Title Town: Loudonville girls basketball celebrates its sixth consecutive MBC championship
LOUDONVILLE — Move over, Boston.
Loudonville is the new Title Town.
After clinching its sixth consecutive Mid-Buckeye Conference championship on Jan. 20, Loudonville’s girls basketball team needed to beat Mansfield Christian to finish MBC play unbeaten.
The Redbirds were challenged throughout the game but pulled away late to beat the Flames 60-52 Saturday at Loudonville High School.
It’s downright impressive what Loudonville has done since the streak began.
The Redbirds (14-4, 8-0) have gone back-to-back seasons and four of the past five years without losing a conference game. They’ve won 23 consecutive league games and 55 of their past 58.
“Winning a conference title never gets old to me because I know how much work is put in to win one,” Loudonville coach Tyler Bates said. “I think there are times over the years where our girls have made things look easier than they really are. There’s been a lot of hours put in during the offseason, in the weight room and in the gym getting shots up.
“Each one is special because each team has its own story and cast of characters.”
Loudonville lost several key players to graduation, so the team had some question marks heading into the season.
Sensational sophomore Corri Vermilya has taken on the leading scorer role, blossoming into one of area’s best players.
And senior standout Shalen Guilliams has more confidence this season, which has led to her becoming more of an all-around scorer instead of just a spot-up shooter.
More: Goal accomplished: Loudonville's Shalen Guilliams joins 1,000-point club
It hasn’t been only those two, though.
Jalyn Johnson, Kenzie Cutlip and Maddie Kline, among others, have also played key roles in Loudonville’s success.
“We lost some very good players last year,” Bates said. “It was the winningest class in Ashland County history, and it was a lot of experience for us at some key positions. For this team to come back and meet the challenge and go undefeated in league play again, it’s just a testament to the girls who we have in the program and their families.”
Loudonville’s first goal each season is to win a conference championship. That process begins months before the season begins.
“We work hard during the season and offseason,” Vermilya said. “We lift. We condition. We come in the gym. We play summer league. [We do all of that] so we can win the conference year after year.”
Team chemistry is another critical component toward winning championships.
“We just come out, play as a team and share the ball,” Guilliams said. “We’re really close as a team, which really helps us. … We try not to take time off [during the offseason]. We’re always in the gym with each other, pushing each other and trying to make each other better.”
While Loudonville’s players and coaching staff were cutting down the nets to celebrate their conference championship, a large group of younger girls was at the other end of court messing around with basketballs. Bates referenced them as a reason why his program has been so successful in recent years.
“Girls grow up in Loudonville now and they want to be a Loudonville girls basketball player,” he said. “They know that it means something to be a part of something special. Hopefully, we can continue that tradition and keep it going as long as possible.
“It takes a lot of hard work and a major commitment from the girls and their families, so they deserve all of the credit.”
Reach Chris at csnow@times-gazette.com
On Twitter: CSnow_TG
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville girls basketball has won six MBC titles in a row
