Lady Tigers Have Shot at State Championship 'Three-peat'

Three straight state titles and an in-state winning streak.

Those are two subjects Twinsburg girls basketball coach Julie Solis doesn't have on her mind.

"I honestly, and this is the truth, i don' t think about those things," Solis said.

Obviously she is still competitive and wants championships and winning streaks, but like all good coaches, she won't give it the time of day. She simply focuses on the next game.

"We had a good start and we're just trying to learn how to play with each other," Solis said. "I'm pretty happy."

But sitting at 5-0 this season, the Lady Tigers are primed for another run at the state championship and haven't lost a game to an Ohio team in about two years, according to the Plain Dealer.

"We still have a long way to go," Solis said. "As of right now we're just worried about the next opponent."

The next opponent is cross-town rival Solon, who the Tigers beat last year to go to the Final Four. The Comets will play at Twinsburg on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

While Solis isn't thinking about another state title, the same can't be said for some of her players.

Senior Char-dell Dunnigan wants to lift her team to a third-straight state title to quiet the critics who think the team's best days are behind.

"We want to be that class where they said the glory days are over but we proved everybody wrong," Dunnigan said.

Dunnigan, who is already committed to play at George Mason in college, will be a "difference maker" this season on Solis' squad as she replaces Malina Howard.

Ashley Morissette will also be vital to the team's success.

"I've coached competitive kids in my time, but she's off the charts in competitiveness," Solis said.

Morrissette, a senior who has already committed to Purdue, is the leader of this team and has been more vocal in her role in recent years.

"I've been very impressed by her leadership," Solis said.

Other players like Bailey Reed, a junior, and Brooke Smith, a senior committed to Cleveland State, will also be counted on to pull the Tigers through the tough games this season.

"Our schedule doesn't allow us to play anyone that we know we're going to blow out," Solis said.

"As long as we work hard, we have great chances," Dunnigan said. "We have the talent and players developing skills to do what we did last year."