Thomas Worthington field hockey trainer Terri Simonetti Frost paused for a number of seconds earlier than breaking down the regional event.
The Cardinals completed their common season Oct. 12 with a 5-0 win over Upper Arlington, handing the top-seeded and top-ranked Golden Bears their first loss and exceeding through one the entire quantity of targets UA had allowed in its earlier 15 video games.
With six of the state’s peak seven groups hailing from the Columbus house, ratings and seeds may now not topic over the following few weeks.
“There are so many good teams. (Columbus) Academy is coming on. Watterson is hot. (Olentangy) Liberty is hot. UA, New Albany … it’s fantastic,” Simonetti Frost stated. “This is great for the sport. I would play those games all the time, because those are the games you play the sport for.”
Thomas used to be moment at the back of the Bears within the MaxPreps state ballot of Oct. 10, adopted through two-time protecting state champion Watterson, New Albany, Shaker Heights, Liberty and Academy.
Second-seeded Watterson adopted UA right into a bracket that still comprises sixth-seeded Academy and seventh-seeded Olentangy. The different bracket comprises third-seeded Thomas, fourth-seeded New Albany and fifth-seeded Liberty.
Play starts Oct. 17 with two first-round video games — Tenth-seeded Dublin Jerome at ninth-seeded Bexley and Twelfth-seeded Hartley at Eleventh-seeded Dublin Coffman — and a second-round assembly with 18th-seeded Dublin Scioto at Thomas. All different groups start the regional Oct. 18, 19 or 20.
Regional finals are Oct. 29 at Liberty. The state event is Nov. 3 and 5 at Thomas, and the realm’s two regional champions would now not meet till the general.
“We definitely have our work cut out for us, but the girls really trust their teammates,” Bears trainer Sara Greaves stated. “I think this team can accomplish anything they set their minds to when they work as a unit.”
The house is looking for its 8th consecutive state championship, Eleventh in 12 seasons and twenty fifth within the 45-year historical past of the event.
“Central Ohio is so strong this year. In years prior, it tended to be Academy, Thomas and Watterson and then a huge drop-off to this next level of teams,” New Albany trainer Marissa Weldon stated. “It’s a testament to how the sport has grown in our area and girls playing year-round. The interest in the sport is growing, and you have great coaches who are not only trying to make things more competitive in their own schools, but they’re trying to get the sport more competitive overall in the state.”
- Favorites: (1) Upper Arlington, (2) Watterson, (3) Thomas Worthington, (4) New Albany
- Contenders: (5) Olentangy Liberty, (6) Columbus Academy, (7) Olentangy, (8) Granville
dpurpura@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekDave
