.

We are very proud of these girls and know that next season should be another outstanding year!

Girls’ Tennis

The Girls’ Tennis team had a strong rebuild season under new coach Ken King. The team finished 5-7, but they often played better than that record indicates. The team stayed in most matches and showed a strong level of determination. This group of girls also showed the necessary ability to adjust during a match, something Coach King emphasized. With such a small squad, the girls really bonded together and provided great support for one another. The team gelled by the end of the season and advanced to the District Championship before falling in team play.

The seniors on this team were of particular importance. They provided leadership and set the example for the younger players to follow. Emily Hirshman was the returning #1 player and was a stable force in the lineup for all of her four years. Emily upped her game even further this year, advancing to the semifinals in singles in the District Tournament. Arno Yang also improved a great deal from last year to this season. Arno also advanced to the semifinals in singles in the District Tournament. Blaire Williams transitioned well from volleyball to tennis. She slotted in often at the #2 singles spot and was an excellent doubles player. She and freshman Mia Schoengerdt advanced to the semifinals in the tournament as well. Jurni Bayok was one of the most improved players on this years team. Jurni played both singles and doubles during the season before focusing on doubles for the end of the season tournament.

Junior Lily Yang did a good job at the bottom of the regular season lineup. She improved a great deal and will provide good leadership next season as a senior. Sophomore Kate Sherman was a player that also made large strides in her game this season. Kate will be counted on to move far up the lineup next season.

The freshmen were of great importance this season and will be looked upon to move up the lineup and provide some wins for the team next season. Chadsidi Darden proved to be a formative player, but had a tough time staying healthy this season, battling a nagging knee injury. Mia Schoengerdt came on strong by season’s end and will be a strong player for the Current next season. Sasha Atterbury showed good improvement this season and needs to take the next steps to advance up the lineup.

We are proud of our girls who played this season and we look forward to them building on this season’s success.

Boys’ Soccer

The Boys’ Soccer team had a much more competitive season than the past two years, finishing with a record of 4-14-1. That record can be deceiving as the Current played very close contests with many strong opponents. The season did provide a bit of a roller coaster as the team hit a mid-season struggle, before regaining its traction and playing some good soccer at the end of the season. Crossroads advanced to the District Championship game before succumbing to State semifinalist Lutheran North.

The team this season had very strong quality leaders in the senior class. They really stepped up after last season and needed to calm the foundation of the club. George Nichols has been an integral part of the team during his career. He was consistently energetic and was good at transitioning the ball toward the offensive end. George was named 2nd Team All-Conference. Davin Do did a nice job in the midfield, and an even better job off the field as one of the leaders. Manny Gerbi did well as one of our goalies and helped keep the mood light. Angelo Gralnick played the role of irritant for the Current. He was relentless on the ball. Andrew Guest was an important player throughout his career on the pitch. Eyvind Hovmand Warner did a superb job this season. He was consistent and was a strong leader for the team. Although injured throughout the season, Jude Huck Reymond was a key piece for the Current. Katsuhiko Kishi had his best season of his career, playing a lot of key minutes. Adam Raney was a key part of the leadership group and did some nice things on the field. Jabari Wimbley had a nice final season for the Current.

The junior class provided a lot of the spark for the team. Jordan Caradine had a very strong breakout season. The most skilled player on the roster, Jordan started putting together some touches and helped supply the offense. Jordan was named 1st Team All-Conference. Russell Bigham had a knack for pushing through the ball. He was tough and consistent all season. Michael Green found himself dealing with injuries much of the ear, but was a strong contributor when healthy. Giani Panzeri returned to the field this year and did a great job transitioning the ball to the offensive half. 

Many sophomores played key roles as well. Harbor Wolff was a rock in the goal all season. An extremely hard worker, Harbor was named 2nd Team All-Conference. Jordan Bogan did well at forward for the Current, providing another scoring option. Jackson Dobslaw was a very solid player for the team all season, extremely consistent. Dylan O’Brien, Addison Steinbach, and Jacob Plax worked very hard and will need to be counted on more next season. Mathew Ritter had an excellent season on the back line for Crossroads. He will need to be one of the stalwarts of that defense next season. Kyle Tomasula had a great first year on the pitch. He will be another player that will be counted on next year.

Some key freshmen made important improvements this season and will help carry the load in the next few years. Sam Bigham has great energy and foot skills and figures to be one of the centerpieces of the team. Elek Borelli also has fine skills and should develop into a fine player for the team.

Overall, we are feeling confident that this soccer team is headed in the right direction and look forward to marked improvement next season.