Avon Lake guard Olivia Tobin isn’t the biggest or the most athletic player. She has her own approach.
“It’s brain over brawn and work smarter, not harder,” Tobin said.
Avon Lake entered this season needing a guard to run the offense, and the 5-foot-6 senior stepped into the spotlight. Tobin uses her chess-like mindset to orchestrate Avon Lake’s offense.
She has led the Shoregals into the Division III state championship game against Cincinnati Purcell Marian at 1 p.m., March 14, at the University of Dayton.
“I don’t think there is a player that has grown more in my three years that I have been (at Avon Lake),” Avon Lake coach Paul Appel said.
The Shoregals are the first Lorain County team to compete in a state championship game since they won it all in 1994. For Tobin and her senior teammates, it will be the last game of their high school careers.
“We had our ups and downs,” Tobin said. “We didn’t win (the Southwestern Conference) which was one of our goals. We went into the playoffs saying that it’s a new season. We play every game like it is a new game. Now we are here and it is amazing.”
Tobin averages eight points and four assists per game, but Appel said Tobin’s impact extends beyond the box score.
“(Tobin) has always been a talented player, but she is really understanding how to play the game,” Appel said. “She makes so many good decisions and makes so many good plays for us on the court that do not even show up on the box score.”
After All-Ohio guard Marisa Summerfield graduated, Avon Lake leaned on Tobin and Izzie Polinko to lead the offense. Tobin excelled as a ball handler, so she took on another role for the betterment of the team.
“(Summerfield) did a ton in her four years here — Tobin was ready,” Appel said. “She had a big role last year, but really expanded it (this year). Her and Izzie Polinko as the guard duo make it so hard for teams to do anything against us. We have two of the best guards around.”
Appel, who also played point guard, loves to bounce ideas with Tobin and asks what she thinks.
“She knows exactly what the defense wants to do and we trust her,” Appel said. “When they are shooting a free throw or something, we will talk to her about what she wants to do next based on what she’s feeling on the court. It is really enjoyable to build that point-guard-to-coach relationship with her and see her thrive.”
When Tobin analyzes the opposing offense’s film, she can dissect her individual matchups.
“A big part of it is (watching film). I watch a lot on what players do, what are their tendencies and their weaknesses,” she said. “Going into the game, in base man defense, I know which way they like to go, moves they like to make. Then I can cut them off.”
With the power of the mind, she gains the mental edge over her matchups.
“(Tobin) has great court vision. She sees everything. Her passes are incredible and she is a great playmaker,” Avon Lake’s Bre Jones said.
Jones, a recent St. Vincent College commit, is a close friend and teammate of Tobin. They first met as opponents, but later turned into teammates.
“In fifth grade she scored the game-winning play against my rec team. We started out as enemies. Then, she came to my school the next year and we immediately clicked. Playing with her has been great since.”
Tobin is a member of MAC Basketball’s class of 2025. It is run by Berea-Midpark coach Kevin McNamara, who gave his thoughts on the player he faces twice a year.
“Tobin is a guard who can lead by shooting or by off the dribble,” he said. “She has a nice step-back and her floater in the paint is fantastic. She is very savvy with the ball and makes the right passes from many angles. … Defensively, her footwork is exceptional. Her high IQ as a player, gets her a great read (against) any offensive set. With her quick feet and change of pace, she makes every defensive adjustment.”
