OLIVESBURG, Ohio — Crestview added another chapter to an already historic season earlier this week, but what coach Aaron Goon wants most of all is to prevent recent history from repeating itself.
The Cougars, who completed a 22-0 season with last week’s 68-56 win at Monroeville, won the Associated Press Division III poll championship when the final poll was released Tuesday. Crestview finished with 15 first-place votes and 158 points. Lynchburg-Clay was runner-up with one first-place vote and 125 points.
The Cougars finished sixth in the final AP poll last year and earned the top seed in the Division III Attica sectional/district only to fall to Wynford 55-51 in double overtime in their first postseason game.
Crestview avoided another early exit Wednesday night with a resounding 84-48 win over No. 13 seed Edison at Willard in the sectional semifinals. The Cougars will vie for their first sectional title since the 2008-09 season Saturday against Colonel Crawford.
“We don’t really worry about the poll because, come tournament time, it doesn’t really matter,” senior Lexie Shriver said. “Our biggest goal is to do well in the tournament.”
Crestview became just the third Richland County girls team to win a poll crown. Shelby won the Division II poll title in 1998-99 and St. Peter’s won the Division IV poll championship in 2002-03.
“I think these girls deserve it,” Goon said last week. “These girls have worked hard, they play hard and they do everything we ask them to do. They play through injury and they play through sickness. I couldn’t ask for a better group of seniors.”
Crestview’s six-player senior class includes Shriver, Macie Restille, Caitlyn Fulk, Renee Stimpert, Kristen Blookhart and Rashay Givens. Stimpert became just the third Richland County girl to score 2,000 points earlier this year and is headed to Ashland University.
“The points don’t mean as much to me as the No. 1 ranking,” Stimpert said earlier this season. “But we know that the ranking doesn’t mean anything once we get to the postseason. Hopefully we will have a long tournament run.”
Regardless of what happens in the postseason, the 2015-16 campaign has been a memorable one. At 23-0, Crestview broke the school record for wins in a season set in 1996-97 (21). The Cougars shattered last year’s record for points in a season and won their first Firelands Conference crown since 2007-08.
Crestview is averaging 72.7 points a game and allowing 47 points a night. The Cougars have outscored opponents by 25.7 points a game.
What has impressed Goon more than anything is his team’s demeanor during it’s unprecedented season.
“There is some pressure that comes with being undefeated and winning a poll title,” he said. “These girls have taken it all in stride. They know that people see those things as a big old bull’s-eye. They have taken everyone’s best shot.
“Hopefully, we can keep it going for a while longer.”
