SANDUSKY ― At this time last year, Granville guard Ella Dils was getting ready to undergo a knee surgery that would cost her both soccer and basketball seasons.
She’s been cleared to return for her senior year, and although the calendar might say summer, Dils and numerous Licking County girls hoops players are already thinking winter. They’ll be at Cedar Point this weekend, not only riding roller coasters but competing at the Sports Complex against some of the best teams and players in the state at Midwest Live.
“It’s a little bit intimidating, just coming back, but once I get back into competition like this, it’s just muscle memory,” Dils said as the Blue Aces practiced for their trip. “Yes, it’s just a summer tournament, but it’s mainly about us coming together as a team. Seeing how the team is competitively, pushing us to grow.”
Both Granville and Newark made the Sweet 16 last season, Licking Heights lost in the district finals, while Johnstown and Utica scrapped for the Licking County League-Cardinal Division title with the Johnnies prevailing. Those five and Watkins Memorial will head north as a test for how their summer work is progressing, and how they might look in several months.
Newark made the trip last year, but this time it will be under new coach Kevin Eckenrode. He inherits a veteran team with high expectations, with two of his players, Calli Geller and daughter Leah, playing in all-star games at Midwest Live on June 19. Geller will play in the 2027 game for Top Thrill 2, while Eckenrode is in the 2028 game for Valraun.
“This team has been working hard all summer,” coach Eckenrode said. “When I came in and started coaching them, they were a bit surprised with how hard they were going to work, but they’ve responded. They’ve been fantastic in the weight room have done a lot of skill work, too. Our assistant coaches, Gabby Stare and Hannah Farnsworth, have been really good at that. We played against four really good teams in one tournament and were also at Ohio State.”
The return of sophomore Camille Royster from a knee injury has been a big boost.
“She got cleared in April or May, and she’s looking really good,” coach Eckenrode said. “She’s going to turn some heads this year. Emma (All-Ohio senior Quackenbush) is out sick right now and is obviously a big part of what we do. But our role players have had to step up, and are getting an early chance for playing time. We have really good chemistry.”
The Wildcats will face Gilmour Academy, perennial small-school powerhouse Berlin Hiland, Warrensville Heights and Magnificat over the weekend. Johnstown will play the same four teams.
“We know a couple of the Gilmour girls from AAU, and Warrensville Heights will get up and press us,” coach Eckenrode said. “It will be good for us to see.”
Johnstown coach Scott Helmke is excited to make the journey for the first time with his ever-improving program. Caylin Cox will play in the 2027 all-star game for Steel Vengeance.
“The past three or four years, we’ve been pretty solid, and we want to play the better teams,” Helmke said. “We want the best competition to challenge us, see where we are and what we need to work on.”
He said the Johnnies have had a really good summer thus far.
“We went to the University of Cincinnati for a day, Ohio State for a day and played in a 7-8 team shootout at Colonel Crawford,” Helmke said. “Caylin (Cox) has been playing at a different level. We also have some incoming freshmen, like Ryan Slack, who are going to quickly make an impact. For the first time since I can remember, we won’t have a 6-footer, but we’ll be athletic, quick and play a little different way. I like our blend of personalities.”
Having been to Cedar Point last year, Granville coach Kellon Thomas knows what to expect. The Blue Aces will take on defending Division IV state champion Laurel Academy and three district champions in Massillon Jackson (Division I) and Massillon Washington and Brecksville (Division II). That is after facing Jackson, Mason and Fairland last June.
“We’ll put our name in that hat, see where we are and where we need to be,” Thomas said. “It’s an exciting experience. We have a lot of seniors, and this is their last opportunity to do it. In the past at Granville, we’ve had some really good rosters but might not have gotten them prepared to meet high expectations. We’ve been knocking on that door for many years.”
Last season, the Blue Aces played at the Classic in the Country and also faced Dublin Coffman, a Division I district champ, late in the year.
“We want our kids to enjoy the summer, but it’s also a chance to bond, and it’s important for our older girls to be leaders,” Thomas said. “Right now, we’re missing some pieces from how we’ll look in December. Ella (Dils) has been cleared but we won’t have a couple of others for this. That’s OK. We wanted the chance to play competition like this and it’s a good learning experience.”
Also playing in the 2027 all-star game, for Maverick, will be highly-regarded Utica post player Emily Ritzer. Utica will battle Tippecanoe, Howland, Norwayne and Streetsboro over the weekend.
Watkins has Division II regional finalist Twinsburg, Division VI district champ Richmond Heights, Avon and Springfield on its Cedar Point schedule.
Licking Heights will go up against the Division VII state champion, Strasburg, Division IV regional finalist West Branch, Northwest and Fort Frye.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County girls hoops teams head to Cedar Point for summer test
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
