Consistency can be a difficult standard for high school basketball players, especially when life away from the court is anything but.
Webster Schroeder is the exception that proves the rule. The Warriors, making their second consecutive final appearance and fourth in five years, knocked off top-seeded Penfield 58-51 in Friday’s Section V Class AA-1 championship.
Coach and player agree, this one has a little extra meaning. Schroeder coach Codi Mrozek, in the wake of a serious personal matter, only returned to the team in recent weeks. What she and other attendees witnessed was a team with an expertise in overcoming adversity.
“This year we were playing for something bigger than basketball,” senior Kylie Clement, the tournament’s most valuable player, said. “That really made it more special.”
“To win it again this year with this group, especially personally, is a storybook ending you can’t make up,” Mrozek said. “I’m so proud of these girls. They’re so resilient. I think they’ll look back on this season, not just that they won sectionals but how strong they are. Anything that comes in their way, from now until they’re moms and wives someday, they’ll really understand how strong they can be.”
Mrozek pointed to her “army of a staff” for stepping up in her absence. It’s true, Schroeder takes up more space on the bench that most teams. But each was needed during what was at times a trying season.
In the postgame celebration when coaches hand out championship medals to each individual player, Mrozek alternated with assistant Kevin Willmott — symbolic of his role when the head coach was away from the team.
“They brought the team together in a way that’s so strong,” Mrozek said. “It speaks to the foundation we’ve had and what we’ve built. Not every team could’ve sustained, not just winning but staying together. If you want to do it the right way, you have to have the right people.”
Class AA-1 all-tournament team: Kylie Clement, Webster Schroeder (MVP); Kenyatta Hart, Webster Schroeder; Avery Kroening, Webster Schroeder; Olivia Lanning, Penfield; Amiyah Miles, Hilton; Reegan Sercu, Penfield; Kelly Wightman, Victor.
Webster Schroeder’s youth shines
Adaptability is key for any successful program. For several years, Webster Schroeder was a guard-heavy team that operated as such at both ends of the floor.
Many of the up-and-comers, however, were positioned in the front court. Kylie Clement, who plays like a pseudo-point forward, was among the top returners, while eighth-grader Kenyatta Hart is a true center.
That personnel forced the Warriors to completely revamp their style entering the season.
“It was definitely an adjustment. We were a man-to-man team that rarely played zone, and now we only play zone. We don’t go man unless we absolutely have to,” Mrozek said. “The offense the last few years was a lot of screening for guards. Avery Kroening is our point guard and she’s fantastic, but we had to learn to post the ball. We had to adjust our philosophies.”
Facing a Penfield group lacking height, Schroeder continuously fed Hart around the basket, and the middle-schooler rewarded that faith with a team-high 19 points with 12 rebounds and three blocks.
That performance continues a banner year for Hart, who helped Schroeder’s varsity volleyball team capture a state title in the fall.
“I don’t know if she really knows how good she is, but hopefully after this season she will,” Mrozek said. “The fact that she’s an eighth-grader … we have all different types of weapons that help open her up, but they really understand their role which allows (Hart) to shine.”
Penfield was confident in its own approach. While more than half of Hart’s points came in the second half, Patriots coach Mark Vogt thought his group made life more difficult for the middle-schooler as the game progressed.
Their plan, while Vogt said it took “awhile to get to,” was to double-team Hart and force reluctant shooters to make plays.
“We had to be bold and not guard one of their players and just try to sandwich (Hart). That helped us get back into the game,” Vogt said. “The problem is, how do you replicate her height in practice? She’s polished. She doesn’t bring the ball down, uses the backboard really well. Very fundamentally sound.”
Stroke of bad luck for Penfield
Vogt has coached Penfield’s varsity for 25 years. During that time, there might not be a worse stretch of days than those that preceded the Patriots’ sectional run.
The Monday prior to the Patriots’ sectional opener, leading rebounder Sara Petre suffered a season-ending knee injury. The day before Penfield was set to play its first game, freshman Jordan Rasmussen — Monroe County Division I’s player of the year — broke her wrist. Olivia Lanning, who played in the section final with a face mask on, missed 10 days including the sectional opener. Another key player, Bella Cohoon, also missed time.
“I’ve never heard of that happening,” Vogt said. “We were the No. 1 seed and lost three starters in five days. But nobody is feeling sorry for us.”
At the most important time of year Penfield was forced to play left-handed, evidence that the Sports Gods can occasionally be cruel. Still, the Patriots pulled off a thrilling win against Victor in the semifinals and was within three points of Webster Schroeder with only minutes left in the final.
Along the way, young players who otherwise wouldn’t see the floor played crucial minutes. That should bode well for future seasons, that should be accompanied by better injury fortune.
“We had girls that didn’t play all year playing meaningful minutes in a championship game, and they competed,” Vogt said. “We’re losing seven seniors and they’re amazing, but we have young kids that learned what Penfield basketball is all about. Now they take up the mantle.”
By the numbers
93 — Days without a loss for Webster Schroeder. The Warriors exit the section championship with a 22-game winning streak.
14 — Rebounds for Schroeder’s Jenna DiMarco. That led the team.
7th — Schroeder’s Class AA state ranking entering the week. That will surely improve after losses from Pittsford Sutherland (second) and Penfield (fourth).
21 — Points for Penfield senior Olivia Lanning. That was a team-high.
3 — Section titles for Webster Schroeder. The Warriors also won in 1976 and 2023.
Quotes of the game
“She’s a goof when you really know her and that reminds you she’s an eighth-grader. But when you watch her play, she looks like she’s 16 or 17 years old. You forget she’s in middle school. What a way to lean into your next four years of high school.” — Schroeder coach Codi Mrozek on Kenyatta Hart.
“They’re a very good team and they’re going to be a matchup problem for a long time.” — Penfield coach Mark Vogt, on Webster Schroeder.
“I think we all put in a lot of work this season to get back here. We knew we had the talent and newcomers that could really help us. We played as a team which I think really helped.” — Kylie Clement on Schroeder returning to the final after last year’s loss.
Up next
Webster Schroeder will face AA-2 champion Canandaigua in the state qualifier next Tuesday.
Here is how the game unfolded:
Penfield vs. Webster Schroeder: Game start
Schroeder wins the opening tip and scores almost immediately.
Penfield 14, Webster Schroeder 13: End of the first quarter
Patriots ahead after eight minutes.
Webster Schroeder 26, Penfield 21: Halftime
Schroeder seizes the lead at the midway point. Kylie Clement leads the Warriors with nine points so far. Olivia Lanning has 12 for Penfield.
Webster Schroeder 45, Penfield 39: End of the third quarter
Schroeder hanging on. Kenyatta Hart finished an and-one in the final minute for the Warriors, but Penfield’s Bayleigh Freid answered with a 3-pointer in the waning seconds.
Webster Schroeder 58, Penfield 51: Final
Schroeder knocks down free throws in the final minute to clinch the title. This is the Warriors’ third section title.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Webster Schroeder holds off Penfield to claim girls basketball title
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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