Season preview: Crestview Lady Knights

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

CONVOY — The 2018-2019 girls’ basketball season should prove to be an interesting one for the Crestview Lady Knights.

On one hand, the team lost last year’s leading scorer and rebounder (Paige Motycka, NWC Player of the Year, Third Team All-Ohio) to graduation. On the other hand, a number of other talented players return.

Coming off a 17-7 season, which included a Division III district championship game loss to state power Ottawa-Glandorf, head coach Mark Gregory (30-17) is entering his third season, and he’ll have five letter winners at his disposal: Lexi Gregory (11.9 ppg), Bailey Gregory (5.0 ppg), Olivia Cunningham (5.0 ppg), Haley Smith and Emma Bowen.

Even with those returning players and a group of promising newcomers, Gregory still has concerns while entering the new season.

“We lost a lot of experience and 37 points per game from last years squad,” Gregory said. “We have big shoes to fill and we have several kids experiencing it for the first time at the varsity level. We need to really pick up scoring and rebounding from this group.”

Among the players expected to see varsity or more varsity time this season: Lauryn Black, Codi Miller, Aleigh Chesbro, Kaylee Wolford, Raegan Hammons and Lizzie Bowen.

Gregory noted his team may lack prototypical size and strength, but backcourt play and knowledge of the game should allow the Lady Knights to run the court.

“We will still push the ball as much as we can,” Gregory explained. “We have a nice group of guards that allow us to play an uptempo style. We are small, but we have huge hearts.”

Defensively, the Lady Knights will once again play man-to-man.

Crestview will open the season at 2017-2018 Division IV state runner up Ottoville on Saturday. Other non-conference opponents on the schedule include Fort Recovery, Parkway, Fort Jennings, Kalida, Continental, Coldwater, Delphos St. John’s, Van Wert, Celina and Wayne Trace. In addition to those teams, the Lady Knights will tangle in what should be a competitive NWC.

“Our non-conference schedule is very tough again,” Gregory said. “We also have seven of our first nine games on the road. Our conference will be very competitive, and multiple teams have a shot to win the conference.”