Sunday, December 31, 2000
High School Insider
Wright quite a catch for Lakota West
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
More and more players have begun verbally committing to colleges before they officially can sign letters of intent to play sports.
Mason basketball star Michelle Munoz committed to Tennessee as a junior, well before her senior signing period this past fall.
Moeller's Matt Sylvester (Ohio State), St.Xavier's Jordan Cornette (Notre Dame) and Western Hills' Danny Horace (Miami), Malcom Andrews (Wright State) and Darryl Peterson (Akron) also verbally committed early.
But there's one big-name girls basketball player remains available and is now one of the hottest senior commodities in Ohio.
Cara Wright, the 6-foot-1 center/forward at Lakota West, has recorded a double-double in points and rebounds in seven consecutive games this season.
The 18-year-old daughter of Joby Wright — former Cincinnati Stuff, University of Wyoming and Miami University coach — went virtually unnoticed during the 1999-2000 season although she averaged 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“I couldn't get Cara to shoot last season, because her coach in Wyoming wouldn't let her shoot unless it was after she grabbed a rebound,” Lakota West coach Andy Fishman said. “Cara's still reluctant to put it up, although I get on her every day in practice to shoot more. She's an excellent shot.”
Wright cited a different reason for not shooting.
“In Wyoming (Laramie High School), I was only a sophomore and new to the team,” Wright said. “I was kind of intimidated. The same thing happened here last year, because I didn't want to hurt the team chemistry (after transferring in).”
Playing AAU for the Ohio Hardwood Heat during the summer, Wright was named the most valuable player at the national YBOA tournament that her team won.
Xavier, Wyoming and Butler have shown interest in signing Wright, and more recruiters have shown up at Lakota West games as the word gets out about Wright.
“Cara has the ability to dominate a game,” Fishman said. “She jumps well, is a good shot blocker and is very athletic. She played point guard in the eighth grade and could also move outside.”
Improved shooting while facing the basket is Wright's No.1 personal goal.
BOWLING: If Amy Corbin could pull it off, the 14-year-old Seton freshman would bowl for Elder rather than the Saints.
One of Cincinnati's best female youth bowlers, Corbin carries the highest average — 197 — in the newly formed Cincinnati High School Bowling Conference.
“Mon (Jan) and Dad (Tim) got me started when I was 4 years old,” Corbin said. “At first, I used bumpers, but after a few years, I didn't need them.”
A desire to be the best, along with coaching and encouragement received at Stump's Lanes in Bridgetown, also been instrumental to Corbin's success.
Corbin has won $1,000 in college scholarship prize money as a member of a traveling team that competes in tournaments sponsored by the Youth Alliance Bowling Association.
This amount could rise quickly within the next year, because Corbin has raised her average nearly 20 pins during the past month.
“Jennifer Klekamp is my coach at Seton, and she gave me a couple of balls to try after watching me practice,” Corbin said. “I averaged 179 until I got the new balls.”
Corbin's highest single-game high school score is 256. Her best three-game series is 637, well above most of the scores turned in by male bowlers.
Her long-range goal is to earn a college scholarship.
CALL IN STATS: The Cincinnati Enquirer will accept girls and boys basketball statistics and nominations for Performers of the Week beginning Jan.7.
Wrestling honor roll nominations, as well as swimming honor roll nominations, will resume Jan.7.
VOGEL HONORED: Adam Vogel, a 6-3, 225-pound pitcher/infielder for the Harrison baseball team, has been named to the Baseball Factory's preseason All-American team.
COACHING MILESTONES: Wyoming's Deb Gentile, (400), Fayetteville's Toby Sheets (200), Fairfield's Steve Termeer (200), Madeira's Jim Reynolds (200) and Withrow's George Jackson (300) are basketball coaches who have achieved coveted victory plateaus this year.
The following are the coaches who also could go over the top at various victory levels.
Girls: Bernie Cropper, Georgetown (191-130); Dan Pillow, Taylor (85-27), and Rick Creager, Springboro (288-110).
Boys: Mike Young, Goshen (86-95); Mike Herald, Walnut Hills (91-96) and Jimmy Leon, Woodward (184-76).
OHSAA RULE CHANGE: A joint proposal by the Ohio baseball and softball coaches associations to relax the ejection rule for coaches was approved by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Beginning in 2001, umpires will have the option to confine a coach to the bench rather than eject him or her. An ejection results in an automatic two-game suspension.
If imposed, the coach would be required to remain on the bench at all times during the remainder of the contest. If the coach violated this penalty, it would result in ejection.
The reasoning was based on the premise that some schools have only a head coach with no assistants. If the coach is ejected, the game must be suspended unless a school official is present to take over the team.
BASEBALL MOVED: Until last season, the state baseball tournament was played at Canton's Thurman Munson Stadium and Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium.
But last season's tournament was played exclusively in Columbus, and the change was applauded by the Baseball Coaches Association.
The OHSAA announced that Cooper Stadium, home of the Columbus Clippers, will play host to the divisions I and IV tournaments May 31-June 2. Divisions II and III will be at Ohio State.
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High School Insider
