Volleyball 2008: Season of change? Well, sort of …
Steve Byrne | The Chronicle-Telegram
In a year when a couple of politicians and their minions are promising change, can we expect to see change in the local volleyball scene?
“It’ll be the same old-same old, Amherst and Olmsted Falls,” said Westlake coach Dan Berkheimer, speaking of the Southwestern Conference. “The rest of us will battle.”
Berkheimer’s feelings are understandable. Amherst and Olmsted Falls have dominated the SWC the way Ohio State and Michigan dominated Big Ten football in the 1970s. But a couple of teams have a shot at breaking into the SWC’s exclusive club.
Brecksville has improved dramatically since joining the conference in ’05. North Olmsted is a program on the move and Berkheimer’s Demons lost only one player from a 14-11 club.
The big change in the West Shore Conference could be 2007 co-champion Fairview, which lost its entire 17-6 team. Co-champ Midview, Rocky River and Bay all have excellent shots at the WSC summit.
The biggest change of all has already happened. Dave Cross, coach of Keystone for 22 seasons, has stepped down following a school-best 21-2 record. Can new Wildcats’ boss Jim Horvath keep the team on top of the Patriot Athletic Conference heap, or will some upstart like Brookside, which set its own school record for wins (19) in 2007, or timber-tall Buckeye, who graduated just two from an 18-4 squad, take over?
Change wasn’t kind to state powerhouse Elyria last year as the Pioneers fell to 16-7 in a season with a new head coach and new conference (Northeast Ohio Conference- Valley Division).
Kim Watson, Elyria Catholic’s veteran coach, sees only little change in the North Coast League where co-champion Padua and third place Lake Catholic are expected to stay on the top shelf. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, which shared the NCL crown last year, graduated tons of talent.
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Filed by Steve Byrne | The Chronicle-Telegram August 28th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 7% |
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