The Linsly girls’ basketball team completed a special, albeit abbreviated season recently when the Cadets knocked off Class AAA John Marshall to finish a perfect 12-0.
It was the culmination of four years of hard work from a talented and diligent senior class. The teams’ OVAC championship, while not won in the updated tournament format, is still a nice cherry on top of said season.
Cadets’ head coach Rebecca Upton couldn’t be prouder of her players or happier for them. Well, maybe she could be slightly happier, provided she actually got to watch the final two games in person.
Upton became ill last week and missed both Thursday’s game at Oak Glen and the finale against John Marshall. Ironically, in a season filled with social distancing and live stream, neither place was able to provide a feed for the coach to watch.
“That was the most frustrating part,” Upton said with a laugh. “Oak Glen doesn’t stream, and when John Marshall moved the game from the fieldhouse to the school, that also went out the window.”
Some of her players’ parents attempted to livestream using social media, but in-gym reception wasn’t conducive to doing so. That left Upton to be updated by somewhat less technologically advanced means.
“I had parents texting me updates, especially on Friday,” Upton said. “They were literally texting me minute by minute almost. They tried to stream via Facebook, but that didn’t work out and it’s okay. They had bigger fish to worry about.”
It’s the first unbeaten season during Upton’s tenure at the helm and just the school’s second—the first came during the 1999 season in Ashley Battle’s junior year.
But this time, it wasn’t an All-American and future WNBA player leading the charge, but a gritty group of seniors led by Molly Herron that got it done.
“I couldn’t be prouder of those girls. They had very clear goals at the beginning of the season,” Upton said. “They knew what we’ve have to do and that an OVAC title would be a paper title since it’s based on points, but that we’d need to come in and go undefeated, not only to obtain enough points, but to justify it.”
Naveah Cook drives the lane and dishes to the perimeter for an open look 
Brinley Steen eyes up a 3-pointer 
Molly Herron gets a step on her defender and takes advantage
Class AAA Champs
Looking at the OVAC Class AAA standings, the Cadets are atop with a 70.667 average in points. Second place is Fort Frye with 58.1. The Cadets finished with just two losses—a regular season loss to Division II-runner up Vinton County, and a regional semifinal defeat to Division III champion Hiland.
Both games the Cadets led and could have won. Linsly’s original schedule, back before the push to a March start, had the Cadets v. Cadets showdown twice on the regular season, with a likely third meeting coming in the OVAC Tournament.
But the pandemic put the kibosh on that eventuality. Still, Upton was extremely complimentary in speaking of Fort Frey.
“We had them twice on the schedule, so we would have been able to settle it on the court and that’s what’s sad about the shorted season,” Upton said. “They are so disciplined and structured on the court. They don’t deviate and they can control a game like no other.
“They are a whole different beast”
Both teams are losing three starters but return their leading scorer—four for Linsly, if you’re talking home games.
Linsly effectively had six starters as senior Lourdes Giovengo drew the starts for home games, while junior Haley Heitz did so on the road.
“We’d joke about it and even Lourdes repeated with about having six starters,” Upton said.
Herron, Giovengo, Nevaeh Cook, Brinley Steen, and Favour Oladapo are the departing seniors. Herron served as the team’s emotional leader and do-it-all while Cook’s skills running the point and provided scoring will be sorely missed.
Giovengo and Steen were two capable guards, with Upton calling Steen her “x-factor” for her penchant for being all over the place and make the right play at the right time.
Oladapo admittedly didn’t play a ton of varsity minutes, but her practice contributions were paramount as she pushed junior leading scorer Carleigh Grimm to her limit every day.
“She pushes on Carly as much as anyone could. She’s another reason we were as good as we were,” Upton noted.
Speaking of Grimm, the 6-foot double-double machine returns next season for her final campaign, as does fellow incoming senior Heitz, a pleasant surprise from the opener this season.
Not the tallest of players, Heitz made up for it with a sweet lefty stroke form the perimeter and tenacious play on defense.
“Everybody notices her when she shoots 3s and scored 15 or more per game,” Upton said. “But I notice her all the other times, when she’s in the right position defensively, when she’s hustling after every play. She’s an unbelievable blue collar player.”
Carleigh Grimm goes up for two against Clay-Battelle 
Haley Heitz lets fly of a 3-pointer against the Cee-Bees.
Cupboard Reloading
Upton admitted one of the big keys to this season came from the team’s increased depth, not only in the varsity rotation, but even in the quality of work the team got in practice because of the effort and skill of the backups.
“We had a little more depth this season, which always helps. We didn’t necessarily play that depth every game, but we practiced that depth, and it made a big difference,” Upton said. “We could go hard in practice and it made a big difference.”
There are a number of promising underclassmen, including with players like Ally Hicks and Kailyn Wilson, and London Pobodnik. Big things are expected from Brooklyn Edge, who missed nearly the entirety of her freshman season with an injury but was expected to see quality varsity minutes.
Then, there’s the incoming crop of freshmen. Linsly’s eighth grade team finished undefeated and boasts a couple of players who will likely see varsity minutes right away next season.
One is 6-footer Zaniah Zellous, who can regularly be seen working on her vertical and getting rim at the Howard Long Wellness Center. She has the potential to turn into a dominant force inside, especially next season when paired with Grimm.
Cook’s PG duties will likely stay within the family as cousin Haylen Cook will help ease the burden significantly at the point. The younger Cook sports a solid set of handles and is a dynamic scorer with an unending reserve of energy. Her talents on the cross country team in terms of endurance carry over nicely onto the court.
“We have several girls in that class who will be very helpful right away, but there are a few other solid players who we expect to contribute,” Upton said. “I’m really excited about that group and I hope they stick together and keep playing.”
The future certainly looks bright for the black and orange.
