CADET FRESHMAN … Caelan Nofziger takes a baseline shot in last Wednesday’s sectional semifinal win over Holgate.
PHOTOS BY REBEKAH DELL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
LEADING THE WAY … Hilltop’s Molly Dickinson (above) dropped 22 points to help the Cadets stave off a Holgate surge in the fourth quarter to get the win. VIEW 82 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (February 18, 2026) – Molly Dickinson did everything from star in the opening act to being the hero in the finish.
The senior guard got Hilltop off to a fast start, then almost single-handedly warded off every Holgate rally as her Cadets chalked up a 36-24 Division VII sectional opening round win.
“It’s always nice to get that tournament win,” expressed Cadet coach Troy Grime. “Regardless of what level it is or what part of the tournament it is, that’s the name of the game.
“You’re 0-0 and you win and go on to the second one. Holgate played hard, they never stopped and that’s a credit to coach (Mitch) Fisher there.”
Dickinson scored off four Holgate first quarter turnovers to spur the Cadets to an early lead.
After Kenley Routt’s early triple, Dickinson got a pair of layups off her own steals, hit a three-ball after another Tiger miscue, and finished with a layup off a feed from Routt to get the Cadets on top 14-4 after a quarter.
Delaney Meyer’s triple brought Holgate back to 15-9 with 2:57 to go in the half but Dickinson answered with her third steal-and-score to double up the Tigers 18-9 at the break.
The Cadets held their nine point lead despite hitting just 1-8 field goal attempts in the second. Neither team could find the bottom of the net in the third, combining to go 1-15 from the floor.
Holgate sliced into the Hilltop lead in the fourth, three times slicing the deficit to six. Each time Dickinson countered.
Anna Bower hit from outside the arc 38 seconds into the last quarter. Dickinson hit 2-2 from the stripe to answer, then did the same after a Jillian Eis hoop for the Tigers.
With 5:17 left, Eis hit 2-2 from the line to get Holgate back to 24-18 but this time Dickinson dropped the big one – a long range howitzer to put the Cadets on top 27-18.
“They made a couple runs and got it down,” Grime said. “They got a couple buckets, and we had to have someone get the big bucket. Tonight, it was Molly.
“Obviously she was the one out there doing lots of good things, which is great. Her motor never stops. Sometimes you have to try to put her in neutral.”
Routt followed with a lay-in off a turnover to push the lead to double figures and Hilltop was never threatened again.
Dickinson knocked in 22 to lead all scorers on the evening. Meyer canned four three-pointers to pace Holgate with 12.
Holgate (0-21) shot 25 percent from the field, only getting off 32 shots. That was because the Tigers were guilty of 24 turnovers on the night.
Hilltop (6-17) shot 9-35 from the field and had 16 turnovers.
HOLGATE (24) – Meyer 12; Leaders 2; Bower 6; Eis 4; Totals: 3-5-3 – 24
HILLTOP (36) – Dickinson 22; Routt 6; Crossgrove 5; Connolly 1; L. Rodriguez 0; C. Nofziger 0; N. Rodriguez 2; McCauley 0; Higgins 0; Totals: 6-3-15 – 36
HOL 4 5 2 13 – 24
HHS 14 4 2 16 – 36