2022 High school basketball preview: Coach Brittney McNamara, senior Mary Meng finding groove at Midview

The transition is over. The coach and star player are settled in as they begin their second season with Midview, making life much more comfortable. Coach Brittney McNamara and senior Mary Meng had a successful debut a year ago when Midview finished 18-6 overall and 11-3 in the tough Southwestern Conference. Meng (6-foot-4) averaged nearly 16 points and rebounds after transferring from Christian Community. "Definitely having that year experience of playing together hopefully will have a big impact this year," said Meng, who just signed her letter of intent to attend Bowling Green. "We have high goals. It'll come down to execution and putting in the work so we can succeed." McNamara starred at Elyria Catholic under Eric Rothgery and was Lorain County's Division IV Player of the Year in 2013. She coached at Berea-Midpark, where her father, Kevin, has taken over. Her life's been full of big changes, as she had a baby girl seven months ago. "It's a really good feeling to have a full summer and know the girls coming into it," McNamara said. "We only graduated one senior, so it's still all the same. The girls know me. They understand how I operate and things like that. That's what's exciting. "It's awesome to be already in, having our footing. We feel we're a little ahead of where we were last year." And last year wasn't bad, as the Middies finished second in the SWC to Olmsted Falls. The goal this year is to win the league and advance deep in the playoffs. "Coming in second in conference last year, I kind of look at it as motivation," Meng said. "The SWC is a really tough conference. There are so many teams that have great players and great coaches. It really comes down to who's going to execute, who's going to play well night to night." "It's the most they've won since the '90s," McNamara said proudly. "Things like that, having these girls in a new type of culture that we're building, it's wonderful." McNamara loves the school, the support of the community and the environment. "The community here in Grafton is awesome," she said. "They just rally around. Everybody's reaching out. 'What do you need?' They want to see these girls succeed. That's what is so great." Meng isn't the only weapon for the Middies. The DiFranco girls — sisters Mya and Olivia along with freshman cousin Leah — all should contribute. Meng and Olivia DiFranco were all-conference selections a year ago. Grace Seymour, who led the Middies in assists, is also back. Mya DiFranco, a senior, sat out last year with a knee injury and is raring to go. "It was a very long process," Mya said of her rehab. "A couple setbacks but a lot of coaches and parents pushed me through it. Thankfully I'll get my last year on the court this year. I'm very thankful for that. "I'm very excited that I get to be a part of it this year, making an impact on the team. We hope to do great things for the school." Mya's and Olivia's dad, Chad, is assisting McNamara. Leah's dad is Jason, who coaches the seventh-graders. Olivia had an outstanding sophomore season, averaging nearly 18 points. "It's really nice having Mary in for a second year," she said. "Last year we all had to kind of figure out our chemistry and we did. Having that and now putting Mya in from previous years where she already played with us will really help us get going. It's motivating for us." The Middies opened the season by defeating defending Division I state champion Reynoldsburg (26-2 a year ago) at Westerville South on Sunday and will face Elyria Catholic tonight. "You gotta play the best to be the best," Meng said of the early challenges. "I'm very excited for those matchups." Contact Tim Gebhardt at (440) 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com.