Waterford presents Loudonville with tall challenge at Final Four

LOUDONVILLE — Getting to the Final Four in Ohio high school sports is no small achievement.

Winning when you get there can be an even more daunting assignment.

Seventh-ranked Loudonville (26-2) will face its tallest challenge of the season, literally, on Thursday morning when the Redbirds meet No. 6 Waterford and imposing 6-foot-4 junior center Avery Wagner at 11 a.m. at the University of Dayton Arena.

The Wildcats (23-3) won the Tri-Valley Hocking championship with a 9-1 league mark, losing in league play only on Dec. 21 to Federal Hocking (44-38). But coach Jerry Close saw his team avenge that defeat on Feb. 1, with a 44-25 blowout that proved to be a conference title clincher.

The Wildcats also lost 41-32 on Jan. 13 to Division III Waynedale.

Close has led the program to two previous state titles, in 2016 and 2022. Wagner was a key contributor as a freshman on the 2022 squad.

This year she is one of three juniors leading the way.

Guard Kendall Sury (13.0 points per game) was also part of that state championship squad two years ago. She and Wagner (13.7 ppg.) both earned first-team All-Southeast District honors. The 5-10 Sury was the district Player of the Year, while Close was the Co-Coach of the Year.

Junior power forward Avery Smithberger collected all-district special-mention recognition.

The Wildcats have won nine straight, and survived the toughest regional test of any Division IV state semifinalist.

In the Sweet 16, Waterford overcame a halftime deficit and dismissed previously undefeated Newark Catholic 53-42.

The Green Wave (24-1) were the state’s lone unbeaten left in the tournament, but they were no match for the Wildcats, who ripped off an 18-2 burst in the third quarter to put the game away.

Sury poured in 23 points in that game, and Newark Catholic simply couldn’t keep up with her.

“She just circle-cut us a bunch,” Green Wave coach Rob Smith told CBUS Sports. “We tried to face her off a little bit, but they spread us out, and that was the tough part.

“They stayed really aggressive on our guards in the third quarter.”

That victory, too, was sweet revenge for Waterford, which lost to Newark Catholic 62-61 in a Jan. 29 regular-season matchup.

At the Elite Eight, the Wildcats dispatched second-ranked Berlin Hiland 53-51 in overtime.

Waterford led 11-10 after the first quarter, but the Hawks dominated the second period and owned a 28-17 halftime advantage. Clouse again saw his team turn the tide in the third quarter, pulling within 36-31 heading to the final period.

Avery scored the game-tying layup with 36 seconds left and Hiland missed a shot at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

The Wildcats put the game away in the extra session, with Sury swishing a dagger 3-pointer to put it out of reach. Sury finished with 18 points. Wagner added 17 points and nine rebounds.

“Hiland’s the best in the business. If you want to get your goals and dreams, you’ve got to beat the best,” Close told the Wooster Daily Record. “Tonight, we beat one of the best. It feels really good to beat a Hiland team that has been such a storied program.

“It’s been a fight for us all season long, so that was our third overtime game. I can’t say enough about the heart of these kids, their fight. We could’ve easily been out in that second half, but they came out and fought right out of the locker room and got it done.”

Waterford hangs its hat on its defense. The Wildcats average 48.8 points per game while allowing 33.0 points per contest.

Loudonville Redbirds

The Redbirds have been even more impressive statistically this season.

Coach Tyler Bates’ squad rolled to a 26-2 record by averaging 67.1 points per game while allowing just 31.6 points per contest — incredibly, more than doubling the score on their foes for the season. Only three games all year were decided by single digits.

Loudonville was clearly the class of small-school basketball in this part of the state. Hence, with the blessing of its Mid-Buckeye Conference members, the ‘Birds collected the league title while playing just four games to allow Bates’ bunch a chance to schedule outside competition.

That led to an impressive 64-58 win at Port Clinton, as well as the only two losses, 67-51 on Jan. 23 at Warrensville Heights, and 73-64 at Akron Ellet on Feb. 8.

Loudonville has ripped off nine consecutive victories since.

The Redbirds’ lone tourney challenge was presented by Lakeside Danbury in the Sweet 16. Loudonville led throughout, and eventually prevailed 46-40.

In that contest, senior Corri Vermilya, a contender for both Ohio’s Ms. Basketball and Division IV Player of the Year, finished with a game-high 26 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. She also completed a clutch 3-point play in the final two minutes to ice it.

“I was like, ‘Go get us one,’ ” Bates said of the critical basket. “And she drove through five girls and made an and-1. That’s what she’s capable of doing.”

“(An and-1 bucket is) one of my favorite things,” said Vermilya, who will play for defending Division II national champion Ashland next season. “Obviously, late in the game when it was close like that, it was really exciting — not only for me, but I know my team was hyped about it, too.

“I was just really happy I made the free throw after that celebration.”

 As a team, the Redbirds’ defense has been aggressive and stingy at once.

The ‘Birds average nearly 21 steals per contest and have allowed more than 50 points just three times.

Vermilya is 10^th in Ohio history in career points (2,394). She also moved into seventh in steals (545) and 15^th in rebounds (1,228).

This season Vermilya has already been announced as a Ms. Basketball finalist after finishing third in the voting last year.

Vermilya averages 26.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 6.4 steals per game. Per the OHSAA’s unofficial record book, she is the only player in Ohio history with 2,200 points, 1,100 rebounds, 300 assists, 500 steals and 100 blocks.

Vermilya is a two-time Northeast Inland District Player of the Year and was the OPSWA Division III State Player of the Year last season. She collected first team All-Ohio honors as a sophomore and junior. 

But Loudonville has the supporting cast to keep defenses honest, too.

Freshman guard Mya Vermilya, Corri’s younger sister, puts up 13.9 points per game and has netted a team-high 60 treys.

Along with the Vermilya sisters, senior guard Jena Guilliams gives Loudonville three players with at least 40 3-pointers made this season. She’s hit 43. Junior Sydney Strouse (16) and sophomore Addison Wolford (15) combine for another 31 treys.

Forward Sophia Spangler is a stat-sheet stuffer who averages 9.6 points, 4.0 rebounds 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game. Junior Alesha Felix was a defensive demon in the regional finals, dominating the lane with a double-figure rebounding performance.