Loramie’s Skyler Albers gets to the rim through traffic to score 10 points in the Redskins’ 49-30 Tuesday win . (Press Pros Feature Photos)
At times resembling a car with transmission issues, much-heralded Fort Loramie struggled for a while to score, but eventually leaned on its defense for a 49-30 win over SCL rival Anna.
There was a lot of talk during the off-season about the Fort Loramie girls, what some were saying would be one of Carla Siegel’s most athletically talented and experienced groups since the 26-0 team in 2020, that crushed everything in its way except…you guessed it…C-O-V-I-D!
So you can imagine the surprise, even shock, last week when the Redskins bumbled their way through a 33-30 season-opening loss to Miami East, albeit without leading scorer and leader Avery Brandewie, sidelined with an ankle sprain.
30 points..from a team accustomed to scoring 30 on some nights off defensive steals and forced turnovers, alone?
30 points…from a team whose offensive precision is usually as sound as a bank vault?
30 points…for a Carla Siegel team that never makes an excuse, because Siegel simply believes that commitment to detail and execution leaves no room for excuses. If someone beats you, then tip your hat.
For eight minutes Tuesday, however, they had Siegel scratching her head, as Loramie’s offense resembled a car needing transmission work, struggling go a 7-2 lead after the first quarter…in what eventually turned out to be a 49-30 Loramie win.
Loramie’s defense created turnovers and a lack of offense for Anna in the first half. Summer Hoying steals the ball from the Rockets’ Jenna Wolters.
“We haven’t had a lot of time together,” admitted Siegel, post-game. It was not an excuse, but pure fact.
Fully half of the Redskins’ roster plays volleyball and played all the way til the regional final before falling to eventual Division IV champ, New Bremen.
And for that matter, nearly every team in the state with a volleyball program that had an extended tournament run is trying to catch up.
What Siegel didn’t expect was for her top player, junior Avery Brandewie (22 pts. and leading in assists last year) to miss the Miami East opener with a high ankle sprain.
“She not only scores. but Avery is such a leader for this team,” said Siegel. “When we get her back we’ll get some of our issues fixed. So the fluid part? It’s not there and it’s no different than any other year because our volleyball team goes far every year – our cross country team goes far.”
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Credit Anna on Tuesday, because Randy Huber’s 1-1 Rockets are a talented, athletic group who had their own issues with putting the ball in the hoop after an impressive 42-29 opening win last week over New Knoxville.
But when Loramie isn’t scoring the Redskins lean on their defense for turnovers and points in transition, and they turned Anna 12 times in the first half Tuesday, enough to catch fire in the second quarter and go to halftime with a 27-9 lead, thanks to a 20-7 run that did look more like vintage Loramie.
Anna’s Brenna Cobb scores two of her game-high 13 points in the second half.
But Anna hardly accepted the 18-point deficit. And led by Brenna Cobb’s 13-point second half (after being held scoreless in the first), the Rockets played Loramie to within a point in the final sixteen minutes, 22-21.
“Anna never quits and we expected that,” said Siegel with a smile. “They pressured us, we had our own turnovers, and Cobb is such a talented player. She had a great second half.”
We repeat…Anna, a team with some size, experience, and Cobb at the point, will be a team that’s heard from between now and March. And just for comparison, these two teams will meet for the second time in Shelby County League play on January 9, at Anna. And turning up the pressure in the second half, they feasted off 10 Loramie turnovers to, if nothing else, build some early-season confidence.
Loramie spread the offense among three double-digit scorers. Albers finished with 10 points, Victoria Mescher had 11, and Carissa Meyer had 12. Alex Rose and Summer Hoying each had 6 as Anna forced the Redskins to grind it out in the second half. Loramie finished with just three 3-pointers for the game, a pair by Albers and one by Carissa Meyer.
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Cobb led Anna with her 13 points, all in the second half, and showed remarkable patience to reset after the miserable start and get to the rim and foul line. The game’s high scorer, she finished with five field goals and 3 of 4 shooting from the line.
It is early, of course, and all that expectation for Fort Loramie is not to be discarded just yet. They need to play, more practice time is coming, and Avery Brandewie’s ankle is going to mend.
Fort Loramie’s Carissa Meyer saves a bucket with a block on Anna’s Liz Staudter.
In the meantime they’re going to be challenged, playing three times in the next week, beginning on the road at Liberty Benton on Saturday.
“It’s been frustrating,” smiled Siegel. “Avery is not our whole team, by any means, but she is a lot of our offense, and she’s a lot of our defense, too. Tonight I thought our defense was pretty good without her.
“But there is no fluidity (in the offense) right now. There’s chaos.”
And a very tough assignment with Liberty Benton to try to work through.
“They’re big. They’re phenomenal,” said Siegel. “This is our fourth year playing them. They’ve got (Lauren) Gerkin, who’s 6’2″ and signed to go to Bowling Green, and she’s like their Avery Brandewie, but just five inches taller. And then she’s got a good supporting group. This is going to be a battle for us.”
So now you’re up to speed on Fort Loramie, at least until they get up to speed. To get Avery Brandewie back, and playing with the team…it might take a couple of weeks.
“I hope we’re a different team the next time you see us,” Siegel concluded. “But if we don’t score more points on Saturday, we might be in trouble.”
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