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The Mathews High School Girls' Basketball team won the 1988 Division III state tournament. The story began a number of years before that, when the team members were still in middle school.
Coach Sue Adams recognized that she had the prospects of a great team. She had three exceptional talents in Dianne Rappach, Holly Bottar, and Judy Santiago. The trio stayed together, constantly developing their talents to form the nucleus of a winning team. Cheryl Phillips and Donya Cvercko were members of this team as well.
At Mathews High School, Dennis Holmes carefully coached the team. In 1987 the girls were sure they could win what Champion had denied them in the 1986-87 season.
With Rappach as the quicksilver point guard, Santiago with her height and ever improving agility, and Bottar, with her intimidating defense, the Mathews Girls' Basketball team, led by these seniors, could outplay any team around. Three juniors (Chris Fischer, Bobbi McClain, Carrie Clute) and two seniors (Kathy Mizicko and Jennifer Beachler) supported them.
Bottar and Santiago each scored 1,000 points by the end of January in the 1987-88 season. Rappach joined the ranks of the 1,000 pointers by early March. Bottar was chosen State Player of the Year.
1987-1988 Mathews High School Girls' Basketball Team Members:
Back row (L to R): Coach Bob Terlecky, Chris Fischer, Bobbi McLain, Carrie Clute, Barb Foor, Kirsten O'Neill, Chris Chamberlain, Coach Dennis HolmesFront row (L to R): Dianne Rappach, Holly Bottar, Judy Santiago, Jennifer Beachler, Kathy Mizicko1987-1988 Mathews High School Girls' Undefeated Basketball Season
Date - Opponent - Score
November 23 - Newton Falls - 78-18
November 30 - Badger - 75-26
December 3 - Lakeview - 95-30
December 5 - Champion - 68-44
December 7 - Mineral Ridge - 82-28
December 10 - Liberty - 78-35
December 29 - Girard - 57-28
December 30 - Niles - 78-34
January 7 - Southington - 84-22
January 9 - Brookfield - 60-45
January 11 - Farmington - 111-66
January 14 - Lordstown - 94-19
January 21 - Bristol - 67-26
January 23 - LaBrae - 71-54
January 25 - Maplewood - 76-51
January 28 - Southington - 79-46
February 1 - Farmington - 92-33
February 4 - Lordstown - 70-24
February 8 - Bristol - 84-32
February 11 - Maplewood - 98-21
Sectional Tournament
February 27 - Perry - 88-25
District Tournament
March 3 - Brookfield - 68-41
March 5 - Jackson-Milton - 74-32
Regional Tournament
March 10 - St. Thomas Aquinas - 66-54
March 12 - Buckeye Trail - 75-57
State Tournament
March 18 - Coldwater - 67-55
March 19 - Utica - 63-48
1988 Mathews High School Girls Basketball Team Reunion
November 25, 2017 in the Mathews High School gymnasium:
Updated 8/13/2020
This entry is adapted from "Girls' Basketball, 1988 Season" in Vienna, Ohio, "Where We Live and Let Live": Town 4, Range 2 of the Connecticut Western Reserve (Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1999), pp. 207-208.
Team roster from the commemorative program book Triumph 1988: "We Worked, We Wished, We Won.
Photos submitted by Christine Novicky.
Team roster from the commemorative program book Triumph 1988: "We Worked, We Wished, We Won.
Photos submitted by Christine Novicky.
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