Hopewell basketball players get another shot at state
COSHOCTON – Hopewell basketball player Nick McElhaney summed up this weekend in one phrase Thursday night: “This is a dream of a lifetime.”
McElhaney will be traveling with one of the two teams that are competing in the Special Olympics Ohio Team Basketball Tournament this weekend.
The Black team, which has 11 players and won the Division III State Championship last year, will compete in Division II, while the Red team, which McElhaney is on and has nine players, will participate in Division V.
River View graduate and 20-year-old assistant coach Devin Smith said he is excited to see how both teams do.
“It’s very rewarding to watch everyone succeed in some capacity when they are playing,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun keeping an eye on both teams.”
Another assistant coach, 24-year-old Steffinee Powers, said she thinks each teams has a distinct set of skills.
“The Black team has really gotten better throughout the season and is hungry to win a state title after being bumped up a division,” she said. “The Red team has a lot of fun and is just happy to be there because winning or losing doesn’t matter to them.”
Black team member Jalen Berry said he is excited about going back to state again.
“In basketball, anything can happen, and we just want to do the best that we can,” he said. “We are glad to have a chance to win state again, and we are really hoping to go back-to-back.”
McElhaney said he hopes the team can make the community proud.
“I am really excited,” he said. “We really want to win and bring back a state title.”
The Black team will face Stark County DD at 4 p.m. Friday at Dover Middle School. Win or lose, the team will play Saturday morning at Strasburg High School.
The Red team also plays at 4 p.m. Friday but at Kent State-Tuscarawas; it would play at the same location, win or lose, Saturday morning.
There also will be six kids competing in a skills competition Saturday at Claymont High School.
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