Strasburg-Franklin tops West Holmes girls 57-40 in late-season matchup

Strasburg-Franklin topped West Holmes 57-40 in a nonleague girls varsity basketball game Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, a late-season matchup both programs used to jockey for seeding and momentum ahead of district tournament play. The final and the late-season context were reported in game coverage and scheduling summaries for the teams.

West Holmes was paced by senior guard Zalina Proper, who scored 22 points and recorded three steals, according to YouOhioNews. Junior Briar Cline added eight points and four assists, and sophomore Cara McMillen logged six rebounds and six steals for the Knights; Lilli Brown contributed five rebounds, the report states. MaxPreps shows the Feb. 14 result on its schedule but notes that “Player Stats have not been entered. Stats are entered by the coach or designated team statistician in the admin,” leaving YouOhioNews as the source for the individual lines reported here.

The West Holmes junior varsity girls also fell to Strasburg-Franklin on Saturday, 41-24, YouOhioNews reported. Brinley Malachin led the JV scoring for West Holmes with nine points and Chelsie Cooper added seven, per that same report.

Across campus, West Holmes boys teams saw results in the same stretch. In Ohio Cardinal Conference play Friday, Feb. 13, Wooster pulled out a 58-52 victory over West Holmes’ varsity boys; Nate Sprang scored 22 points and Cooper Maltarich scored 17 for the Knights, according to YouOhioNews. West Holmes JV boys lost to Wooster 55-30 on Feb. 13, with Hudson Flanders and Jaden Baker each scoring 11 points, the report shows.

Recent results compiled on MaxPreps place the West Holmes varsity girls’ season in context: a Jan. 12 victory over Lexington, 46-30, followed by a Feb. 4 loss at Hiland, 53-22, and a Feb. 7 loss to Madison Comprehensive, 47-38, before the Feb. 14 game with Strasburg-Franklin. MaxPreps’ rankings page, last updated Feb. 16, 2026, lists West Holmes at Ohio#405, Ohio Division IV#67 and Columbus#118 in its snapshot of the program’s standing.

Several gaps remain in the public record of the Feb. 14 matchup: none of the available reports specify the gym, city or which school hosted the varsity game; Strasburg-Franklin individual statistics beyond the team total were not included; and there were no coach or player quotes posted with the box-score information. YouOhioNews provided the West Holmes statistical leaders cited here, and MaxPreps supplied the result and season scheduling metadata.

Local fundraising and program support continue to be a factor for West Holmes athletics heading into district play; YouOhioNews coverage on the same page notes the West Holmes cake auctions raised $15,000 this season to support athletic programs. Confirmation of full official box scores, venue, and postgame comments awaits releases from the West Holmes and Strasburg-Franklin athletic departments.