Grandview Heights — The Grandview Heights girls basketball team delivered a strong performance last season, finishing 16-8 overall and 8-6 in Central Buckeye League play. Along the way, they achieved milestones such as defeating Bexley and Worthington Christian for the first time since 2015 and recording their highest win total since the 2013-2014 season. Their journey included two playoff victories before a heartbreaking sectional final loss to West Jefferson.
In May, the Lady Bobcats welcomed former Westland head coach Nina Napolitano as their new leader following the departure of Kalee Seagle. As Coach Napolitano begins her tenure, she brings a clear vision for the program’s first year. “In our program, we want our players to be selfless, hardworking, and gritty,” she said. “Those are the values we promote. If we can focus on those aspects of character, it will help our kids grow both as athletes and as people.”
Napolitano’s first season at Grandview Heights comes with the challenge of managing a small roster, making conditioning and endurance key focuses. “We practice hard to ensure they stay in shape and have the endurance to play four quarters,” Napolitano said. “Our staff works to understand our opponents and identify our strengths so we can capitalize on them. We also need to be strategic with substitutions and use timeouts wisely to manage the game effectively.”
Junior Tatum Lusher returns as a cornerstone of the Lady Bobcats and faces high expectations in Coach Napolitano’s first season. “Tatum is a great athlete and basketball player,” Napolitano said. “As an upperclassman, we’re looking to her for leadership both on and off the court. She’s our go-to playmaker and will be relied upon to make key decisions during games. Off the court, we need her to lead by example.”
Despite inheriting a small roster that lost key contributors from last year, Coach Napolitano remains focused on achieving success in her first season. “The team went 16-8 last year. I know we lost some important playmakers, but we’d like to have a winning record this season,” she said.
Supporting Tatum Lusher on the court are senior Hanna Longbrake and junior Claire Callif, both expected to play pivotal roles. “We’re looking for Hanna and Claire to step up as playmakers,” Napolitano said. “Both work well with Tatum and are ready to take on big roles this season.”
The Lady Bobcats plan to lean on their defensive strength to fuel their offense this season. “They were strong defensively last year, playing passing lanes and getting deflections,” Coach Napolitano explained. “I’d like to build on that by converting turnovers into points. If we can force turnovers, we need to capitalize on them.”
Continuing their defensive prowess is a key focus. “This team held opponents to an average of 40 points per game last season, and we want to maintain that standard,” Napolitano said. “We’re focusing on defensive techniques in practice and working to improve our rebounding. Making those adjustments will be critical to achieving our goals.”
No matter what, the Lady Bobcats’ path to success will rely on their defense. “We have strong, multi-sport athletes who can adapt to situations and thrive in competition,” Coach Napolitano said. “Because of this, we’ll have a solid defense. We want our girls to use defense as a catalyst for our offense.”
The Lady Bobcats open their season on the road against Hamilton Township, then host Worthington Christian in their home opener.
270-315 Sports 
Leave a comment