Worthington — Thomas Worthington might not immediately come to mind among Central Ohio’s top girls basketball programs. It’s been a brutal stretch for a program from one of the Metro’s crown jewel communities.
The Lady Cardinals haven’t posted a winning season since 2018-19 and have gone 18–49 over the past three years, including a 1–29 record in the OCC.
When Jim Morgan took over at Thomas Worthington, he told athletic director Molly Fessler that rebuilding the program wouldn’t happen overnight.
“The first job I had was to get the culture back positive,” Morgan said. “We did that last year, even though we weren’t very successful.”
With a 6-16 record, including 0-10 in the OCC, the first year at the helm was about bringing positivity and a sense of enthusiasm to the program.
“We had a lot of raw talent as a group, but a lot of it was about weeding out the negativity,” Morgan said. “You got to have fun. If you aren’t having fun, then don’t play because it is going to be miserable.”
Now in his second season, Morgan has the Lady Cardinals off to their best start since 2017–18.
Thomas Worthington sits at 4–1 overall and 1–1 in OCC play after knocking off Dublin Jerome, the program’s first conference win in two seasons, which also came against the Lady Celtics.
Culture has been a major factor, but so has the addition of assistant coach Sydney Shanaberger.
Morgan and Shanaberger previously worked together in New Albany’s middle school program. A military veteran and former player, Shanaberger spent last season on New Albany’s varsity staff after gaining experience in AAU, middle school, and as a JV coach.
After spending last season running the defense at New Albany, Morgan brought her to Thomas Worthington as the defensive coordinator for the team.
“There is so much talent in this group here,” Shanaberger said. “I’m a firm believer that if you can get girls to play defense, it is something to be told what they can achieve.”
Over the summer, Shanaberger sold the team on the idea that defense wins games and backed it up on the court. Once the season began, there was no more convincing to do, only executing.
So far, the partnership has paid off. The Lady Cardinals are giving up just 34.4 points per game, a sharp improvement from the 47 points per game they allowed last season.
It’s a small sample size with a long season still ahead, but there’s no arguing that Thomas Worthington is a better team than it was a year ago.
“In the first four games, I think they have seen that prove itself to them,” Shanaberger said. “Them getting bought into that has been really successful.”
With a reset in culture and a renewed defensive identity, several Lady Cardinals have begun to bloom and find their confidence.
Among them are sophomore Zoe Forman and senior Sarah Herzberg.
Sitting across from me in a film room at Thomas Worthington, Morgan outlined the challenges Herzberg faced after transferring from St. Francis DeSales.
After battling illness and injuries as a junior, Herzberg is healthy and finding her spark, leading the team in scoring and being a key contributor on defense.
Shanaberger praised her defensive execution against Jerome, a key factor in their win over the Lady Celtics and first OCC win in two seasons.
“She had a huge defensive matchup against Jerome, which she did a good job on,” she said. “She has made a huge difference.”
As for Forman, she came in as a freshman with a high ceiling, but needed coaching and development to elevate her game to the next level.
Jumping from eighth grade to the varsity level is an adjustment for anyone. Doing it in the OCC is an entirely different challenge, and the physicality that comes with it takes time to absorb.
Morgan says Forman has begun to turn that corner, finding a consistent spark that wasn’t always there during her freshman season.
“She has gotten stronger and figured out the physicality,” Morgan says. “Her potential is unlimited.”
With more names like Izzy Luca, Liz Rohrbacher, and Olivia Stewart, the Lady Cardinals have the right amount of potential and experience to grow the program into the future.
Ultimately, none of it would be possible without the support of the administration at Thomas Worthington. Morgan praised their support of the program and giving him the room to do his job.
“They have been 1,000% behind us, and I will tell you that Molly (Fessler) and Garrett (Sendelbach) are the best athletic directors I have worked for,” Morgan said. “One is always at every game and they are always talking to us. They understood where the program was at, and what it will take to get it where it can be.”
Leaving a film room at Thomas Worthington, I could tell you that the Lady Cardinals are seeing light that it hasn’t had in a few years.
Trusting the process is crucial, but seeing the results confirms the direction they are heading in.
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