The Geneva Eagles accomplished something no other Ashtabula County team could match during the just-completed 2012-13 girls basketball season:
- Went 5-0 against county opponents.
- Won a league championship, earning the outright Premier Athletic Conference crown.
- Won a sectional championship, earning a Division II crown at Pymatuning Valley.
No other county team could match Geneva’s resume of success, which is why coach Nancy Barbo’s lead the way on the Star Beacon 2012-13 All-Ashtabula County team.
Barbo, who earned coach of the year after a 20-3 season, a campaign in which the Eagles were among the top 10 Division II teams in Ohio all season in the weekly Associated Press state poll, as senior Becky Depp as the player of the year.
The coach of the year honor is the seventh for Barbo in her 17 seasons at the helm, trailing only the legendary Rod Holmes of Jefferson (9 COY honors) all-time.
Depp, a 5-4 combo guard, repeats as player of the year, having also earned the honor a year ago as a junior.
She is the first county player to repeat as player of the year since the great Haley Kapferer won it three consecutive seasons in 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Depp follows in the footsetps of Geneva standouts Taylor Webb (2009-10), Jordan Cuddy (2002-03), Rhead DeJesus (2001-02), Tiffany Leonard (1992-93), Lori Belconis (1985-86) and Anita Tersigni (1979-80) as player of the year.
Depp has plenty of familiar faces with her on the first team in the form of her twin sister, Sarah, senior post player Natalie Thomas and freshman guard Lindsey Mayle.
The only team that approached Geneva in terms of success — Pymatuning Valley — also has four selections on the first unit.
Coach Jeff Compan’s Lakers, who went 21-3, went 6-0 against county opponents and won a sectional crown, at the Division III tournament at Mineral Ridge.
Senior guard Heather Brant, junior point guard Geena Gabriel, sophomore forward Kelsea Brown and sophomore post player Megan Stech all dot the first team for the Lakers, who finished second in the Northeast Athletic Conference behind Maplewood.
Jefferson (9-14) has three players on the first unit in senior guard Sarah Busch, senior forward LeeAnn Farr and sophomore point guard Jessica Becker.
Coach Kim Triskett’s Grand Valley Mustangs (14-9), whose 14 wins were the most since winning the same number in the 2006-07 season, has junior wing Chris Futty and sophomore Jessica Vormelker on the first team.
Rounding out the team are senior post player Shelby Smith of Lakeside (1-22), junior guard Gia Saturday of Edgewood (3-19), junior post player Mackenzie Stenroos of St. John ( and sophomore guard Lexi Zappitelli of Conneaut (7-16).
