Bellevue sophomore Ava Jakubcin-Theis is among two stories in this year's Michael K. Bosi series, one female and one male. The Bosi series recognizes outstanding career or season achievement for high school athletes. The award is named for the late News-Messenger sports writer who died in 1997 at age 23 from cardiac complications because of Marfan Syndrome.
Kory Santoro would prefer not to use his top scorer to defend the opponent’s best player on offense.
Santoro’s three daughters scored 2,000 points apiece for Bellevue, while often taking on the toughest matchup on defense. Ava Jakubcin-Theis gives Santoro little choice but to turn her loose on both ends of the floor as well.
She’ll break you down with the ball in her hands and break your spirit taking it away. She was special mention all-state and first-team in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division as a freshman.
She scored 20 points as Bellevue fell to Shaker Heights Laurel by two in the state final and dropped in the go-ahead bucket with 35 seconds left in a victory over Circleville in a state semifinal.
“When we needed some buckets, she was at another level,” Santoro said. “She knew we needed a big basket and she took over. She’ll guard you the full length of the court. She’s a great player on defense and offense.”
High school basketball Derek Colston was like putty for Port Clinton coach Troy Diels
Of course, Jakubcin-Theis loves to score, but she’s even more of a monster when she intends to keep you in front of her. She was taught that defense leads to offense, which fits in perfectly at Bellevue.
“If I can get a steal and a layup or a pass ahead, that’s a great way to score,” Jakubcin-Theis said. “Steals lead to wins. I have a knack for defense. People say I have a fire in my eyes. I really do like it.”
An assignment against a dangerous scorer means something to Jakubcin-Theis because Santoro trusts her. Plus, she knows she can do it. She embraced the stage at state. After all, she has the most fun under the spotlight.
She loves “working under pressure.” She knows her hard work is going to pay off.
“I play my best because I rely on my game and the little things in the offseason coming together,” she said. “I know I put the work in to perform in those situations.”
If there were any nerves, she was composed from the first game of the season. She made six consecutive 3-pointers and added another to finish with a career high 25 points in a win over Norwalk.
Teammates, including conference player of the year Kaitlyn Turinsky, welcomed Jakubcin-Theis into the mix.
“Every time on the court, we’re playing for the fans, our teammates and coaches,” she said.
Jakubcin-Theis transferred from New Riegel. Bellevue is an attractive destination. It won a state crown before Jakubcin-Theis arrived and captured a 16th consecutive league crown with a championship after her arrival.
When she visited Bellevue while trying to make a decision where to play, she loved the intensity she saw from the players. She also was impressed by the crowd. She misses her friends, but she knew Bellevue was the right place for her.
Jakubcin-Theis will be a captain as a sophomore, along with seniors CJ Savage, Ellie Freitag and Aubree Valko. She’ll have to be more vocal, but she’s used to that on her AAU teams.
“She does the things you need to do to be great,” Santoro said.
She can’t get enough basketball. She wants to share her knowledge, hear what her teammates have to say and keep it bouncing back and forth.
She wants to improve at getting to her preferred spots to score from. She soaks in whatever coaches say. She wants to be the best player in the area and the best player to come out of the area.
“There have been so many great players – Kory’s daughters – who have done great things after high school,” she said. “My goal is to be just like that.”
She knows that doesn’t happen overnight. The long days in the gym are both the hard part, and something she looks forward to. That’s the only way to get where she wants to be.
“My coaches and teammates push me to be who I want to be,” she said. “My family.”
She already has offers from Youngstown State, Akron, North Alabama and Mercyhurst. She’s excited, but it’s only going to make her work harder. The first offer unlocked a new level of grind.
“I know I have the potential,” she said. “It’s pushing me to be better. I have plenty of time. I want to play Division I; as far as the sport will take me.”
People have noticed she plays with passion and energy. She wonders why, because that’s the part that comes without even trying. Every game is an opportunity to give her best on both ends of the floor and have fun.
The passion is the easiest part of the game because you can always do it. It’s not hard for her to smile and pump up her team because she loves all of it.
It’s an ultra competitive group in a demanding environment at Bellevue. Winning every night is the priority. The girls remain hungry after two straight trips to the state championship game for the program.
“Score, get stops and push each other,” Jakubcin-Theis said. “We all have the same goals.”
Jakubcin-Theis, who averaged 13.2 points and 2.9 steals, didn’t strike Santoro, or anybody else like a freshman. It’s not the first time for the program. She was ready to make an impact. She’s gifted physically, smart and extremely quick.
“She’s savvy for a freshman, she doesn’t play like a freshman and she’s not built like a freshman,” Santoro said. “She’s going to be known around the area as a great player. She has a heart of gold and she’s a great person off the court.
“She’ll get after it, too.”
mhorn@gannett.com
419-307-4892
X: @MatthewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Passion the easy part; try scoring on Bellevue's Ava Jakubcin-Theis