OHS girls show no signs of slowing down

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February 21, 2012

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Tue Feb 21, 2012, 02:30 AM EST

VESTAL _ Madie Harlem and Meredith Ridgway graduated after leading Oneonta High to the Class B state final in 2009.

Lesley Harlem and Val Ridgway departed, along with Hall of Fame coach Bob Zeh, after helping Oneonta to the state final in 2010.

Sienna Wisse and Erin Wolstenholme completed their days in OHS uniforms following last season, one that finished an overtime loss away from a third straight trip to the state semifinals.

To review, Madie Harlem was a multiple-time all-state selection, scored more than 1,100 points and earned The Daily Star's Player of the Year, and the 6-foot Meredith Ridgway also made the all-state list.

Lesley Harlem and Val Ridgway, also a 6-footer, started on both of Oneonta's state-finalist squads, and the latter earned all-state honors as a senior.

And if anyone doubts Zeh's ability as a coach (none should), look at the turnaround the Hartwick College's women have made in his two seasons as an assistant coach there. Winning just seems to follow the man.

Wisse, a five-year varsity player, graduated as the program's second all-time leading scorer with more than 1,200 points, earned Daily Star Player of the Year honors and also was recognized on all-state teams more than once. Wolstenholme played four varsity seasons and found her way onto a pair of all-state teams.

Madie Harlem has continued her stellar play at Division III Hamilton College, and Wisse and Wolstenholme are playing D-III ball for Messiah and Cortland, respectively.

Losses such as these are supposed to catch up to a Class B program.

But they don't.

Facing a talent-rich Binghamton High squad Saturday at Binghamton University's Events Center, the Yellowjackets looked as healthy as ever.

At season's outset, they appeared to be "Mariah and the Miracles," at least on the offensive end.

When standout sophomore Mariah Ruff wasn't scoring early on, the Jackets struggled offensively. In calls to this newspaper following games in December and January, second-year coach Matt Miller seemed to be pleading to those on the squad not named Ruff to take a larger role in the offense.

They've listened.

Specifically Saturday, when Ruff attempted 12 shots while acting as a facilitator for a balanced Oneonta attack. She continually broke Binghamton's pressure, got OHS into its offensive sets and then watched as Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering (15 points), Kelsey Baker (eight points), Hayley Dower (five points) and Dani Nicosia (five points) all made contributions.

Though Oneonta fell, 51-50, to the Patriots, it showed that not only is a fifth straight sectional title a strong likelihood but that Class B powers from around the state would be wise to start scouting this squad.

"I think we're going to be tough to match up with," Miller said after Saturday's game. "Like I said, our post players are playing really well and our guards are playing really well. If someone is looking at us right now and looking for a weakness, I'm not really sure what a real weakness is to get after us."

One thing is certain: Stopping Ruff can't be an opponent's sole purpose.

Sure, she's averaging a team-best 16 points and has more than twice as many points as the team's second-leading scorer, Baker.

But others are now playing with confidence, specifically Vanderlaan-Meyering, who scored her season high against Binghamton and has reached double figures in her last three games.

"I think we keyed in so much in trying to keep Mariah Ruff away from the basket that sometimes our rotations were lacking in getting to the next pass, and the post players did a good job of finishing their opportunities," said Oneonta State graduate Kristin Lemon, coach of an 18-0 Binghamton squad that returned four starters from a team that advanced to the Class AA state semifinals last season.

Of Vanderlaan-Meyering, Miller added: "With her it's a combination of two things _ her strength has improved so much since last year, and two, she's getting more confident because she's had two or three games like this. I think she's just more assertive when she gets the ball. She's looking to score. She used to get rebounds and look to kick it back out. Now, she's getting rebounds and looking to score, which obviously is making us a lot better."

For a 6-foot-2 center, she also runs the floor well, scoring twice in transition against the Pats.

The ultra-active Baker showed on several occasions her offensive talents, making strong drives to the basket _ including a difficult left-handed finish in the first quarter.

"It's definitely a big part of our game," Vanderlaan-Meyering said of the Yellowjackets' inside game. "Kels and I have a lot of confidence now, especially after playing so well against Binghamton."

Dower and Nicosia made big jumpshots in the fourth quarter, and Oneonta also can get production from Sierra Sangetti-Daniels and Minnie Webster off the bench.

Perhaps the biggest difference from last year to this year is Oneonta's ability to handle pressure. In suffering a 66-33 loss to Binghamton in last year's STAC final, the Yellowjackets played the part of scared second-graders in a school play. No one seemed certain of where to go or what to do and the turnovers piled up like dirty laundry in a college dorm room.

On Saturday, not only did the Yellowjackets break Binghamton's press in a poised manner, they attacked it and scored some easy baskets in the process.

"We felt real comfortable today and played well as a team," Ruff said.

And, of course, if you don't pay close attention to Ruff, she can go for 30 on any night. The kid has a build that screams "ATHLETE!"

She's quick, she's a powerful jumper, she can drive in either direction and she possesses a shooting stroke that's as pure as spring water.

So now the top-seeded Yellowjackets move forward, sporting a 14-4 record that includes no losses to Class B competition. They do so with the knowledge that they've gone 6-0 against the Nos. 2-5 seeds in their bracket, winning those games by an average of nearly 14 points _ the closest a 35-27 home win over second-seeded Norwich on Feb. 7.

"If we play like we have the last two games (OHS beat Class AA and state-ranked Horseheads, 61-56, on the road in the STAC semifinal Tuesday), we should really be a tough matchup for anyone in our section," Miller said.

And there seems to be no end in sight to this remarkable run of Yellowjackets success.

Consider there was nary a senior among the eight Oneonta players who took to the Events Center floor Saturday. Oh, and the Yellowjackets' junior varsity team advanced to the STAC final, too, falling to Maine-Endwell.

"We're just an all-around good team," Ruff said.

I think she meant good program.

Rob Centorani covers high school basketball for The Daily Star. Email him at rcentorani@thedailystar.com.