The Wadsworth High School girls ’basketball team has been dominating the Suburban Conference and Division this season, with a 20-2 win-loss
record, putting them on the path to the state tournament.

The team is currently ranked first in the conference and fourth among the 66 other Division I schools in Ohio, putting them in position as the number one seed in their quarter of the bracket, starting with a match-up against Euclid High School in the District Semifinal.

“At the moment, we are focused on our first opponent, Euclid, which helps us dial in on the moment,” said Daniella Ripplinger, a junior who has been on the varsity basketball team for the past two years. “States will come, but we need to make sure to give everyone respect while playing them.”

Currently, the team is taking it one game at a time, focusing on improving and being the best they can be for the games to come. The coach of the girls’ team, Andrew Booth, said there is an opportunity for a memorable ride at states, but it will have to be earned through hard work at practice and by applying those skills on game day.

Their season has not been all wins, though. Booth said the team lost to Brecksville, putting the Suburban League Championship in jeopardy. However, they bounced back with their next game against Hudson , coming back from a first-half deficit to win.

“The team really dug deep and dominated the rest of the game to pave the way to winning the league,” Booth said. “A very proud moment for me for sure.”

The team practices five to six times a week when there are no games. In practice, they stay competitive and hone their offensive and defensive skills. In addition to traditional practices, they also have scheduled lifting and scouting days to keep them ready for any opponent.

“We focus on the quality of our practice and work hard in order to truly get something out of it,” Ripplinger said.

Members of the team are proud of the work they have done towards improvement, Ripplinger said. She said that the team has made significant progress from last year, and she values the community that has come from this year’s
team.

“Whether it’s celebrating after a big win, or trying to fix mistakes we have made, everyone wants the best for our team,” Ripplinger said. “We have taken ownership of the opportunities presented, and not many teams do.”

Going forward, the team plans to continue working hard to improve in all areas of play, fine-tuning their techniques and conditioning for their future games.

“We can always be improving little details like catching to shoot or being more physical,” Ripplinger said.

Both Booth and Ripplinger said that they see a bright future ahead of the team, from the next few weeks, to the incoming
players.