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Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Local girls’ basketball teams seek success

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

Thanksgiving weekend brings with it the beginning of the 2016-2017 winter sports season, including girls high school basketball.

Three local schools will put young teams on the court, with just one senior on each squad. But all three coaches say their teams should be exciting to watch.

Van Wert will try to rebound, after last year’s 0-22 (0-9 Western Buckeye League) season.

Cougar head logoAfter serving as the varsity assistant last season, Rob Adams is stepping in to guide the Lady Cougars, and he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“Our main focus has been building a family-style atmosphere around the program,” Adams said. “With that in mind, our sole purpose on the court is to improve our defensive game and create points off our transition style offense.”

Junior Cassidy Meyers will lead Van Wert’s up-tempo offense as the point guard.

“Cassidy is our ring leader on the floor and will look to penetrate and dish or kick out to our wing players, who are more than capable scorers,” Adams said.

Meyers be joined in the starting lineup by sophomore shooting guard Reagan Priest, senior Ally Jackson at small forward and sophomore Abby Jackson at center. Ally Jackson is the only senior on the team.

Also seeing playing time for the Lady Cougars will be sophomores Tabitha Saam, Sierra Shaffer and Olivia Kline, junior Grace Kline, and freshman Jamison Clouse.

“We have a very young team with plenty to build on,” Adams said.

The Lady Cougars will open the season Friday at home against Ottoville. The WBL opener will be December 8, at Wapakoneta.

“Our schedule is always tough,” Adams said. “With that said, we will take it one game at a time and concentrate completely on us.”

“Our goal is to improve our overall record in the WBL and to finish the season with a winning record,” he noted.

Crestview has some new faces, including a new head coach and several varsity players.

In his first year, Mark Gregory is hoping to reload after the Lady Knights went 18-6 (7-1 Northwest Conference and sectional champions) during the 2015-2016 season.

He’s working with a squad that lost five seniors and 33 points a game to graduation.

“I am looking forward to helping this group grow on and off the floor,” Gregory said. “We have lots of learning to do.”

Crestview Knights logo 1-2011Crestview does have three returning letter winners, and all three are juniors — 5-8 guard/forward Paige Motycka, 5-5 guard Lyvia Black and 5-9 forward Ally McCoy. They’ll be joined in the starting lineup by the team’s sole senior, 5-8 center/forward Ashley Dealey and 5-5 freshman guard Lexi Gregory.

Also seeing playing time for the Lady Cougars will be 5-8 sophomore center/forward Emma Bowen, 5-7 center/forward Lizzie Bowen, 5-6 junior guard Alyssa Gent and 5-9 sophomore guard/forward Avery McCoy.

“The kids have great character and attitude,” Gregory said.

Crestview will be an up-tempo team and will look for early opportunities, but will run motion and sets against man and zone. Defensively, the Lady Cougars will use their quickness to play full court and half court.

The Lady Knights will open the season Saturday at Ottoville. The first NWC game will be December 8th at Bluffton, and the home opener is scheduled for December 15th against Columbus Grove.

“We need to work hard, communicate and play the right way,” Gregory said.

With five returning starters and two additional letter winners, Lincolnview has hopes of improving on last season’s 5-18 (1-7 NWC) record.

Seventh year Lady Lancer head coach Dan Williamson said three 5-7 junior guards are slated to start –Olivia Gorman, Maddie Gorman and Kayla Schimmoeller — along with 5-8 junior Alena Looser and 5-8 senior post player Katlyn Wendel.

Two other letter winners, 5-6 sophomore guard Lakin Brant and 5-8 junior post Frankie Carey will be in the mix, along with three other sophomores — 5-foot guard Madeline Snyder, 5-4 guard Adia Welch and 5-11 post Carly Wendel.

Lincolnview Lancer logo 4-2015“We hope to have a more balanced scoring attack than in past years, as there are a number of players who can score,” Williamson said. “Our lone senior, Katlyn Wendel, will be our leader on both ends of the floor, as she enters her fourth year of playing varsity basketball.

“We hope to be able to push the ball more in transition and get easy looks at the basket,” Williamson added. “Defensively, we will have to mix things up between man and zone to keep the ball out of the post.

The Lady Lancers will open the season Saturday at Continental. The NWC opener will be December 8 at Paulding, and the first home game will be December 13 against Perry.

“I feel our schedule is pretty tough both in conference and non-conference,” Williamson said. In my opinion, the top two in the NWC are Bluffton and Columbus Grove, with everyone else being pretty competitive.

“Ottoville will be our toughest non-conference game, but we also have some tough ones in Delphos St. John’s and Wayne Trace.”

POSTED: 11/25/16 at 9:28 am. FILED UNDER: Sports