MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio — The slogan on T-shirts worn by Midpark's girls basketball team reads, "Hate it or Love it, There's No in Between," but the phrase, "Now or Never," sounds more appropriate. "There's a real urgency to win state, and we have a great opportunity to do that because of this year's talent," said Meteors junior guard Sam...
MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio — The slogan on T-shirts worn by Midpark's girls basketball team reads, "Hate it or Love it, There's No in Between," but the phrase, "Now or Never," sounds more appropriate.
"There's a real urgency to win state, and we have a great opportunity to do that because of this year's talent," said Meteors junior guard Sam Neric.
With its best team in years, Midpark is stacked for a long tournament run and what it hopes is the program's first final-four berth.
The urgency is serious.
Midpark soon will dissolve, with students transferring to Berea's building.
Midpark will be converted into a junior high school in the 2013-14 school year when it merges with Berea. That means sophomore varsity players Stasha Carey and Kyla Johnson will be playing for a new school their senior year.
"I just didn't envision that as a senior, and I'm not looking forward to it at all," said Johnson.
There's lots of uncertainty, including particulars of the new high school.
"The school colors will be orange and blue, but we don't yet have a name or mascot for the new school," said Superintendent Mike Sheppard.
The future of Meteors coach Stephanie Mentz is the biggest unknown. She's not a fulltime teacher in the district. She works as a substitute teacher, in addition to working in the service department at a local car dealership.
"I want to be the coach at the new school, but I don't worry about things I can't control," said Mentz, who is also planning an August 2013 wedding to assistant coach Brian Bruce. "All I can do is continue working at turning the program around and winning at the highest level."
Mentz has an 81-50 record in six seasons, and the Meteors have the credentials to reach the state final four this year.
They are ranked sixth in The Plain Dealer Top 25, and eighth in the Associated Press Division I state poll. They received the top seed in the sectional/district tournament at Valley Forge, which gets under way Saturday. Midpark's first game is Thursday.
A work in progress
Mentz's first team went 4-17 in 2006-07. The biggest challenge was keeping varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams afloat with only 21 players.
Her second year resulted in more players, a 9-12 record and plenty of hope because the Meteors seldom got blown out.
Midpark broke even at 11-11 in Mentz's third season before going 17-5 and winning the Southwestern Conference the following year. Then came last season, when the Meteors went 22-3, won another conference crown and reached the regional finals.
This year, the Meteors stand 18-2. They have lost just one conference game the past three seasons.
The stands began filling up during the Meteors' 2009-10 season. They sold out their ticket allotment for last year's district and regional games and are now winning back the older fans.
"They want to savor every moment remaining in the school's existence," said Mentz, who was head coach at now-closed St. Augustine and an assistant at Hathaway Brown.
The Meteors have given their fans plenty to cheer about, whether playing a halfcourt game or transition.
Senior point guard and Nebraska signee Rachel Theriot and 6-3 Carey are each averaging 16.5 points and 1.7 blocked shots.
Theriot adds 6.2 rebounds, 10.9 assists and 3.6 steals a game. Carey, who recently made an unofficial visit to Maryland, has a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game. Theriot, senior Brittany Smith and junior Korie Maryo have combined for 78 3-pointers.
Playing through adversity
All has not been bright while the team got better and better each season under Mentz.
Maryo lost her grandmother to breast cancer two years ago, and she has 8-27-10 written on her pink basketball shoes. That signifies the day Donna Gerrity passed away, leaving grandpa Bill Gerrity to carry on the tradition.
"He never misses a game," Maryo said.
Sophomore guard Kyla Johnson lost two grandparents within the past nine months. Shelia Johnson passed away suddenly in June, and John "JC" Johnson died Feb. 5 of cancer.
"My teammates came to [my grandpa's] wake the day before the Westlake game, dressed in our orange and gray sweats," said Johnson. "It really meant a lot."
Neric's cousin and close friend, Nick Neric, was killed in a hunting accident last month.
Nick Neric, 26, and married in October, was a doctorate candidate in clinical/bioanalytical chemistry at Cleveland State.
"He's the smartest person I've ever known," said Sam Neric. "My teammates were great. They were texting me and calling me to make sure I knew they were thinking of me and my family."
The team is spending much more time together off the court to help in the mourning process. Sleepovers, team meals and games of whirlyball have been frequent.
On the court, the increasing excitement and intensity as the regular season winds down have helped as well.
And while the team is determined to focus on the upcoming tournament run, players acknowledge it's also difficult to avoid thinking about the school's future.
"Hopefully, all the conference trophies we won will be somewhere in the new school so we're remembered," said senior Lexi Hassing.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: bfortuna@plaind.com, 216-999-4665
On Twitter:@BobFortuna
Source: http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/news/article/5428607751764351720
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