T-L Photo/SETH STASKEY UNION LOCAL senior Reagan Vinskovich goes up for two of her game-high 22 points during the first quarter of Saturday's OVAC Class 3A championship game against Fort Frye at Harrison Central.

CADIZ — The plan, when playing Union Local’s girls basketball team, to take away senior All-Ohioans Reagan Vinskovich and Torre Kildow makes good sense.

But when the Jets “role players” like Lauren Miller, Emily Kellaway and Ella Pietranton are making shots early in the game, the plan needs revision.

Such was the case Saturday afternoon when the Jets took on Fort Frye for the OVAC Class 3A title at Harrison Central High School. Miller, Kellaway and Pietranton all rained in bonus goals in the opening quarter, allowing the Jets to build a 23-6 lead after one and they never looked back en route to a 49-34 victory and the program’s third consecutive conference title.

“We prepared to be in a grind game, but when we were able to get the lead like we did they had to play our game a little bit,” UL head coach Scooter Tolzda said. “Fort Frye rolled the dice and left our role players open and we said ‘our role players will definitely have to play well (Saturday).”

They delivered.

In the first quarter, which proved to be the decisive chapter, Union Local connected on its first eight shots from the field. It didn’t miss any of its five, 3-point shots and simply had their way.

“Lauren (Miller), Laken (Vinskovich), Emmy (Kellaway) and Ella (Pietranton) all did admirable jobs,” Tolzda said. “They were the key because they were guarding Reagan and Torre. And honestly, we’ll probably go as far (in the tournament) as our role players take us.”

On the other end, veteran and higly successful Cadets head coach Dan Liedtke, who owns more than 700 career victories, simply could tip his cap to the Jets.

“They were really hot that first quarter,” Liedtke said. “It didn’t seem like it mattered who was going to shoot it. The ball was going to go in. Against a team like this, you simply can’t get buried like that that early in the game because you’re not going to be able to come back.”

The Jets cooled off considerably, scoring just 26 points for the next three quarters.

However, their defensive prowess, which has been unheralded at times in the last couple of seasons, wasn’t about to let the Cadets make too much of a run.

“We quit attacking (offensively) and tried to take some time off the clock, which we are trying to improve on,” Tolzda said. “It got a little bit sloppy from our point of view, which happens every once in a while.”

On top of their defense, despite the Cadets’ concerted efforts to take away Reagan Vinskovich on the interior, Union Local’s all-time leading scorer was able to get hers. She scored 12 of the Jets’ 16 in the second half. All told, Vinskovich finished with 22 points, putting her the 1,900 mark for her career. She also collected seven rebounds.

Vinskovich was complemented by junior Lauren Miller, who hit four bonus goals and finished with 14 points. Kellaway, who was solid with the ball and defensively, finished with seven points.

Kildow, who didn’t score and only took one shot, still made an impact with six rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot.

Fort Frye was led by Emmy Duskey’s 12. Kianna O’Brien finished with nine.

While the title is Union Local’s third consecutive, it’s the second straight on the floor because the 2021 crowns were decided via paper because of the pandemic and last season’s title came in Class 4A. Regardless of how, where and what class, the excitement level doesn’t change.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to win a few (OVAC titles) and everyone of them is precious,” Tolzda said.

Next up for the Jets is the regular-season finale against OVAC Class 5A runnerup Wheeling Park on Wednesday in Morristown. The Jets will be seeking a perfect regular season.

“It’s going to be an exciting game with an electric atmosphere,” Tolzda said. “It’s going to be worth the price of admission and we think it’s going to be a heck of a game.”