Westlake @ Olmsted Falls

Westlake 38 Olmsted Falls 37

An instant classic between Westlake and Olmsted Falls ended with a game winning buzzer beater by Gina Adams. The 38-37 win moves the Lady Demons into a first place tie with the Bulldogs in the SWC standings. Westlake trailed by as many as 8 points and never led until Adam’s 15-foot jumper went in as time expired. As usual Emma Hall hit three big 3-pointers to lead the Lady Demons in scoring. Gina Adams and Abby Carrington both finished with 8 points apiece.

Up Next

Things don’t get any easier as Westlake travels to Avon Lake for another huge SWC matchup on Wednesday at 7pm.

Emma Hall celebrates with Summer Salem after making a 3-pointer

Gina Adams is pressured by Olmsted Falls guard Lauren Galaska

Abby Carrington fights for a loose ball with Sara Glover

Emma Hall celebrates after another 3-pointer

Stephanie Randar and Lauren Galaska watch as a free throw goes up

Summer Salem and Katie Whitesell guard Lauren Galaska

Abby Carrington guards Paige Kohler

Abby Carrington hits a shot to make it a one point game

Westlake bench celebrates in the closing minutes of the game

Gina Adams sends up the game winning shot as time expires

Gina Adams watches as the shot heads towards the basket

Westlake bench celebrates as time expires

Westlake rushes the court to celebrate the victory

Gina Adams and her teammates celebrate the win

Gina Adams and her teammates celebrate the win

Westlake fans that made the trip to Olmsted Falls celebrate with the team

Gina Adams and her teammates celebrate the win

Gina Adams and her father embrace on the court after the game

Gina Adams and Abby Carrington share a moment after the game

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Westlake @ North Olmsted

Westlake 71 North Olmsted 38

Westlake won their 8th straight SWC contest with a 71-38 victory over North Olmsted on Wednesday. Gina Adams led the way with 20 points while both Abby Carrington and Emma Hall added 14. It was a balanced scoring attack as 9 Lady Demons got in the score sheet.

Up Next

Westlake travels to Olmsted Falls on Saturday at 1:30pm for a first place SWC showdown.

Summer Salem passes the ball to Stephanie Randar for a layup

Coach Karen Swanson Haan looks on as the Demons play defense

Stephanie Randar and Gina Adams surround a North Olmsted player

Abby Carrington shoots a 3-point shot over a North Olmsted defender

Katie Whitesell fights for posession of the ball among North Olmsted defenders

Stephanie Randar grabs a rebound in a sea of North Olmsted players

Abbie Gardner plays lockdown defense

Abby Carrington fights for the ball against three North Olmsted defenders

Westlake defense swarms a North Olmsted player

Emma Hall splits the defenders and goes up for a layup

Westlake bench looks on as Bridget Stroski shoots a 3-pointer

Westlake bench celebrates the made 3-pointer by Bridget Stroski

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Westlake vs. Lakewood

Westlake 51 Lakewood 31

The Lady Demons began the second half of SWC play with a 51-31 win over Lakewood on Wednesday night. Emma Hall made three 3-pointers in a row which helped secure the victory late in the third quarter. Hall, Gina Adams and Abby Carrington each scored 12 points apiece.

Up Next

Westlake travels to Midview on Saturday at 1:30pm.

Summer Salem and Emma Hall go through pregame rituals before the game

Christina Zkiab leads the Demons onto the floor

Abbie Gardner is introduced during the starting lineups

Abby Carrington brings down a rebound in traffic

Coach Karen Swanson Haan addresses the team during a timeout

Coaches Jeremy DiTullio, Tom Withers and Karen Swanson Haan make halftime adjustments

Coach Karen Swanson Haan addresses the team during halftime

The Lady Demons look on during halftime

Stephanie Randar shoots over two Lakewood defenders

Westlake bench celebrates after Emma Hall knocks down a 3-pointer

Anna Williams moves the ball on offense

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Westlake @ Amherst

Westlake 44 Amherst 39

The Lady Demons finished the first half of SWC play with a 44-39 win over Amherst in a physical road match up on Saturday. Stephanie Randar returned to the game after taking an elbow to the face and made some crucial offensive and defensive plays down the stretch. Emma Hall was big again off the bench with three 3-pointers. Gina Adams led the Demons in scoring with 16 points.

Up Next

Westlake begins the second half of SWC play against Lakewood at home on Wednesday at 7pm.

Gina Adams blocks a shot attempt by Amherst’s #20

Emma Hall knocks down a 3-point shot over Amherst’s Lexy Alston

Summer Salem competes for the ball with Amherst’s Lexy Alston

Katie Whitesell stops a shot attempt by Amherst’s Amaya Staton

Taylor Gregory, Jenna Kowalski and Anna Williams react to the final play of the first half

Stephanie Randar drives the ball against two Amherst defenders

Abby Carrington shoots over three Amherst defenders

Summer Salem, Stephanie Randar and Kate Whitesell surround Amherst’s Amaya Staton

Emma Hall and the Demons bench watch as her 3-point shot heads towards the basket

Gina Adams drives the ball against Amherst’s Lexy Alston

Westlake vs. North Ridgeville

Westlake 66 North Ridgeville 52

The Lady Demons fended off a game effort from North Ridgeville with a 66-52 victory on Wednesday. The Rangers made ten 3-pointers and kept things close going into halftime. Westlake’s signature full court press and a career-high 36 points from Gina Adams helped secure the win.

Up Next

Westlake travels to Amherst for a date with the 4th place Comets on Saturday at 1:30pm.

Gina Adams leads a pregame huddle before taking the floor

Stephanie Randar presents her most inspirational teacher with a plaque

The Lady Demons stand for the national anthem before the game

Abby Carrington fights for a loose ball

Gina Adams is surrounded by a swarm of North Ridgeville defenders

Abby Carrington drives to the hoop aided by a Gigi Redinger pick

The Lady Demons play lockdown defense

Westlake coaching staff celebrate after the Demons force a turnover

Abbie Gardner shoots a free throw as her teammates look on

Emma Hall and Katie Whitesell share a laugh after the teams victory

Westlake vs. Avon

Westlake 55 Avon 28

The Lady Demons returned home and to SWC play with a 55-28 win over Avon on Saturday. Abby Carrington scored a season-high 21 points and Gina Adams added 14 points. Westlake’s 2-3 zone made it tough for Avon to get much going offensively.

Up Next

Westlake hosts North Ridgeville on Wednesday night at 7pm.

Stephanie Randar and Christina Zkiab shake hands during the starting lineups

Summer Salem steals the ball from an Avon’s Alyssa McLellon

Katie Whitesell and Abbie Gardner trap Avon’s Grace Santee

Summer Salem tries to shoot over Avon’s Abby Liber

Westlake’s bench cheers after Avon is forced to call a timeout

Gina Adams battles with Avon’s Abby Liber for a rebound

Abbie Gardner and Katie Whitesell apply pressure on Avon’s Brooke Laub

Abby Carrington shoots over two Avon defenders

Christina Zkiab calls for the ball while being guarded by Avon’s Catie Geiger

Coach Karen Swanson Haan is interviewed by the media after the game

My 20 Favorite Photos of 2019

The year is coming to an end and I thought it would be fun to look back at some of my favorite photos. After going through all my files I narrowed it down to my 20 favorite photos of the year. Over the course of the year I shot a total of 143 high school games. The majority of those games were photographed for the West Life newspaper. It is always great working with my colleagues Jack Kopanski and Chris Voloschuk. They are both tremendous writers and I believe we offer the best local coverage in the area.

I also started team specific photo blogs with the Westlake Lady Demons Soccer and Basketball teams. I have met a number of great coaches, parents and players thanks to that experience. Thank you to everyone that has viewed my photos and I look forward to another great year in 2020!

In no particular order here are my favorite photos of 2019…

When we selected Kyle Cusimano for our Summer Spotlight feature we knew he was going to have a great season. What we didn’t expect was that Kyle would go on to be named the National High School Player of the Year! He finished as the top boys soccer player out of 420,000 athletes across the country!

Another outstanding local athlete is Alex Laboy from Avon volleyball. Alex finished the season as SWC MVP and Lorain County Miss Volleyball. Best of luck to her and Kyle next season as they will both be attending Bowling Green!

There is no better way to start the fall Football season than with Avon vs. Avon Lake. In this photo Nick Perusek leaves two Shoremen defenders in the dust as he heads in for a touchdown.

When it comes to volleyball in the area few teams can match the recent dominance of Avon. This photo was after the team scored a point against rival Olmsted Falls. It’s always an intense match when those two teams face off.

Sami Jablonski celebrates a goal with fellow captain Summer Salem. Sami scored 20 goals this season and was a big factor in the Lady Demons reaching the District Finals. She is one of the greatest players in school history.

This photo is from the Regional Finals game between Avon and Avon Lake. It’s always exciting when these two rivals play each other but the stakes were at an ultimate high with a trip to the Final 4 on the line. Both teams relied heavily on their defenses in this low scoring battle.

St. Ignatius soccer won the Division 1 State Championship this year. This photo is from the District Finals against Avon. This was the second straight year these two teams met in the District Finals and it’s always a physical match.

Lydia Choban, Sami Jablonski and Summer Salem pose for a portrait at Reed Stadium. The Lady Demons had a great season reaching the District Finals. I covered 14 of their games and kept a weekly photo blog following all the action.

Gina Adams celebrates after scoring her 1,000th career point as a Lady Demon. Gina is a tremendous player and one of the best in the area.

Matthew DeCapua celebrates after scoring a goal in the District Finals against Buckeye. It always helps when the athlete runs right towards your camera!

Nick Perusek poses for a photo during a Summer Spotlight shoot. Nick was great to work with and going into the season was the top running back in the SWC. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to an injury.

Westlake Lady Demon seniors pose for a portrait. I had a great time working with the Lady Demons on a pre-season photo shoot. An awesome group of coaches and players.

The Flannery family pose for a portrait over the summer in the St. Edward High School gym. Coach Flannery is one of the premier High School Basketball coaches in the country. His two sons played for him at St. Eds and now play for John Carroll. His two daughters currently play at St. Joseph Academy.

Allyssa Pirro is a state champion wrestler at Lutheran West High School. It’s rare to see girls competing in high school wrestling but Allyssa and her teammates are changing that.

Annie Spies of Bay Village races past an Olmsted Falls defender during a Lacrosse game in April. Lacrosse is a really fun sport to photograph and the Rockets had a great season reaching the Elite 8.

The winner of the “ouch that’s gotta hurt!” photo of 2019. Westlake vs. Avon is always an intense rivalry soccer match.

Emma Hall and Abby Carrington deny an opponents shot attempt. Like I have already mentioned the Lady Demons have a great team this year and I can’t wait to see how far they can take it.

Alise Emser is another great Westlake High School alum that now plays at Indiana State. Alise was a two-time SWC Defensive MVP, she is tough! Fun fact: Alise is the player in my Twitter and Instagram profile picture.

Leia Smith poses for a portrait during a Winter spotlight photo shoot. Leia is the team leader on an up and coming North Ridgeville basketball squad. They have the potential to be a really great team this year.

Tyler Hannah of Lakewood competes in the hurdles at the SWC Championships. Tyler is probably the fastest track athlete I have photographed in my time at the West Life. Here Tyler leaps the final hurdle to win the race and has a big smile while doing it!

Westlake @ Berea-Midpark

Westlake 49 Berea-Midpark 28

The Lady Demons got their second SWC road victory of the season with a win over Berea-Midpark on Saturday. Abby Carrington led the way with 16 points and Gina Adams added 10 points. Westlake’s defense held the Titans to just 10 points in the second half.

Up Next

Westlake travels to Florida for the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational tournament.

Abbie Gardner is introduced during the starting lineups

Abby Carrington fights for the ball right after the opening tip-off

Gina Adams splits two defenders and flies towards the hoop

Abby Carrington plays for a loose ball

Abbie Gardner looks to shoot over a Berea defender

Summer Salem looks for an open teammate

Katie Whitesell drives towards the basket

Gigi Redinger plays defense

Abby Carrington goes for a rebound

Summer Salem fights for a loose ball

Christina Zkiab and Stephanie Randar pressure a Berea player

Westlake vs. Avon Lake

Westlake 48 Avon Lake 41

The Lady Demons bounced back from their first conference loss and defeated Avon Lake 48-41 on Saturday. Westlake trailed at the half but used their full-court press and a 23-8 third quarter to get back into the game. Abby Carrington led the Demons with 15 points and Gina Adams had 14.

Up Next

Westlake has Wednesday off, the Lady Demons travel to Berea-Midpark on Saturday at 1:30pm.

Gina Adams shakes hands with the Avon Lake captains

Summer Salem is introduced during the starting lineups

Gina Adams drives the ball against a host of Avon Lake defenders

Stephanie Randar makes a layup against two Avon Lake defenders

Westlake applies a full-court press

Gina Adams reaches for a loose ball against Arianna Negron

Summer Salem goes up for a layup

Coach Karen Swanson Haan addresses the team during a time out

Summer Salem dives for a loose ball

The Lady Demons celebrate the win against Avon Lake

Gina Adams celebrates the win with Westlake’s #1 fan Chad DiLillo

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