Fourth-graders win Nordonia championship

by Laura Bednar

The fourth-grade girls team in the Junior Knights division of the Nordonia Hills Basketball Association won the championship this season.

The Junior Knights is open only to Nordonia students, but the fourth-grade team played in the Big Leaf League with 13 other teams from schools like Twinsburg and Hudson. The Nordonia girls’ youth team compiled an11-2 record and beat Twinsburg in the championship game 8-5.

Kyle Deininger, fourth-grade girls coach and director of the Junior NBA, said all teams participated in the playoffs and earned their seedings based on regular season records. Nordonia was the No. 2 seed and Twinsburg was No. 1.

“It was a defensive battle that capped off an amazing season for the Junior Lady Knights,” he said.

There are eight girls on the team and four of them joined this year, having only played in a recreation league, not a travel league. Deininger said the returning four players blended well with the new girls. 

“They did a good job working well with new players,” he said. “I played everybody equally.”

The team practiced twice a week, and Deininger said defense was an asset. All eight girls signed up for an off-season 3-on-3 training program to improve their skills this spring.Deininger said he thinks the team will do well next year in the fifth-grade girls league, which he also coaches. “I feel it’s a strong group for the future,” he said. 

Photo caption: The fourth-grade girls team celebrates its championship win against Twinsburg. Photo submitted.