Successful basketball team tend to have "glue players" — individuals who have the ability to be stars, but can do the dirty work for the good of the team.
The Stow girls basketball team has two of Greater Akron's best examples of glue players in seniors Alaina Ray and Rachel Frailey.
Both players started multiple years for the Bulldogs. Both have no problem filling specific roles in the defense-first culture of Stow basketball.
And both showed their value in Stow's 69-27 win over visiting Solon on Jan. 10.
Ray and Frailey remembered the last time Stow played Solon. The Comets eliminated Stow 45-31 in a 2022 district semifinal.
"Going into it, we knew what they did to us two years ago, so it was just getting back at them," Ray said. "They've always been good. They've always had great players, so it's always been a rivalry."
Ray grew a couple of inches before her senior season and put on a lot of muscle last offseason.
"I would say coming in and lifting has helped a tremendous amount," she said. "I was a lot tinier then, especially during my sophomore year."
"Alaina was our point guard all last year when Anna [Hurst] got hurt," said Stow coach Bob Podges. "She has, finally as a senior, grown up enough to know that she needs to shoot the basketball. She shoots it everytime she can. She wouldn't do that before."
Podges isn't the only one telling Ray to pull the trigger.
"Reece has also been telling my to shoot the damn ball," Ray said.
"Reece" should know, as Ray's boyfriend is Stow boys basketball star Reece Raymond-Smith.
Ray's shooting ability was on display against Solon. She hit four 3s and led Stow with 19 points to go with seven rebounds, two steals and two assists.
"I was not feeling it in pregame. I was hitting nothing in pregame, but that's how it goes some times," Ray said.
While Ray's game has evolved over the past few winters, Frailey has refined her craft as Stow's defensive stopper.
Frailey has been the lynchpin of Stow's defense, stepping into that role when Hurst was injured.
Frailey's defensive credentials were tested when she drew the assignment to lock down Solon All-Ohioan Mackenzie Blackford. The result: Blackford was held to 10 points and did not make a 3-pointer.
"Rachel Frailey did an outstanding job on Blackford," Podges said. "She had 40 points on Saturday and 27 points on Monday. She's a very talented player. Rachel plays like Rachel plays. She didn't have any other responsibility tonight except face-guard Blackford."
"Podges was telling me I had to face-guard her and hold her down to a solid number of points," Frailey said. "I've been practicing face-guarding her for the past two days in practice."
Frailey credited teammate Kadence Dodds for simulating Blackford in practice and Ray for her leadership.
"At the beginning of the game, Anna and Alaina gave a good pep talk," she said. "They basically told us to keep our composure and keep calm. It's going to be physical, it's going to be a tough game, but we just have to do what we do best."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Seniors Rachel Fraiey and Alaina Ray lead Stow girls basketball
