Loudonville's seniors are all grown up, lead the Redbirds to Division IV district title over Mogadore
CRESTON, Ohio - Two seasons ago, Loudonville's hopes of a district title came to a halt at Norwayne High School in a loss to Dalton in the district final.
This year, the Redbirds' three seniors - Corri Vermilya, Jena Guilliams and Sophia Spangler - drew on that experience to help lead them to the district title with a 61-44 win over Mogadore in the same gym.
"I didn't need to mention 2022 much to the seniors," Loudonville head coach Tyler Bates said. "They've felt the highs and the lows of their high school basketball careers and they know the standard that we have and what you need to do to come out and win big games like this. So they were locked in all week."
After Mogadore scored the first two points of the game, Spangler scored the next two baskets, including one where she faked a handoff to Vermilya and went the basket for a layup.
Mya Vermilya then scored to make it 6-2, and her older sister Corri scored eight straight and 10 of the next 12 for Loudonville - Spangler had the other two - and the Redbirds were off and running with a 16-3 lead.
"I think it definitely got our energy up, and kind of set the tone and we were all attacking, we were scoring," Spangler said. "That's what really got us going."
Mogadore never went away, but the Wildcats couldn't get the Loudonville lead down to under nine in the second half. The Loudonville seniors showed respect to their opponents, as they could relate, having lost that 2022 district final by 20 points.
"We were in Mogadore's position just two years ago, so we know how it feels and Mogadore gave us a really good game today," Corri Vermilya said. "They shouldn't be hanging their heads about anything."
Vemilya led Loudonville with 23 points, while Spangler had 12 and Guilliams scored nine, along with freshman Mya Vermilya.
Loudonville's Corri Vermilya cuts down the net after the Redbirds won the Division IV district title over Mogadore on March 2, 2024
Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports
Guilliams scored her nine points on three 3-pointers, and knew she needed to step up because of what had happened at Norwayne two years ago when her sister Shalen was a senior on that team.
"Two years ago was actually my sister's senior year and her career ended on this floor," Jena Guilliams said. "And I know just coming into it I needed to hit big shots for the team."
Loudonville knows this wasn't their best game of the season, but the Redbirds are happy to be going back to regionals for the first time since 2021, the freshman year for their three seniors, where they will play at Massillon Perry on Thursday, March 7 at 6:00 pm against either New London or Danbury.
"I know where we were two years ago, so it feels good to get that taste out of our mouths," Vermilya said. "Even though we didn't play our best on this floor, we still came out on top and won (a district championship), which we haven't done since freshman year."
The difference between that freshman year district title and this one? The three girls are now the main contributors. And oh yeah, they are a little older.
"I was just like a little baby my freshman year," Guilliams said as the three shared a laugh.
Loudonville actually won that district title on their home floor because of COVID-19, so cutting down the nets at home was nice. But to be the main three on this team meant a little something more.
"(2021) was awesome, but like Jena said, we were babies then," Vermilya said. "Being a senior now and winning, it's awesome. And being able to do it for the second time is cool."
It was also different because the Redbirds had set goals before this season began, some which reach far beyond just winning a district crown.
"Freshman year, I think none of us knew how far we were gonna go or even wanting to go," Vermilya said. "We didn't say our goals and set them ahead of us but this year, we know that this is just a stepping stone to where we want to end up."
But after winning as freshman, the heartbreak of losing in the district final as sophomores and then not to make the district final last year was something the head coach knew motivated his three seniors.
"Our seniors won the district as freshmen, and then to come back as sophomores and have that tough feeling where you walk away with a silver trophy instead of the gold trophy has been something on their mind," Bates said. "And I know it's driven them all year."
While Bates acknowledges the Redbirds have loftier aspirations than just winning a district title, he also knows what this accomplishment means as his seniors have now been apart of two of the only three district championship teams in program history.
"We have bigger goals than today for the team, but you have to win today to give yourself a chance for some of those bigger goals," Bates said. "And to come out and cross today off the list and win our third district title in school history is something that they'll never be able to take from this group of girls and I'm really proud of them."
-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh
