Fostoria girls eye turnaround with new coach at the helm > INSIDE

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Fostoria girls eye turnaround with
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REVIEW TIMES
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COVER STORY
FOSTORIA REVIEW TIMES, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013
Fostoria girls eye turnaround
with new coach at the helm
By ANDREW WILLIAMS
SPORTS WRITER
In Greek mythology, the phoenix is a large, colorful bird which is said to
burst into flames and be reborn from the ashes of itself.
Its ability to regenerate from virtually nothing is why it is seen as a symbol
for renewal and revival and looked upon with great reverence.
While the phoenix is a fictional creature, its powers of transformation are
very real and are being embraced by a group of people without them even
realizing it’s happening.
The Fostoria High School Lady Red basketball program is, for all intents
and purposes, a phoenix.
Bursting into flames
After years of competitiveness behind standouts such as Aja Hall and
Veronica Wonderly, the past two seasons have been a struggle for the FHS
girls basketball program.
The team endured an 0-21 campaign in its first year in Northern Buckeye
Conference play during the 2011-12 season and was 0-20 last season before
defeating Genoa 46-43 in the regular-season finale to snap a 43-game losing
streak. The Lady Red finished 1-22 and 1-13 in the NBC and entered the offseason with little certainty as to where the program was headed.
There were not many things to cheer about, and despite losing no seniors
to graduation, when coach Mat Swortchek resigned after six seasons at the
helm, it was unclear what the future held for the program.
With the hiring of coach J.T. Bates in June, at least one thing became apparent: The past was in the past and things were going to be different.
The pile of ashes
MIKE MASELLA / for the Review Times
FIRST-YEAR Fostoria High School girls coach J.T. Bates makes a point during preseason scrimmage. Bates and
the Lady Red are looking for rejuvenation in the program after a yield of one win in the last two seasons.
Bates, a junior high health and physical education teacher in Fostoria
schools, is in a unique position in his first season at the head of the Lady Red
program. The 11-year coaching veteran, who has served as head boys coach at
Arcadia and his alma mater, Mohawk, admitted he was unsure at first about
the idea of taking over the FHS girls.
“When I was approached about coaching, I was skeptical,” said Bates, who
spent last season as the junior varsity boys coach at Tiffin Columbian. “I’d been
coaching boys for 11 years; I’d been a varsity boys coach for six years. ... But
this kind of intrigued me because I just see what’s here and I see the kids who
are coming back to the program. I see the abilities, I see the talent, I see a lot
of things just being a teacher walking the hallways.”
After speaking with FHS administrators at the end of May and consulting
with his wife, Kelly — a former Lady Red player who was a member of FHS’
2004 district runner-up team — Bates decided to sleep on the decision.
When he awoke, he said accepting the job “felt right,” and he called athletic
director Tim Murray to inform him that he wanted the position.
Eager to meet his new team, Bates set up a meeting for the following Sunday
and said 20 potential players showed up. One of the things he wanted to do
immediately was get an idea of how the players felt about the past and help
them understand that may have been who they were, but it was not who they
had to be now.
“I had them write past thoughts on the board,” he said of that first meeting.
“They came up and they would write down a feeling that they had last season or
See RISING, Page T3
COVER STORY
T3
Rising
INSIDE
Continued from page T2
the season before. We had some words
like ‘disappointment,’ ‘embarrassment,’ ‘drama,’ words like that. They
never spoke, and we had 20 different
words up there to describe how they
felt. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.
“Then (assistant) coach (Clayton)
Moore and I spoke and passed out our
expectations, and before we left the
room I had one of the seniors come
up and erase it to have a blank board.
That’s what we stressed: ‘Girls, this is
blank. This is 0-0. This is brand new.
There is no 1-42 now. It’s 0-0.’”
If helping the players put the past
behind them was the most important
task, then developing them into better
basketball players was a close second.
As a self-proclaimed “old-school
basketball coach,” Bates relies on
intense, skill-oriented practices in
which everything is timed and everyone is constantly on the move. His
team spends little time strictly running because he believes conditioning
can be achieved within the structure
of practice so no time is misused.
“My practice philosophy is to go
extremely fast, extremely hard so that
we get our conditioning knocked out
and we actually develop skill at the
same time,” he said. “I try to keep it
as upbeat as possible and I try to keep
all practices competitive.
“If we do a drill, there’s always a
winner and a loser to the drill. The
loser of the drill maybe has some
push-ups or a down-and-back or something. We’re trying to teach them how
to compete.”
When team captains Jada Hampton, Erica Moore and Kierra Settles
were asked about the biggest difference they have noticed this season
from past seasons, a common adjective kept appearing: intense.
“The intensity is crazy,” Moore, a
5-foot-6 junior point guard, said. “Our
practices are timed. They’re intense.
Everything’s a challenge. If we don’t
meet our goal, we’re on the line running. Everything’s competitive with
(Bates).”
Hampton, who led the team with a
10.2 scoring average last season as a
sophomore, said: “We go after it. He’s
really intense. I think that transfers
from practice to our games and game
situations.”
Said Settles, the Lady Red’s lone
returning senior: “Everything’s
intense and we’re all moving and we’re
all learning things.”
Bates gives credit to many coaches
he has played for, worked under or
merely observed in his various stops
throughout his coaching career.
His high school coach, Tim Holcomb, along with multiple coaches
from both the Blanchard Valley Conference and Midland Athletic League,
where he spent time as a head coach,
were influential for him in his develop-
Arcadia
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Bettsville
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Elmwood
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Findlay
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Fostoria
Hopewell-Loudon
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Lakota
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New Riegel
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Tiffin Calvert
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Tiffin Columbian
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St. Wendelin
MIKE MASELLA / for the Review Times
FOSTORIA HIGH SCHOOL junior Alexus Smith (right) vies with an opponent for a loose ball during a preseason
scrimmage. Smith averaged 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest as a sophomore.
ment as a coach.
The rise begins
In his first head coaching position
Starting from scratch can be a
at Arcadia, though, he was fortunate daunting task because it is overto be paired opposite one of the area’s whelming to think about everything
most successful coaches and learned that needs to be done. But when a situa great deal simply by watching the ation calls for it, there is no other way
man do his job.
to begin rebuilding.
“I was very
Bates had
young when I
two four-day
“My
practice
philosophy
is
to
got the boys
c a m p s a nd
job (at Arcat wo s ho otgo extremely fast, extremely
outs during
dia),” Bates
hard so that we get our
the summer
said. “I was
to install his
only 24, so I
conditioning knocked out and
philosophies,
didn’t really
we actually develop skill at the
his thoughts,
have a mentor
his strategies
as far as somesame time. I try to keep it as
and his ideals
body to learn
upbeat
as
possible
and
I
try
to
into the team.
from. I just
A lthough
kind of learned
keep all practices competitive.”
it
was
a small
on the fly, but
sample size
coach Randy
J.T. BATES,
and unofficial
Baker ... was
FOSTORIA GIRLS HEAD COACH
competition,
very influenBates said he
tial just watching him, watching some was excited and encouraged by the
of their practices, going to their games strides the squad made during the
and watching how he runs a program. offseason sessions.
“He was very influential in just
“Just from my first day at practice,
the way he does things. Just the way it was just the attitude of the girls,”
he did things and still does things is he said. “They’re taking it all in and
very, very impressive. When you’ve they’re working so hard and you’re
got a guy with over 400 wins ... he’s just seeing the growth every single
definitely a guy you can learn from.”
day. ... When they get it, you can see
the light go on, like, ‘Oh, man, I get
it now.’ They’re learning and I think
they’re excited to learn.
“It looks like they really, really,
really enjoy basketball. It looks like
it’s something that they want to do.
They’re here, they’re working, they
do everything that you ask. It’s just
nice to see how excited they are. They
want to win. They want to have success. And they’re doing the work to
do that, so it’s exciting.”
The Lady Red posted a 5-3 record
in two shootouts this summer, at
Riverdale and Heidelberg University,
which is a drastic improvement when
compared to the 1-42 mark they are
trying to put behind them.
While he realizes it was summer
competition and the real tests are
upcoming, Bates said the success the
players have already experienced is
something they can use as stepping
stones as the season approaches,
regardless of how it was achieved.
“We had a pretty good summer,”
Bates said. “I know it’s summer, I
know it’s different, but we’re building off the success that they’ve experienced and 5-3 in the summer is a
good start. It was tremendous. It got
me excited.”
That success has not gone unnoSee RISING, Page T21
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FOSTORIA
REDMEN | BOYS
Redmen to rely on ‘team effort’ for success
Fostoria High School’s boys took some lumps, but
coach Rick Renz hopes the experience gained will be
part of a leap from a 2012-13 campaign that ended
with records of 4-20 overall and 2-12 in the Northern
Buckeye Conference.
“It should pay some dividends for some of our
returning players,” said Renz, who brings five players back from last season. “They’ve been through a
varsity season and they know what to expect. I saw
it in the summer. We didn’t have outstanding camps,
but we had pretty solid camps and the kids understand
the game’s a lot faster and a lot more physical and you
have to have five guys on the floor who are on the same
page, or it’s plain and simple — you’re not going to
win a basketball game.
“The kids get that. I think you’re going to see much
more of a team effort out of the kids this year.”
Last year’s Redmen lost some players early in the
season and had to rebuild on the fly. This year’s squad
remain relatively inexperienced, even with four seniors
on the squad. but Renz hopes to get out to a faster
start.
Renz
Ka. Bemis
Stennett
“We open up with Findlay (at home) and then we
have four straight road games, so we’re going to be
tested early,” he said. “But I think we have a group of
kids that is willing to work hard and listen and will
get better as we go.”
Renz said he likes the Redmen’s “tenacity and
hustle,” and he hopes to see them develop into a strong
defensive club. They’ll have to find some offensive
See REDMEN, Page T5
REDMEN | GIRLS
Lady Red hoping for breakthrough season
Fostoria High School’s girls basketball team is hitting the reset button this season.
After posting a 1-42 mark over the last two seasons,
including 1-21 overall and 1-13 in Northern Buckeye
Conference play a year ago, new coach J.T. Bates
assumes control of the program with high hopes of
getting the Lady Red on the right track.
Bates has had stints as head boys coach at Arcadia
and Mohawk, while also serving as junior varsity boys
coach at Tiffin Columbian last season.
“I’ve coached a long time, but I’m really excited
about this team,” Bates said. “Just from my first day
at practice, it was just the attitude of the girls. They’re
taking it all in and they’re working so hard and you’re
just seeing the growth every single day. They’re learning and I think they’re excited to learn.”
There is reason for excitement, too. Despite sub-par
seasons in recent years, FHS did not lose any seniors
to graduation and returns seven letterwinners to this
year’s squad.
Juniors Jada Hampton (5-foot-9) and Erica Moore
(5-6) were the team’s leading scorers a year ago, com-
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TEAMS!!
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On A Safe and
Winning Season
To All Area Teams
1200 McDougal St.
Fostoria, OH 44830
PH: 419-435-7033
www.whitta.com

Bates
Hampton
Moore
bining for 19.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Senior Kierra Settles (5-7) is back after averaging 4.5
points and 2.6 boards and junior Alexus Smith (5-7)
returns 3.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
Senior Eliza Sanchez (5-2), junior Lila Lenz (5-7)
and sophomore Olivia Valenti (5-2) will also provide
some varsity experience to the squad.
Junior Sydney Vilaisack (5-2), along with freshmen
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Redmen
tory over Genoa. Junior Kaleb Bemis
(5-9) improved by “leaps and bounds”
last season, Renz said. A third junior,
Deandre Cannon (6-0) has limited
varsity experience.
Part-time varsity players will be
firepower, though, as he cited their junior Kagen Brown (6-2) and sophooverall shooting ability as needing an mores Kobey Bemis (6-0) and Clay
upgrade.
Renz (6-1).
Among last year’s letterwinning
In addition, coach Renz said,
seniors, 6-foot-3 Drew Stennett will “There are several other players at
be looked toward
the JV level who
“It’s a great group of kids.
for some scoring
could have an
punch, while 6-4
impact on the
They have a great attitude”
varsity before the
Hunter Abell will
be counted on for
year’s over.”
RICK RENZ,
inside defense
Players stayFOSTORIA BOYS HEAD COACH
and rebounding
ing within their
and 6 -1 Tony
roles will be a
Mauricio will be expected to be a key to success this season, and Renz
“lockdown defender.” Another senior, thinks he has a club that will do that.
5-11 Voshon Cousin, is “probably our
“It’s a great group of kids,” Renz
best on-ball defender.”
said. “They have a great attitude.
Rayshon Martin, a 6-3 junior, pro- They’re willing to do anything you
vided some excitement at times last ask. They might not like it, but they’ll
year, including a triple-double in a vic- do it.”
ANDREW WILLIAMS / the Review Times
FOSTORIA HIGH SCHOOL’S boys team includes: (front, from left) Kobey Bemis, Deandre Cannon, Kaleb Bemis,
Voshon Cousin, Ricky Medina, Tony Mauricio; (back, from left) head coach Rick Renz, Kagen Brown, Clay Renz,
Rayshon Martin, Hunter Abell, Drew Stennett, assistant coach Aaron Sheets, assistant coach Gabe Sierra.
Lady
have success.”
Offensively, the Lady Red will look
to control the pace of the game and
work to create the best shot possible
each possession. Rebounding will be a
Lexie Fretz (5-8), Lilia’na Velazques concern because of a lack of height, so
(5-6), Deija Williams (5-7) and Sierra crashing the boards for second-chance
Cannon (5-9) will all be role players opportunities will be a team effort.
seeing their first
Bates wants to
varsity action.
employ
an intense
“It
just
feels
like
the
B at e s l i ke s
m
a
n
t
o-man
the leadership
group I have is starting to
roles the upperdefense while also
turn things around ...”
classmen have
utilizing trapping
assumed and said
zone schemes in
there are almost
J.T. BATES,
certain situations.
no visible effects
FOSTORIA GIRLS HEAD COACH
O vera l l , he
f rom prev ious
just wants to see
struggles.
“It looks like they really, really, his players make continued improvereally enjoy basketball,” Bates said. ment and work toward building the
“It looks like it’s something that they
foundation for a successful program.
want to do. They’re here, they’re work“It just feels like the group I have
ing, they do everything that you ask.
It’s just nice to see how excited they is starting to turn things around, and
are. They want to win. They want to that’s really very exciting,” he said.
Good
Luck
Redmen
419-435-2161
FOSTORIA HIGH SCHOOL’S girls team includes: (front, from left) Lila Lenz, Erica Moore, Eliza Sanchez, Kierra
Settles, Felicia Magallanes, Jada Hampton, Alexus Smith; (back, from left) Olivia Valenti, Deija Williams, Lexie
Fretz, assistant coach Chad Krukemyer, head coach J.T. Bates, assistant coach Clayton Moore, Sierra Cannon,
Lilia’na Velazquez and Sydney Vilaisack.
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ST. WENDELIN
MOHAWKS | BOYS
Mohawks to rely on senior leadership
Senior leadership will be the key for St. Wendelin
coach Jim Rutter’s squad as he enters his third season
at the head of the program.
The Mohawks return four seniors from last season,
when they posted an 8-15 overall record and a 3-8 mark
in Midland Athletic League competition.
Rutter will count on the quartet of Gabe Walters
(6-foot-4), Brady Rutter (5-10), Nick Root (5-8) and
Steven Murray (5-10) to provide guidance for a fairly
young roster this season. He said being thrown into
the fire as sophomores two years ago will hopefully
pay dividends for them in their final year.
“We’ve got a group of seniors that really works
hard,” Rutter said. “We’re really counting on them
to hold the team together and show some leadership,
which they have to this point.
“We’re hoping that that experience that they gained
over the last two years ... pays off in the long run.”
Walters is expected to be the main post threat for
St. Wendelin and is “probably one of the hardest workers on the team,” according to Rutter.
Root will again assume the point guard duties,
Rutter
Rutter
Walters
while Murray and Brady Rutter, the coach’s son, will
provide consistent scoring threats from the outside.
Junior Donovan Scudder (5-9) is a returning letterwinner and solid outside shooter, while junior
Cole Frankart (5-11) is much improved after injuries
plagued him for most of last season.
Peter Campbell (5-9), the lone sophomore, will add
depth at the guard position and is a leader on the floor
See SENIOR, Page T7
MOHAWKS | GIRLS
Mohawks have many questions to answer
There are more questions than answers for St. Wendelin’s girls entering the 2013-14 season.
The Mohawks posted a 14-8 overall record and a
6-4 mark in the Midland Athletic League last season,
but much of the production from that team has graduated.
Colleen Fondessy, a first-team All-MAL selection who averaged 18 points per game last season, is
continuing her playing career at Capital University.
Second-team pick Heather Saalman averaged 10 points
per game and is now a member of the team at Otterbein University.
Losing quality players to graduation is nothing new
to coach Aaron Smith. The problem, though, is the lack
of experience and numbers with which the Mohawks
have to work.
With just 11 players on the roster, St. Wendelin
will not field a junior varsity team. And Smith knows
there will be some growing pains for his squad early
in the schedule.
“We lose almost 40 points a game from last year,”
Smith said. “We don’t have a sub that has ever stepped
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Smith
Rutter
on a varsity floor and most of them haven’t even
stepped on a JV floor.
“We don’t have any answers yet. We know all the
problems; we just don’t have any solutions at this time.”
The team will rely heavily on sophomores Kamryn
Troike and Allie Rutter, who saw significant playing
time as freshmen a season ago.
The 6-foot-3 Troike, an honorable mention All-MAL
See QUESTIONS, Page T7
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799 N. Vine St.
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ST. WENDELIN
T7
Senior
They’re all practicing really hard.
“A couple of them are going to have
to (play varsity), no matter what. With
seven kids returning, we’ve got to find
some people to fill in some spots.”
Rutter favors an up-tempo offenwith a competitive spirit, Rutter said. sive attack, but he conceded that is difDespite returning some key com- ficult to do that with few players and
ponents from a year ago, the Mohawks inexperience on the bench. He said
have 10 freshmen
the Mohawks will
with unproven
mix up their styles
“I would prefer to be
abilities.
and try to play to
With no high
their strength on
up-tempo if we can. You
school experiany given night.
can’t always do that with
ence under their
“I would prefer
belt, Rutter said
to be up-tempo if
a lack of experience.”
some of them will
we can,” he said.
have to contribute
“You can’t always
JIM RUTTER,
immediately.
do that with a lack
ST. WENDELIN BOYS HEAD COACH
“They’re typiof experience.
cal freshmen,” he
We’ve got to and
said. “They’ll look good one part of try to spread the floor. We’d like to
practice and then they’ll look like they work the ball from inside out and
lost every clue that they had before hopefully utilize some of the kids that
that. They’re a really nice group of have ... developed as 3-point shooters
kids to work with. They all listen. over the last couple of years.”
ST. WENDELIN’S boys team includes: (front, from left) manager Dominic Guillen, Nick Root, Donovan Scudder,
Peter Campbell, Brady Rutter; (back, from left) assistant coach Doug Guillen, Steven Murray, Gabe Walters, Cole
Frankart, head coach Jim Rutter.
Questions
vide some much-needed floor experience, and senior Edy Mowrey (5-9)
could make an impact after seeing
limited varsity time a year ago.
Sophomores Krystal Krout (5-9)
and
Hunter Weidner (5-11) will make
pick last season, recorded eight points
per game, and she again will give St. the jump from the junior varsity level.
Senior Forfang Sukapiboon (5-2), an
Wendelin a presence in the paint.
“Post play will be our strength” exchange student from Thailand,
along with freshmen Cailin Reineck
Smith
said.
( 5 - 3 ), H a i l e e
“Kam’s got a year
“We
need
our
freshmen
Burns (5-8) and
under her belt.
Michaela
Frohnen
She’s improved
and sophomores to play a
(5
9)
w
i l l be
an awful lot from
asked
to
grow
up
year
ahead
of
schedule
if
last year.”
quickly for the
Rutter (5 -9)
we’re going to compete.”
Mohawks.
will make the
“We need our
switch from post
AARON SMITH,
f
re
sh men a nd
to point guard
ST. WENDELIN GIRLS HEAD COACH
sophomores to
more out of necesplay a year ahead
sity than anything
else, Smith said, as there is no true of schedule if we’re going to compete,”
point guard like they have had in Smith said. “The biggest thing’s going
to be keeping our heads up while
recent years.
Junior Makenzie McAfee (5-9) and somebody takes them off in those
senior Taylor Williams (5-0) will pro- early stages.”
VFW #421
112 W. Tiffin St.
Fostoria
419-435-2282
Good Luck
ALL AREA TEAMS
ST. WENDELIN’S girls team includes: (front, from left) managers Hannah Smith, Hannah Meyers; (middle, from
left) Michaela Frohnen, Krystal Krout, Taylor Williams, Edy Mowrey, Cailin Reineck; (back, from left) assistant
coach Bob Gase, Makenzie McAfee, Hunter Weidner, Kamryn Troike, head coach Aaron Smith, Allie Rutter,
Hailee Burns, assistant coach Roger Holman.
GOOD LUCK AREA TEAMS
WE’RE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY
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ARCADIA
REDSKINS | BOYS
Arcadia boys will feature size, experience
ARCADIA — Bigger and better things appear to
be on the horizon for Arcadia’s boys basketball team
this season.
The Redskins suffered through a difficult season
last year as Arcadia posted a 2-21 overall record that
included an 0-9 record in the Blanchard Valley Conference in coach Cara Noel’s first season as head coach.
Noel is one of two female head boys basketball
coaches in the state. The other is Akron North’s Stacie
Horton-Carter.
The team’s top scorer from a season ago, Casey
Mock, graduated along with two other seniors in Seth
Bauer and Kevin Keefe Jr. Mock was a third-team allBVC selection after averaging a team-best 13.9 points
with 2.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game.
There is some size and experience back at Arcadia
this season.
Sophomore Shae Watkins and junior Hayden
Ramsey return after earning a spot on the all-BVC
honorable mention list.
Watkins, a 6-foot-5 post player netted 9.8 points
and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game. Ramsey, a 5-11
Noel
Ramsey
Watkins
guard, netted 8.1 points and collected 3.9 rebounds
per game.
The Redskins will have another experienced big
man on the court in sophomore Chad Baker (6-5).
Baker returns after scoring 4.9 points and grabbing
2.6 rebounds per game.
Junior guard Dylan Conine (5-11) is also a returning letterwinner.
Noel also expects a contribution from 6-1 junior
Josh Ireland.
REDSKINS | GIRLS
Redskins set to defend BVC championship
ARCADIA — Losing a player the caliber of
Miranda Palmer might be cause for lowering the bar
of expectations, but not so at Arcadia.
Despite losing Palmer, who averaged 21 points
per game at point guard and was named last season’s
Blanchard Valley Conference player of the year before
moving on to Huntington University, Arcadia has high
hopes this season.
And why not?
The Redskins have a long history of winning under
Randy Baker, who has compiled a record of 442-228
since taking over as head coach at Arcadia in 1983.
Talented duo Courtney Cramer and Molly Glick,
both second-team, all-BVC selections last year, are
back.
A 5-foot-6 guard/forward, Cramer averaged 11.5
points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for last
year’s Arcadia team that finished 23-4 and won the
BVC title to help Baker earn conference coach of the
year honors.
A 5-11 junior, Glick led the Redskins last year with
7.7 rebounds per game. She also scored 11.5 points
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Baker also is looking for contributions from
Rebecca Kirian, a 5-7 senior, who accounted for 6.0
rebounds and 3.0 points per game. Junior letterwinners Maddie Mock (5-6) and Abbie Dauterman (5-11),
who combined to average 3.0 points and 4.0 rebounds
per game, are also back.
Other players expected to play key roles for the
Redskins include seniors Julia Pina (5-5) and Hannah
Ball (5-7) and junior Lizzie Coward (5-7).
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BETTSVILLE
T9
BOBCATS | BOYS
Bettsville keeps moving forward
BETTSVILLE — Constant improvement will be
the focus for Bettsville in Jason Halka’s first season
at the helm.
After posting a 4-17 overall record and a 1-10
mark in the Midland Athletic League for the 201112 season, the Bobcats were 0-22 overall and 0-11
in league play a year ago.
With a roster of 12 players, including one senior
and four girls, Halka will attempt to build a foundation and instill some confidence in his young team.
After the winless campaign last season, he said
there is nowhere to go but up.
“The strength is the fact that there’s nowhere
lower to go,” Halka said. “Everything that we do
becomes a positive. We really have to build off of
all of those positives.”
Bettsville will not be playing a full MAL schedule, but has assembled a slate of games against
various levels of competition. Eight of the Bobcats’
contests will be against varsity or junior varsity
squads, while the other nine will be against freshman teams.
Although the schedule may be helpful to Bettsville in terms of competition, Halka said he is
more focused on building confidence and helping
Halka
Diamond
Stander
the players get better than he is on winning.
“I am a big process guy,” he said. “I’m not so concerned about wins and losses. I’m more concerned
about doing little things well that we can build off
of.”
Kennith Stander will be the lone senior for
the Bobcats, while juniors Kaitlyn Dymond, Ellie
Holand and Daniel Lee hope to bring some experience to the squad.
Sophomores Kasey Hossler and Levi Robinson
return, while Kyle Hager, Isiah Nevel, Erin Smalley,
Josh Tiell and freshman Dayna Dymond will see
their first varsity action.
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T10
ELMWOOD
ROYALS | BOYS
Youthful Elmwood seeks continued success
BLOOMDALE — The 2013-14 basketball season
has all the makings of a rebuilding year at Elmwood.
Don’t tell that to Elmwood coach Ty Traxler and
his Royals, though.
Elmwood has built a tradition of success on the
basketball court. It’s been a decade since the Royals
have posted a losing record.
The Royals lost six letterwinners, including four
starters from last year’s team that finished 14-10 overall and 8-6 in the Northern Buckeye Conference. The
biggest loss from that squad is guard Zach Foster, an
all-district and all-conference selection who scored
15.7 points per game a season ago. Also gone are
starters Austin Hoiles, Mica Robinson and Michael
Chapman, who combined to score nearly 13 points
per game.
The cupboard isn’t completely bare at Elmwood,
where 6-5 wing player Aaron Arnold and 5-10 guard
Sebastian Baxter return.
Arnold contributed 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and
three assists per game last year for Traxler’s squad.
Baxter isn’t expected back on the court until mid- to
Traxler
Arnold
Baxter
late December as he continues to nurse a football
injury.
There is plenty of help coming in the backcourt,
where juniors Trevor Robbins and Keyon Camden,
sophomores Deven Peter, Derek Sheldon and Philip
Buckingham and freshman Tayte Lentz are expected
to contribute.
Battling for playing time in the front court will be
Brandon Palmer and Ryan Aufdencamp and Jarrett
Childress, Trevor Solether and Brett Jones.
ROYALS | GIRLS
Curtis, Swavel are top returnees for Royals
BLOOMDALE — Finishing 21-4 overall and going
13-1 in the Northern Buckeye Conference can cause a
lot of pressure for a team hoping to repeat its success.
After defeating Genoa in the first round of the
district tournament but falling to Liberty-Benton in
the next round, the Elmwood girls basketball team
is gearing up for another postseason run in 2013-14.
Brittany Gross, Brittany George and Tori Hillard,
the Royals’ mainstays from a year ago, are gone.
Gross and George had outstanding seasons for
Elmwood. Gross tossed in 14.2 points and grabbed
7.4 rebounds per game while George added 10.8 points
with 3.8 boards.
Scoring should not be a problem but speed is the
Royals’ key according to head coach Doug Reynolds,
who has a 300-115 career coaching record.
The Royals will look to seniors Kristen Curtis
(5-9) and Marissa Swavel (5-5) to lead the way. Curtis
earned a spot on the all-NBC first team and District
7 second team after netting 12.2 points and pulling
down 6.7 rebounds per game.
Seniors Courtney Emmitt (2.2 points) and Tiffany
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Hillard (4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds) are also returning
letterwinners from last year’s championship ball club.
Juniors Ashley Veryser (9.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Sara
Ervin (10.9 ppg) were the program’s top scorers at the
junior varsity level last season and will see action at
wing and post, respectively.
Junior Rebecca Harvey (5-7) is a versatile player
that can play anywhere, according to Reynolds. Emily
Tracy (5-0) and Liz Garner (5-4) are candidates for
the guard spot.
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ROYALS
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FINDLAY
T11
TROJANS | BOYS
Solid core of players returning for Trojans
FINDLAY — Jim Rucki admits his Findlay High
boys basketball team isn’t quite where he’d like it to be.
It’s still preseason, and that’s understandable.
But with four starters and five other players back
who saw some varsity action last season, the transition
into a new season has its upside.
“I think we’ll be able to pick things up a little
quicker, especially at the beginning,” Rucki said.
“Then we’ll see how things go. If we feel we have
the ability to do some different things, it should be
easier to make those changes.”
With four starters back from a 15-9 team that went
9-4 in the talent-laden Three Rivers Athletic Conference, Rucki won’t be planning major changes.
The graduation of Joseph Davidson, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 10 points and 6.4 rebounds a game
and blocked 29 shots, leaves the Trojans shorter overall. But there is no shortage of varsity experience with
the return of seniors Braden Miller, Michael Clark,
Adam Twining, Austin Gutting (6-3), Duke Gobrecht
and Nick Kairys, junior Grant Niswander and sophomores Trey Buford and Grant McKinniss.
Rucki
Clark
Gutting
Findlay doesn’t have a lot of height inside. But Gutting, who stands 6-3 and weighs 245 pounds, was a
force inside last season when he led the Trojans in
scoring (16.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.4
rebounds) in earning second-team All-TRAC honors.
“We’re not real big, but (Gutting) does give us a
scoring presence inside,” Rucki said. “Teams have
to think about playing with 1½ or two guys on him
inside, which should open things up for shots from
the perimeter.”
TROJANS | GIRLS
Findlay not short on hopes for success
FINDLAY — Connie Lyon was anticipating big
things from her Findlay High School girls basketball
team.
She still is, though she may be measuring the Trojans’ success this season in smaller doses.
“We’re much shorter than usual,” said Lyon, 153-75
in her 11 seasons as Findlay High’s head coach and
281-139 overall. “Even when we were a rather small
team four, five years ago, we still had bigger guards.”
Lyon expected Findlay to be solid in the post with
the return of Taylor Stanfield, a 6-foot senior who
averaged 10.6 points and 7.7 rebounds last season.
Stanfield tore an ACL in October, however, and will
be out for the season. With Stanfield sidelined, Findlay
will have more of a five-guard operation than a traditional guard/forward/center look.
Senior point guard Zoe Swisher (5-6) is the lone
returning starter for a Findlay team that went 12-2
in Three Rivers Athletic Conference play and 18-5
overall last season. Swisher averaged 4.7 points and a
team-leading 3.7 assists last season.
Scoring will be sought from 5-7 senior guards Jacey
Lyon
Hardesty
Swisher
Hardesty and Joslyn Bendt.
Lyon will also be counting on Lexi Blatnik and
Sarah Wintrow, another pair of 5-7 senior guards, on
the perimeter. As Findlay’s tallest players, 5-9 seniors
Jenny Vielhaber and Sarah Thomas will be called on
for scoring, rebounding and defense in the post.
Sara Smarkel, a 5-6 sophomore, will back up
Swisher at the point. Also contributing will be 5-8
juniors Emma Miller and Katy Miller and 5-5 sophomore Marissa Wintrow.
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T14
HOPEWELL-LOUDON
CHIEFTAINS | BOYS
Chieftains harbor MAL title hopes
BASCOM — In the last season of the Midland Athletic League, Hopewell-Loudon boys basketball coach
Adam Smith hopes his team can its first conference title.
“From a competitive standpoint, this is our last
chance to win the league,” Smith said. “We’re one of
a couple of boys teams that have never won the league
in basketball.”
To do that, the Chieftains will have to improve
dramatically on last season’s 5-6 MAL record (11-13
overall) and sixth place finish.
“We should be one of the more experienced teams
back, which is always an advantage, especially early in
the year,” Smith said. “It helps (the coaches): the guys
kind of know what we want to do and we know what
the guys can do. We don’t have to have that feeling-out
process at the beginning of the year you have to have
with a bunch of brand new kids.”
The Chieftains return two all-league honorable mention players in Tyler Imes (6-foot-3) and Ryan Lommerse (6-2).
Several players are battling for starting roles, includ-
Smith
Imes
Lommerse
ing junior Waleed Salem (5-10) and freshman Gauge
Sadler (5-8) at point guard, junior Garret Sendelbach
(6-0) and senior Ryan Depinet (5-8) at shooting guard,
and senior Weston Hill (6-3) and junior Ryan Steinmetz
(6-2) at the post.
Coming off the bench for Hopewell-Loudon will be
seniors Tyler Smith (5-8), Ben Bodart (6-0) and Colton
Feathers (6-4); juniors Bryce Gorrell (5-10) and Patric
Gase (6-0); and sophomore Jackson Sebetto (5-foot-10).
CHIEFTAINS | GIRLS
Senior Burns leads inexperienced H-L squad
BASCOM — Many questions surround HopewellLoudon’s girls as they embark on the 2013-14 campaign.
Head coach Rod Daniel hopes his team can build
upon last season’s 15-8 record and third-place finish
in the Midland Athletic League standings (6-4), but
without a junior varsity team last year, the Lady Chieftains lack experience in game action.
Daniel and his coaching staff are looking to 6-foot
senior Courtney Burns, a four-year starter and secondteam All-MAL performer a year ago after averaging
10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
“She’s done a great job of taking them under her
wing and guiding them in the direction of the program,
what we want to do and accomplish as a team,” Daniel
said of Burns. “That’s her huge asset. Obviously, her
playing skills speak for themselves, but what she does
off the floor — keep these girls together and get us
ready — it’s a pretty neat thing for her.”
This season Daniel is changing up his offense a
bit, instituting a more up-tempo style than what the
team has previously run, when it had tremendous size.
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Joining Burns as a returning starter from last year
is senior Aleta Daniel, who averaged 5.9 points, 4.3
assists and 3.6 rebounds.
Joining Burns and Daniel in the starting lineup will
be seniors Hope Brickner (3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds)
and Shaina Bouillon, and freshman Lexi Feindel.
Juniors Kiley Siegel and Abby Park will come off
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LAKOTA
T15
RAIDERS | BOYS
Raiders coach Walsh likes team’s work ethic
KANSAS — Coach Tim Walsh believes a strong
work ethic is key for his Lakota boys as they look to
improve on last season.
The Raiders are coming off a 2012 season in which
they were 8-15 overall and 3-8 in the Midland Athletic
League.
Walsh thinks the size and speed of his players, combined with that work ethic, will help them this season.
“We’ve got decent speed and we aren’t huge, but we
aren’t little either,” Walsh said.
Lakota lost its top shooter, Kody Brewer (13.0 points,
5.0 rebounds), to graduation, and Walsh counts shooting as something the Raiders need to improve upon.
“Shooting is always something we need to work on,”
Walsh said. “It will always be something we need to
get better at.”
Walsh will be looking to his three senior returning
letterwinners, Colin Timmons (6-1), Josh Kirkpatrick
(6-0) and Kyle Below (6-3), Colin Timmons (6-1) for
leadership both on and off the court with their seven
new teammates.
“Colin, Josh and Kyle are our returnees, with lots
Walsh
Below
Timmons
of experience,” Walsh said. “And the seven new varsity
players are all working hard and trying to earn playing
time right now.”
Timmons averaged 10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and
2.3 steals per game last season, while Kirkpatrick and
Below averaged 6.0 and 4.3 points, respectively.
Also in the mix for the Raiders are senior Kevin
Crowe (6-5), juniors Casey Monroe (5-7) and William
Riddle (6-1), sophomores Hunter Chalfin (5-9), Spencer
King (6-0) and Josh Mason (5-10) and freshman Dakota
Bowling (5-6).
RAIDERS | GIRLS
Raiders hope chemistry yields improvement
KANSAS — Teamwork is the key to the success of
any team, as Lakota girls coach Mike Miller knows as
well as anyone.
The Raiders posted a 4-18 record overall and a 1-9
Midland Athletic League mark last season, but Miller
believes this year’s camaraderie among the team will
set it up for more success.
“In the past we’ve had a lot of kids who haven’t played
well together,” Miller said. “It’s a matter of getting them
to work together, and I’ve been impressed with the practices so far; they’ve been fun and the kids have been
having fun. That’s what we want.”
The Raiders lost to graduation one of their leading
scorers from last year in Stephanie Miller (6.7 points),
as well as one of the top rebounders, Rachel Feick (3.8).
Lakota will be led by senior Morgan Mowry (5-foot10), a second-year starter whom Miller expects to be a
leader both on and off the court.
“She’s our best shooter,” Miller said of Mowry. “And
we’re concerned about shooting percentage.”
Shooting percentage was one of last year’s biggest
weaknesses, and to try to overcome that, more than
Miller
McDole
half of the team was in the gym this summer shooting,
which Miller is hoping will pay off when they get into
game conditions.
Other returnees for the Raiders are 5-10 junior Katie
Park (7.7 points, 6.5 rebounds per game) and 5-6 junior
Morgan Gangwer (3.0 points).
New to the Raiders are seniors Cariss Reese (5-6)
and Alex McDole (5-4), juniors Paige Alloway (5-1),
Destiney Long-Meyer (5-10) and Paige Paxson (5-9)
and sophomore Bree Long-Meyer (5-8).
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T16
NEW RIEGEL
BLUE JACKETS | BOYS
New Riegel will feature plenty of new faces
NEW RIEGEL – Players like Brandyn Reinhart
don’t grow on trees.
New head coach Dave Losey will have to find a way
to replace Reinhart and a number of other talented
players who graduated after leading the Blue Jackets
to a 21-4 overall record and a share of the Midland
Athletic League championship.
Reinhart was a do-it-all player for New Riegel’s boys
basketball team last season. Reinhart led the league
in scoring (21.3) and was among the league leaders
in rebounds (8.1). The MAL and District 6 Player of
the Year, Reinhart is continuing his basketball career
at Ohio Northern University.
Seven other seniors also graduated last spring
including first-team all-MAL selection Korey Williams.
It will be a very young and inexperienced group
for Losey, who has coached at different levels at New
Riegel since 2003-04.
There is one veteran player back in senior Jake Dryfuse. The 6-foot-2 forward/center and the only senior
on the team, earned a spot on the all-MAL honorable
mention list for the Blue Jackets after hitting for 8.0
Losey
Dryfuse
Ink
points with 5.2 rebounds per game.
Look for a quartet of juniors from last year’s junior
varsity team to slide into starting roles.
Tim Ink (5-10) and Brian Hughes (5-9) will man
the guard spots. Aaron Acree (6-0) will play forward
and Blaine Hughes (6-2) will see action at center.
The rest of the varsity roster includes junior Chad
Cassidy (6-2), sophomores Grant Lescallett (6-0),
Austin Mathias (6-0) and Travis Williams (5-11) and
6-5 freshman Michael Kirian.
BLUE JACKETS | GIRLS
Plenty of firepower back for Blue Jackets
NEW RIEGEL — It seems the cupboard never is
bare at New Riegel, and this year is no different for
Steve Lucius as he enters his 28th season as head coach
of the Blue Jackets.
Lucius has the luxury of returning seven players
who accounted for 44.8 points per game from last
year’s team that went 17-6 overall and 8-2 in the Midland Athletic League.
This year, that group will be focused on making a
deeper run into the postseason than last year’s squad,
whose season was cut short when the Blue Jackets let
a fourth-quarter lead slip away in a 41-36 loss to Carey
in the sectional finals.
Junior guard Kara Scherger (5-foot-5), a first-team
all-MAL selection a season ago, averaged 12.1 points,
3 assists and 3.8 steals per game last year as a sophomore guard. Junior forward Taylor Arbogast (5-8)
had a solid all-around season last year, averaging 10.8
points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.7 assists per
contest.
Arbogast, a second-team all-MAL pick in 2013, will
be joined on the court by seniors Taylor Kirian (5-8)
PHOTO
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Lucius
Kirian
Ladd
and Lauren Ladd (6-0). Kirian scored 9.3 points and
pulled in 4.5 rebounds per game last year, while Ladd
added 8.3 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Other returning players from last year are seniors
Morgan Noftz (2.3 points, 2.6 assists) and Lauren
Zoeller and junior Hailey Theis.
Junior forward Kenzie Reinhart (5-7) and sophomores Leah Bouillon (5-6) and Liz Zoeller (5-7) also
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TIFFIN CALVERT
T17
SENECAS | BOYS
Coach Willman expects depth to aid Calvert
TIFFIN — With 15 of 21 players having been
involved in the football team’s two-game playoff run,
Tiffin Calvert coach Ted Willman expects a slow start
to the season.
And though it will be a process, the Senecas will be
looking to improve on a disappointing 2012-13 season
in which they finished 6-18 overall and 4-7 in the Midland Athletic League.
Calvert lost four seniors from last season, but it
does have six lettermen returning to provide experience.
“We will have a lack of practices and we will be kind
of learning on the fly this season,” Willman said. “We
just have to figure out who is playing where and what
pieces fit best with each other. We do have a lot more
options this year, though. Our depth will definitely
be a plus for us this season, so we can play up-tempo
and run.”
The Senecas, who averaged just 49.5 points per
game lat season, will have to replace three-year starter
Nick Warnement, who averaged a team-leading 9.4
Willman
Ball
Bennett
points per game a season ago. Brian Gruss (8.1 points)
and Jared Thompson (7.2 points) also graduated.
Among the six lettermen returning are four seniors:
5-foot-10 Austin Ball, who averaged 9.2 points per
game last season; 6-2 Austin Perry (3.6 points), 6-1
Michael Bennett (9.0 points) and 5-10 Marcus Somers
(2.5 points).
Juniors Tyler Long (6-1), Donavon Stith (5-10) and
Michael Smith (5-10) will be vying for playing time.
SENECAS | GIRLS
Plenty of playing experience a plus for Senecas
TIFFIN — Having a senior-laden team can be an
advantage in different areas. The experience and leadership of the team will be accounted for, which makes
a coach’s life a little easier.
This is the reality for Tiffin Calvert, which has six
seniors hoping to lead the way to big achievements
in the 2013-14 campaign after posting records of 17-7
overall and 8-2 in the Midland Athletic League last
season.
“Experience will definitely be a strength for us,
having six seniors and four of them seeing significant
playing time a year ago,” Senecas coach Tim Ritzler
said. “We have a good mix of players and we have many
different ways to score.
“I believe we have the athletes to get out and run
and score quick buckets to set up our press that can
cause some havoc. We finished second in the MAL
last season, and we’d like to be in the position to win
it this time around.”
One of the big keys for the Senecas this season will
be replacing sharp shooter Megan Funkhouser due to
graduation. They will also have to plug in a new point
guard with senior Olivia Smith opting not to play her
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A big reason the Senecas have high hopes this year
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scoring last year with 16.8 points per game. Helping
her out in the post will be fellow senior Nicole Bickley
(5-11), who chipped in 6.7 rebounds per game.
Other key contributors will include seniors Sam
Beckley (5-9) and Margaret Bowers (5-10).
A trio of sophomores who will be look toward to
contribute includes Taylor Ritzler (5-6), Danielle
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T18
TIFFIN COLUMBIAN
TORNADOES | BOYS
Large amount of experience back for Tornadoes
TIFFIN — Their veteran leader has graduated,
but Tiffin Columbian’s boys still have an abundance
of experience returning for the 2013-14 season.
The Tornadoes went 7-16 last season and 2-8 in the
Northern Ohio League. However, other than losing
point guard Bryce Lonsway (12.7 points, 5.0 assists
per game), the only other senior lost to graduation
was Connor Conley (4.1 points).
“We did lose our leading scorer,” Tiffin Columbian coach Bill Beaston said of Lonsway. “It’s a big
loss, as he ran our offense for three years and broke
presses for us.
“This season we are just looking for consistency
and we definitely have higher expectations than last
year. We have seven letterwinners back and most of
them are young, but we are looking to take a step forward this year on the court and in the win column.”
A bulk of experience returns, including 6-foot-5
junior Derek Dryfuse who will look to be a consistent
force in the post after averaging 11.6 points and 6.5
rebounds per game last season. a year ago while also
pulling down 6.5 rebounds per game. As a sophomore
Beaston
Daniel
Demith
last season, Beaston said, Dryfuse showed glimpses
of being very good in the post, but he needs to develop
consistency.
Senior contributors for Columbian will be 5-11
Josh Flint (6.6 points), 5-10 Donovan Walker (5.1
points) and 5-11 Ryan Lynch (3.3 points).
Cody Daniel, a 6-4 junior, returns after averaging
7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds last season. Also back as
a junior is 5-9 Alec Demith.
Two newcomers who will add depth to the squad
are seniors Isiah Moore (6-5) and Spencer Pauly.
TORNADOES | GIRLS
Coach Fazekas eyes season-long improvement
TIFFIN — A basketball season is all about a team
developing and being better at the end of the season
than at the beginning.
That’s the aim of second-year coach Katie Fazekas
as she looks for her Tiffin Columbian girls to eclipse
the .500 mark after a 7-15 overall record and a 2-8 mark
in the Northern Ohio League last year.
Fazekas wants her club to improve at every facet of
the game and to be competitive, no matter the score.
“We want to finish every quarter this year,” Fazekas
said. “We will compete until the very end and hopefully
will then pull some of those games out in the end. We
are very age-old according to experience, but most of
them haven’t seen much varsity time. Our concern is
to be a lot better by the end of the year.”
The Tornadoes will need to replace four contriburs from last season in Jocelyn Cole, Megan Moore,
Marissa Ward and Michaela Miller.
Senior Payge Smith (5-foot-8), a three-year starter,
is back to take over in the post, and she will be vital
Fazekas
Baker
Province
to the Tornadoes’ success this season.
Joining Smith in the post is junior Laura Heminger
(5-8), while junior Valesha Province (5-4) brings back
a year of playing experience for the Tornadoes. Two
new starters this season are senior Sidney Baker (5-4)
and Chelsea Hutchens (5-1).
With experience being at a premium, the Tornadoes
will have to lean heavily on their starting lineup with
little, if any, varsity experience backing them up.
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VAN BUREN
T19
BLACK KNIGHTS | BOYS
Van Buren seeking to overcome injuries
VAN BUREN – There’s good news and bad news
for Van Buren’s boys basketball team as the season
approaches.
Third-year coach Marc Bishop has six letterwinners back.
Unfortunately, two of those players suffered serious
injuries during the football season.
Junior Ross Adolph, an honorable mention all-BVC
selection, who grabbed 7.1 rebounds and scored 7.1
points per game will miss the entire season while
recovering from a knee injury.
Classmate Draeton Fasone, who tossed in 7.8 points
per game, won’t be available until late December after
suffering a broken arm during the football season.
In addition, the Black Knights lost a trio of players to graduation from last year’s team that posted a
4-19 record and a 3-6 mark in the Blanchard Valley
Conference.
The toughest to replace will be Ryan Adolph (11.9
points, 2.5 assists per game), who was honorable mention All-BVC. Brennon Swain and Matt DeVore also
picked up their diplomas.
Bishop
Junge
Williams
The return of senior guard Sawyer Junge to the
program will certainly be a boost. Junge didn’t play
last season but tossed in 11.1 points per game as a
sophomore.
Senior Daniel Roberts (3.5 points) and Adam Endicott (4.8 points) lettered last season at the guard spot.
Senior Mac Williams (4.9 points) is back at center.
Bishop is also expecting contributions this season
from sophomore Marcus Brand and freshman Braxton
Fasone.
BLACK KNIGHTS | GIRLS
Black Knights looking to move up in BVC
VAN BUREN — Time to step up at Van Buren.
Van Buren has been mired in the bottom half of the
Blanchard Valley Conference the past couple of years.
The Black Knights will be looking to move into the top
half of the league standings but veteran coach Mike
Daniels, who is entering his fifth season in charge of
the program, knows it’s not an easy task.
The Black Knights head into the 2013-14 campaign
without their two best players as BVC honorable mention selections Kristen Tropf and Kaleigh Frampton
both graduated. Frampton will be particularly tough
to replace as she was among the conference leaders in
scoring (11.5 points per game) and rebounding (7.7
per game).
Five players return for the Black Knights, although
sophomore guard Taylor Gilliland has been lost to
injuries.
There are some excellent athletes among the four
returnees.
Madi Endicott, a 5-foot-8 senior, is back with experience at post while classmate Paige Sudlow (5-6)
also lettered last season primarily as a post player.
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Junior Nichole Miller (5-5), a standout on the soccer
and softball fields, is back at guard as is junior Rachel
Wymer (5-6).
Two juniors, Lauren Wise, a 5-9 guard, and Desirae
Cooper, a 5-7 post, will also figure into the mix.
Sophomores make up the rest of the varsity roster.
Kylie Sturgill, the tallest player on the roster at
5-11, will see action at post along with MacKenzie
Edler (5-7). Bri Lasley (5-7) and Lexi Hassan (5-4)
will play at the guard spot.
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T20
VANLUE
WILDCATS | BOYS
A new era about to begin for Vanlue boys
VANLUE — One of the most successful classes in
Vanlue boys basketball history is gone.
Six seniors graduated from last year’s team that
ended up 18-7 overall and 5-4 in the Blanchard Valley
Conference.
The seniors were also key players for the 2012 and
2011 teams that posted regular season records of 17-3
and 18-2 respectively.
The biggest loss, literally, is 6-foot-10 standout Zach
Garber. He was Ohio’s co-Division IV Player of the
Year last season after averaging 23 points and 12.1
rebounds per game. He’s taken his talents north and
is now a member of the University of Toledo basketball
team.
Starters Josh Clymer, Linden Smith and Dylan
Watson also graduated along with backups Joe Wagner
and Lee Summers.
Second-year coach Dean Birchmeier will be looking for a number of players to step up and fill some
of those.
There are a pair of returnees in senior Nick Hagerty
and junior Austin Smith.
Birchmeier
Hagerty
Smith
Hagerty, a 6-1 guard, netted 5.8 points with 1.6
assists per game while grabbing 19 steals. Smith, a 5-9
guard, had similar numbers. He popped in 5.8 points
with 1.7 assists per game and also grabbed 19 steals.
Four other seniors will see significant playing time.
Jacob Coldiron (6-3) will see action at post along with
Tim Reed (5-10), who will give the Wildcats strong
play off the bench. Colton Huston (6-0), an excellent athlete with good quickness, will line up at wing.
Devin Hendricks (5-5) will provide depth at guard.
WILDCATS | GIRLS
Wildcats are trying to replace five seniors
VANLUE — Vanlue’s girls basketball team has won
a combined nine games the past two seasons.
With four returning lettermen, Vanlue head coach
Todd Richards would like to see his Wildcats equal
that two-year win total this season.
Richards will have to find replacements for the five
seniors lost to graduation. Three of those seniors were
starters on last year’s team that posted a 5-17 overall
record and 1-8 in the Blanchard Valley Conference.
Juniors Haley Bonham and Kate Clymer are the
Wildcats’ two returning starters.
Bonham, a 5-foot-9 guard, tossed in 6.6 points and
grabbed 6.0 rebounds per game. Clymer scored 5.0
points and collected 5.0 rebounds per contest as a
sophomore.
Richards will be counting on his junior duo to
replace graduates Logan Frey and Katie Thomas,
honorable mention all-BVC selections, who were the
team’s top offensive players.
Senior guard Heather Gerschutz (5-3) and sophomore forward Jackie Kloepfer (5-9) are the other two
returning lettermen for the Wildcats.
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Sophomore Chloe Kromer (6-0) and senior Chelsea
Gerschutz (5-3) will compete for starting roles at post
and guard respectively.
Freshman Grace Wagner (5-4), junior Chelsi Hartman (5-3) and freshman Beth Roof (6-1) round out the
varsity roster for the Wildcats.
Like many small schools around the area, depth
could be a problem for the Wildcats. Richards has just
14 players out for basketball this season and has just
two seniors on the roster.
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Rising
ticed by the players either, who are
buying into Bates’ intense coaching
style and want to be the team that
changes the negative reputation the
FHS girls basketball program has
acquired.
“From the summer and even the two
scrimmages we’ve had, there’s a buzz
around us,” Hampton said. “I think we
all know that we have something to
prove. No one out there is expecting us
to do something with the new coach,
new program that we have.
“I think with that, now we expect
to win. We’re not just hoping to win. I
think in the past a lot of it has been we
hope to win, and it’s expected now. It’s
expected from our coaches and from
our team.”
One way Bates has been able to
transform the team so seamlessly in
his short time in charge is his commitment to making the team a family.
It is no secret that selfishness and
division within a team are unlikely to
make the group successful as a whole,
but emphasizing team first and really
caring about one another has allowed
FHS to grow in ways they had not previously known were possible.
“With coach Bates ... we stress
family a lot,” Settles said. “We all have
to work for our positions. We all work
together and we’re all busting our butt
for a spot on varsity. We all compete
but ... we’re all a team at the same time
and I think we all know that.
“With coach Bates’ new style of
coaching, we come together as a family
... but also we appreciate each other
and we don’t have attitude. We honestly
have no time for attitude — practice or
in games. We’re always picking each
other up, doing positive things.”
Said Bates: “I’m trying to get the
girls to buy into the family concept,
and they are. They’re doing little
things like sleepovers and lunches.
They’re doing things together. That’s
what I was really striving for — to
get them to come together and work
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together.
a good, solid, energetic practice, the
“They’re really starting to bond. whole team has a good, solid energetic
And that’s the first step. You can’t have practice.
a successful team if you have a Group
“Kierra Settles is a huge part of
A, Group B and Group C and they all what we want to do. She makes up
have different mindsets. When you for a lack of height with effort.”
have (one group) working together,
Moore averaged 9.2 points and 5.2
that’s when
rebounds
you’re suc“ ... There’s a buzz around us. I
per game
cessful.
last season,
think we all know that we have
“Like
while SetI
told
something to prove. No one
tles turned
the g irls,
in
4.5
out there is expecting us to do
‘People will
points and
rememsomething with the new coach, new
2.6 boards
ber
the
per contest.
program that we have.”
1,000-point
T h e
scorer.
Lady Red
They’ll
JADA HAMPTON,
w i l l a ls o
rememFOSTORIA GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER
have Alexus
ber
the
S m it h , a
school record-holder for two or three
5-7
junior
and
returning
starter
who
years. But they’ll always remember
scored
3.4
points
per
game
to
go
with
the 2004 district runner-up team.
They’ll always remember the 1996 five rebounds.
Sophomore Olivia Valenti (5-2),
state championship (football) team.
They’ll remember the great teams. junior Lila Lenz (5-7) and senior
They’ll talk about the great players Eliza Sanchez (5-2) will all provide
to a certain extent, then they’ll forget. some valuable varsity experience as
But they’ll always remember those the season progresses.
Junior Sydney Vilaisack (5-2),
great teams.’ That’s what we’re really
trying to preach to these guys, is to along with freshmen Lexie Fretz
(5-8), Lilia’na Velazquez (5-6), Deija
experience a team.”
Williams (5-7) and Sierra Cannon
(5-9) will all see action in some capacThe phoenix takes shape
ity for the Lady Red.
Even with the improvements made
Though sporting an experienced
so far and the renewed excitement group in terms of games played, Bates
within the program, it is still yet to
be seen how the new Lady Red will
transfer that intensity and energy to
the court this season.
With plenty of players with varsity
experience returning, Bates is counting on leadership from his upperclassmen to help translate the intensity
they achieve in practice to the floor
during games.
“One key thing I’ve noticed is the
leadership out of these girls,” he said.
“That was something that I heard was
lacking because they never had those
upperclassmen.
“Jada Hampton is a girl who’s going
to lead by her effort. Erica Moore is
just a spark plug. I mean, when she has
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said there is a key component missing
that the team will have to learn along
the way.
“Our varsity is experienced to a
certain degree,” Bates said. “They’re
experienced as far as playing before,
but they’re not experienced as far as,
‘down two with a minute left.’ Those
are the kind of experiences where we’re
still a little lacking.”
When talking about expectations, a
casual observer may think a few wins
might satisfy a new coach and team
that has won just one of its last 43
contests.
That is not what Bates is aiming for,
though, and it is certainly not what he
has his squad believing they are capable of doing.
He said he will not use the 1-42
stretch or the fact that FHS was picked
by the NBC coaches to finish last in
the league this season as motivation.
That kind of bulletin-board material
is insignificant in his mind because he
wants his players being the best they
can be and not what other people think
they should be.
“From what these girls have experienced as far as the win-loss column, it
hasn’t been the greatest thing they’ve
ever achieved,” he said. “So we’re not
measuring our success by wins and
losses. Do I expect us to win games?
Yes. Do I expect us to be competitive
in all our games? Yes. We’re going to
measure success by showing growth
each game.”
T21
He added: “I want to compete in
our conference, I know they do as well.
And I want to get out of sectionals. We
haven’t got out of sectionals since 2004
here. I want these girls to experience
cutting down a basketball net. None of
them have ever got to do that. I got to
do it once when I was in high school.
It was an awesome experience that you
will always remember. That’s something I want them to experience, too.”
Those lofty expectations are not
lost on the players.
“As far as our expectations and how
far we want to go this season, we want
to cut down a net,” Settles said. “We
have grown as a team so much from
just last season that we can do it if we
all stay on the same page. I believe in
the team and I know coaches believe in
the team just as much as we do. We’re
just going to keep pushing and see how
far we can go.”
Ready to fly
A lot of work is about to be put to
the test when the Lady Red hit the
road to take on Upper Sandusky Tuesday night.
Bates believes his team his ready
for the challenges it will face as the
season gets under way.
He is not so naive to think things
will roll along smoothly or that challenges are not lurking in the not-soSee RISING, Page T22
T22
Grabbing the spotlight
BVC chockful
of female talent
By DAVE HANNEMAN
STAFF WRITER
Little Lindy Ward has this to say
about Justin Bieber ...
“Ugh.”
... dolls ...
“Ugh.”
... and the impression that little
girls should be all sugar and spice and
everything nice ...
“Are you kidding me?”
Out on the court, Arcadia was
going through another practice in
preparation for the upcoming season.
Ward was performing her role as team
manager, making sure the players
had ice, towels and inspiration when
needed.
In between, Ward was shooting
a ball at an imaginary basket on the
wall of the gym, accurately hitting
the same spot almost every time. She
worked on her ball handling skills —
right hand, left hand, between the
legs, behind the back. When time
and space allowed she dribbled the
length of floor, switched hands and
dribbled back.
“In my last game,” she says proudly,
“I had 20 rebounds.”
Lindy Ward is in the fifth grade.
What is that? Age 10?
Welcome to girls basketball, 2013,
past, present and future.
Quick history lesson: There are
Ohio high schools who can trace a
girls basketball program back to the
early 1900s. In 1937, a questionnaire
sent out by the Ohio High School
Athletic Association showed that 563
(55 percent) of Ohio’s schools offered
either intramural or interscholastic
girls basketball.
There were factions, however,
that considered the sport “unladylike” and potentially dangerous to
the players. A majority of the schools
actually favored dropping the activity. In 1940, an OHSAA referendum,
overwhelmingly approved, led to not
only basketball, but all interscholastic
girls sports being discontinued.
Schools would eventually again
offer girls sports, usually under the
auspices of the Girls Athletic Association (GAA). But it wasn’t until 1976
that the OHSAA sanctioned a girls
basketball state tournament. In the
37 years since, 15 schools from the
surrounding area have made a combined 29 appearances in the girls state
basketball tournament.
Liberty-Benton won a Division
III state championship in 2010 and
Arlington took home a Division IV
title in 2012. Ottoville was ranked No.
1 among Ohio’s Division IV programs
last season and reached the state semifinals. It was the program’s third trip
to state since 2000.
Patrick Henry has also made three
final four appearances since 2000 and
Bluffton (2000), Miller City (2004),
Findlay (2007), Riverdale (2008),
New Riegel (2008) and Carey (2009)
have one each.
Why here? Why now?
“It’s a progression,” said Randy
Baker, who guided Arcadia to a state
semifinal appearance in 1989 and has
compiled a 442-228 record in 30 seasons as the Redskins head coach.
“When I first got into it, a lot of
programs were getting anybody that
wanted to to be the coach. But as the
game has developed, you got more and
more good coaches out there. Kids are
See BVC, Page T23
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MOLLY GLICK (left) and Courtney Cramer return to the Arcadia lineup
this season after gaining second-team All-Blanchard Valley Conference
honors last season.
Rising
distant future. He is only hoping he
has done what he needed to do to
prepare his players for what they are
about to face.
“I’ve coached a long time, but I’m
really excited about this team ...,“ he
said. “No coach wants to lose. But
you’re going to. And when you lose,
you have to learn from it and you have
to use it. When you do have failures,
it’s important to understand that you
failed, but it’s more important to
understand how you fix it.
“It just feels like the group I have
is starting to turn things around, and
that’s really very exciting.”
The excitement is trickling down
to the players as well. After back-toback underwhelming seasons, there
is a want and a need to prove something not only to people outside the
program, but to themselves.
“I think we’re ready to go after it,
Hampton said. “We’re ready for the
season. We’re excited, and it should
be successful.
“We need public support. We need
people to come out because it’s going
to be a show.”
Said Settles: “I don’t think Fostoria’s ready for our change that we have
this year. It’s going to be a really big
shocker from what it’s been in the past
few years.”
Sports editor Scott Cottos contributed to this story.
BVC
so fundamentally sound now because
coaches are drilling fundamentals.
“There are a lot of advantages now
for girls as far as (college) scholarships,
so they’re spending time just shooting
the ball correctly, they’re working more
on their game, and a lot of kids, at least
the better players, are playing a lot of
travel ball in the offseason.
“The (girls) game has improved by
leaps and bounds. Back when I first
started, one or two really good players could dominate because there really
wasn’t anybody who could stop them.
Now, everybody has picked up their
games. There is so much talent in the
league, you have to have five solid players on the floor, and not lose anything
when people come off the bench, to be
successful.”
Success has become synonymous
with girls basketball in the Blanchard
Valley Conference.
Liberty-Benton went to state in
2009, won a Division III state champi-
onship in 2010, and returned to state
in 2012.
Arlington gave the BVC two state
champions in a three-year span by winning the Division IV crown in 2012.
Last season, three BVC teams
reached the regional tournament,
stamping them as among the 16 best
teams in the state in their division.
Two BVC teams won 20 or more
games. Six of the league’s 10 schools
won at least 15.
And the best, based on returning
skill, talent and experience, may be yet
to come.
Following the 2012-13 season, BVC
coaches gathered for their all-league
selections. All told, 35 players received
recognition.
Twenty of those 35 players return
this season, including four of the five
first-team All-BVC selections and all
five second-teamers.
The BVC generated considerable
statewide interest in volleyball this
fall. McComb advanced all the way to
the Division IV semifinals and at one
time or another five BVC teams were
state-ranked.
With more athletes opting to focus
on one sport, not all of that talent will
transition from the volleyball court to
the basketball court. But the quantity
and caliber of returning players is substantial.
Arcadia graduated Miranda Palmer,
the BVC Player of the Year. But Baker,
Ohio’s Division IV co-Coach of the Year
last season, has two second-team AllBVC players back in Courtney Cramer
and Molly Glick.
Liberty-Benton’s Nate Irwin had
not only two first-team All-BVC but
two All-Ohio caliber players back in
Rachel Myers, a Bowling Green State
University recruit and second-team AllOhio standout, and honorable mention
all-state junior Katie Simon. Simon,
however, tore an ACL and will be out
for the season.
Leipsic coach Gary Kreinbrink also
has two all-leaguers back in first-team
pick Amber Gerdeman and secondteamer Haley Gerten. Emily Clymer,
a first-team pick in 2012-13, is back for
McComb, along with second-team AllBVC players Dani Heaster at Arlington
and Megan Maag at Pandora-Gilboa.
Also returning this season are thirdteam All-BVC players Brenna Dee
(McComb) and Vanessa McCullough
(Pandora-Gilboa), as well as nine play-
T23
ers who received honorable mention
all-league honors.
“I think there have been better
teams, like the team Liberty-Benton
had that won state, obviously, and
maybe our team two years ago,” said
Arlington coach Seth Newlove.
“Right now, I think there are six
teams that have the potential to have
a say in the league title. There’s not
one team that sticks out above the rest
(this season). But there are an awful
lot of good players returning. When
it comes to overall balance, this is the
best I’ve seen.”
“The BVC lost its best player when
Miranda Palmer graduated,” said
Irwin, entering his 10th season at
Liberty-Benton with a 163-47 career
record.
“But the league was loaded with
good underclassmen last year, and
those underclassmen were all a big
part of their teams. Now they’re a year
older, they have more experience and
they’re battle-tested.
“Everybody seems to have one or
two players who put in a lot of time
with basketball. They’ve become very
good players, and you throw that
together with some good role players
and the league is going to be very competitive.
“The talent in this league keeps
getting better and better,” said Kreinbrink, 330-285 in his 29 seasons of
coaching Leipsic girls basketball.
“When I started coaching, there
wasn’t club volleyball or AAU basketball. If there was, most girls didn’t do
it because OHSAA rules said no more
than two girls from one school could
be on the same team in the summer.
When they changed that rule, in 1993
or ’94, they could play more with their
teammates in the summertime.
“I think that was a boon for girls
athletics.”
How long this run of outstanding
girls basketball teams continues is
uncertain, especially with more and
more athletes, especially at the smallschool level, opting to focus in one
area rather than multi-sport their way
through high school.
Then again ...
“If I have everything else done,”
Lindy Ward was saying, “the first
thing I do when I get home is practice
basketball.”
Sounds like the future looks pretty
bright after all.
Good Luck From our Team to Yours!
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