Although the doors closed on Avon Lake’s playoff run, the Shoregals supplied Lorain County with a season to remember.
Following the Division III state championship loss to Cincinnati Purcell Marian, Avon Lake coach Paul Appel reflected on their “special season” in the postgame news conference at the University of Dayton.
“This was a special season for our girls,” he said. “Being able to go on the run that we went on together, it has been incredible. I couldn’t have been more proud of the entire team, especially our three seniors.”
The Shoregals’ seniors were Izzie Polinko, Bre Jones and Olivia Tobin, as they played their final game in the D-III state championship. It was Avon Lake’s first state championship appearance in 31 years.
“For our senior year, we are so grateful for this opportunity. It hasn’t happened (in Avon Lake) in so long. The past four years have really helped us get to this point,” Jones said.
As freshmen, the senior class witnessed Avon Lake go 3-15 (2-11 in SWC). Appel arrived the following year and helped push the Shoregals to Division I district final (2022-23) and semifinal (2023-24) appearances.
Having to compete with Olmsted Falls in the Southwestern Conference title race, Avon Lake (23-6, 12-2 SWC) hit the reset button to begin the D-III postseason.
“Each and every year, we’ve fallen short of our conference (championship) goal,” Tobin said. “This year, it happened again and we could have just said that we were done with this (season), but we didn’t do that. We look at this like it was a new season. I am grateful for everybody that continued to bring (the effort). This year has been special and with a group of girls that I will always remember.”
En route to Dayton, the Shoregals avenged regular-season losses to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary and Brush. Their defense, with no highly touted recruits, held most of their playoff competition to season-low scoring performances.
“It was a whole different step up when we hit the playoffs,” Polinko said. “We switched gears. Everybody on offense and defense stepped up their game a little bit. We all stayed together as a team throughout this run. I think our team is good on the court, because our team is good off the court. We take (chemistry) to the core.”
According to Appel, the season was special, because of its players.
“This is a special group,” he said. “I keep saying that they are special, but that is what they are. I’ve known them all for a long time. To see them become really good basketball players, but also special young women. For everything they do for the team on and off the court, I am going to miss them a lot. The hardest part is knowing that I won’t get to coach them again.”
Avon Lake was the third Lorain County program to win a regional championship, along with Keystone (2024) and Midview (2023). From the SWC, Olmsted Falls (2023-25) also won regional championships.
“We have done a great job in coming together as a program. We were all growing together. This year, things were able to click and it worked,” Jones said.
