Last season’s standings
Team Division Overall
Beavercreek 9-1 21-3
Fairmont 9-1 22-4
Wayne 6-4 13-9
Centerville 4-6 9-12
Northmont 2-8 8-13
Springfield 0-10 4-17
Springfield
Coach: Wynette Carter, second season.
Returning players: Seniors — Camille Hall, 5-3, G; Jazmynne Cunningham, 5-7, F; MaRanda Boddie-Cannon, 6-1, P. Sophomore — Le’Aunna Rhodes, 5-2, G.
Newcomers: Seniors — Alison Tune, 6-0, P. Juniors — J’Onne Ragland, 5-3, G; Hennessy Byrd, 5-8, F. Sophomores — Kiera Williams, 5-3, G; Linda Deer, 5-5, F. Freshmen — Dinah May, 5-0, G; Shonte’ Williams, 5-6, F; Ashley Scruse, 5-3, G; Ashley Tunstall, 5-9, F.
FYI: Boddie-Cannon has signed a letter of intent to play at Wright State University next fall.
Coach’s quote: “We’re building a program. This team is pretty athletic, and we’re starting to see some progress from working with them last year. The girls are starting to understand fundamentals, and that’s the exciting part.”
Central Buckeye Conference
Kenton Trail Division
Last season’s standings
Team Division Overall
Tippecanoe 16-0 25-1
Kenton Ridge 14-2 20-3
Shawnee 6-10 8-13
Bellefontaine 5-11 5-16
Stebbins 4-12 5-16
Tecumseh 0-16 0-21
Kenton Ridge
Coach: Ed Foulk, 26th season.
Returning players: Seniors — Saira House, 5-8, G; Alicia Ware, 6-5, P; Ashley Hunter, 5-6, G. Junior — Katie Ashbaugh, 5-5, G. Sophomores — Mariah Harris, 5-11, G; Lindsey Fenwick, 5-10, G; Lonnie Lassiter, 5-11, P; Arika Roush, 5-5, G.
Newcomers: Junior — Brooke Purvis, 5-10, P. Freshmen — Paige McCrary, 5-5, G; Brooke Sizemore, 5-6, G.
FYI: The Cougars return eight varsity players from last season. ... House, who averaged 22.7 points per game last fall, will attend the University of Findlay next fall.
Coach’s quote: “We’re still young. This is going to be a year where, hopefully, they’ll mature as the year goes on. It should be a good year.”
Shawnee
Coach: Lee Ann Ballard, third season.
Returning players: Senior — Amber Campbell, 5-9, W. Juniors — Kerri Beedy, 5-7, G; Jenna Carey, 5-5, G; Molly Meyers, 5-9, W.
Newcomers: Junior — Chelsea Adamson, 5-5, G. Sophomores — Jesika Goodwin, 5-5, G; Alyson Meister, 5-6, G; Maura Valley, 5-7, F; Carly Gregory, 5-9, F.
FYI: Beedy is the team’s only returning full-time starter. She averaged 10.0 points per game.
Coach’s quote: “We’re going different than last year in term’s of personnel. Last year, we were post-heavy, so we’ll be guard-oriented. We want to be more aggressive and physical on defense, and get out and run and have fun on offense.”
Tecumseh
Coach: Danielle Thomas, third season.
Returning players: Junior — Jill Steinbrunner, 5-5, G. Sophomores — Allison Collins, 5-8, G; Chelsey Davis, 6-0, P.
Newcomers: Senior — Allison Denton, 6-0, P. Junior — Casey Cope, 5-2, G. Sophomore — Amanda George, 5-6, W; Miranda Mougey, 5-2, G. Freshmen — Bianca Quisenberry, 5-6, G; Brittany Frappier, 5-4, G.
FYI: Davis averaged 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. ... Denton returns to Tecumseh after playing at Shawnee last season. She played at Tecumseh as a sophomore.
Coach’s quote: “The team is going to be a lot more dangerous. We’re more balanced as far as having a true point guard. The intensity and competition level will be much higher this season, even though we are young.”
Central Buckeye Conference
Mad River Division
Last season’s standings
Team Division Overall
Indian Lake 12-4 15-6
Benjamin Logan 11-5 14-7
Graham 9-7 13-10
Greenon 7-9 9-12
Urbana 7-9 8-13
Northwestern 5-11 7-14
Graham
Coach: Christie Dodane, second season.
Returning players: Senior — Leslie Collinsworth, 5-10, P. Juniors — Darcie Zirkle, 5-6, G; Darbie Zirkle, 5-6, G; Caitlin Ward, 5-6, G. Sophomore — Tori Purk, 5-8, F.
Newcomers: Juniors — Renee Carnes, 5-7, F. Sophomores — Taylor Dyke, 5-6, G; Alex Jones, 5-8, F; Catherine Hanlin, 5-6, G. Freshman — Brooke Dodane, 5-4, G.
FYI: Dodane was the News-Sun All-Area Coach of the Year last season.
Coach’s quote: “We’re young and inexperienced, but this summer they hustled and were eager to do well. I’m excited because they work hard and they want to win. They want to do well.”
Greenon
Coach: Gary Falkenbach, third season.
Returning players: Seniors — Allie Turner, 5-6, G; Kyra Dorney, 5-10, P. Junior — Kaitlyn Mundhenk, 6-0, P. Sophomore — Whitney Robinson, 5-8, G.
Newcomers: Sophomores — Abby Wilt, 5-6, G; Taylor Miller, 5-5, G; Brianna Jones, 5-6, G; Teddi Tankersley, 5-9, P. Freshmen — Tricha Lacy, 5-9, G; Heather Slaughter, 6-0, P.
FYI: Turner was the News-Sun All-Area Player of the Year last fall after averaging an area-best 29.5 points per game.
Coach’s quote: “We’ve had some great scrimmages. It’s going to be a fun year. We have a lot of scorers besides Al. We’ve emphasized that everyone has to score. Overall, we’re looking forward to a good year. We’re believing in each other and playing hard.”
Northwestern
Coach: Robyn Heaton, first season.
Returning players: Seniors — Diane Gray, 5-5, G; Katie Byrum, 5-8, G; Kristie Korab, 5-7, G. Juniors — Rebecca Bruner, 6-0, P; Jaclyn Demeter, 5-11, P; Willow Hennessee, 5-7, G; Savannah Leep, 5-7, G; Hannah Lemley, 5-8, G.
FYI: Heaton takes over for Molly Cary, who resigned after two seasons. Heaton was an assistant last winter. ... The Warriors return eight varsity players from last season. ... Bruner averaged 14.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game last season.
Coach’s quote: “We’re focusing on our intensity levels at all times and our fundamentals at all times. We want to improve the little pieces before we look at the big picture. They’ve put forth the best effort I’ve seen a group of girls put forth.”
Urbana
Coach: Bill Moss, 22nd season.
Returning players: Seniors — Kelsey Eastham, 5-9, W; Katie Finney, 5-7, G; Sam Riefstahl, 5-7, W; Brooke McFann, 5-7, W. Juniors — MacKenzie Laase, 5-7, G; Adaleine Jackson, 5-9, G; Katie Raterman, 5-9, G; LeAnn Harrigan, 5-7, W; Emily Adair, 6-0, P. Sophomores — Morgan Walton, 5-7, G; Katelynn Derr, 5-7, W.
Newcomers: Junior — Julie Biddle, 5-7, W. Sophomores — Tamara Crochran, 5-7, W; Kaley Moss, 5-7, W; Taylor Johnson, 5-9, W. Freshman — Christy Finney, 5-7, W.
FYI: Eastham averaged 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last fall.
Coach’s quote: “If we can find another scorer to help Kelsey, and we can protect and defend the basketball, we can be better than last year. We’ve just got to find another scorer.”
Ohio Heritage Conference
Last season’s standings
Team Division Overall
West Liberty-Salem 14-0 19-2
Southeastern 11-3 20-5
Triad 9-4 12-8
Northeastern 7-7 10-11
Catholic Central 7-7 9-12
Mechanicsburg 4-9 6-13
Greeneview 3-11 4-17
Cedarville 0-14 4-17
Catholic Central
Coach: David Schlicher, third season.
Returning players: Seniors — Maggie Williams, 5-10, P; Leah Ann Miller, 5-4, G; Garrett Webber, 5-10, P; Sierra Maloney, 5-4, G. Junior — Allison Woods, 5-8, F.
Newcomers: Senior — Miranda Humphries, 5-7, P. Junior — Lisa Lauf, 5-7, F. Sophomore — Marina Lyons, 5-10, P. Freshman — Brooke Maletic, 5-7, G.
FYI: The Irish return six varsity players from last season. ... Woods averaged 11.5 points per game last season.
Coach’s quote: “We’re probably the most experienced team coming back, which I like. The expectations are there. I’m looking forward to it.”
Cedarville
Coach: Ralph Grant, sixth season.
Returning players: Senior — Katie Bunker, 5-3, G. Juniors — Mackenzie McMahan, 5-9, G; Kathryn Kohl, 5-4, G. Sophomores — Emily Sheridan, 5-7, F; Lauren Wickline, 5-6, F.
Newcomers: Juniors — Abby Brown, 5-9, F; Ashleia Daniels, 5-9, W.
FYI: Sheridan averaged 9.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season. ... The Indians return five players from last season.
Coach’s quote: “This year, we’ll be more athletic, which I hope will make us more competitive. Our depth will be an issue because we’ve only got seven girls. I’m hoping we’ll be more competitive, but time will tell.”
Greeneview
Coach: Tracy Tyree, second season.
Returning players: Seniors — Hannah LeMaster, 5-8, P; Amanda Coe, 5-8, W; Amber Chenoweth, 5-8, P; Lauren Schirtzinger, 5-3, G. Juniors — Taylor Richardson, 5-6, G; Anna Nock, 5-6, W; Ellen Frescoln, 5-10, P.
Newcomers: Juniors — Crissy Rector, 5-6, P; Bri Lovely, 5-8, F.
FYI: The Rams return seven letterwinners from last season. ... Lovely is a move-in from Miami Trace.
Coach’s quote: “We’re progressing real well so far. The chemistry is really good. We’re playing well together. We like our progress.”
Mechanicsburg
Coach: Lori Phelps, first season.
Returning players: Seniors — Mary Bline, 5-11, P; Maggie Hackworth, 5-8, W. Sophomore — Kristin Dunlap, 5-8, W.
Newcomers: Juniors — Kady Gould, 6-1, P; Chrissy Bossetti, 5-3, G; Amber Bradley, 5-4, G. Sophomores — Lacy Romero, 5-5, G. Freshmen — Jordan Hux, 5-5, G; Paige Lewis, 5-8, G; Hayley Cochran, 5-7, G; Courtney Romero, 5-5, G.
FYI: Phelps, who served as coach at Fairbanks last year, takes over for longtime coach Jerry Love.
Coach’s quote: “We’re very young. We’re taking a long time to blend, but there’s a lot of potential. Everything is new, but we’ve got nowhere to go but up.”
Northeastern
Coach: Kari Kitchen, fourth season.
Returning players: Seniors — Jillian Adams, 5-8, P; Darian Rusk, 5-8, P; Megan Reisinger, 5-11, P; Alivia Byerly, 5-6, G. Junior — Jessica Rebert, 5-5, G; Paige Smith, 5-6, G; Megan Wagner, 5-5, G.
Newcomers: Senior — Molly King, 5-5, G. Junior — Hannah Gray, 5-10, P. Sophomores — Haley McCohn, 5-4, G; Haley Sparks, 5-6, G.
FYI: Adams has led the team in scoring the last three seasons. She led the OHC with 14.6 points per game. ... The Jets won 10 games last season for the first time in 13 years.
Coach’s quote: “I think the girls put in a lot of time working hard this summer, and they’ve continued working hard in practice. They’re being very self-disciplined in practice, and they’re excited about starting the season. We’ve got quite a bit of experience, and that’s making practice run smoothly. They do a great job keeping each other accountable in practice.”
Southeastern
Coach: Jim Lightle, seventh season.
Returning players: Senior — Amber Rice, 5-6, G. Juniors — Shelby Hocter, 5-6, G; Hannah Bowman, 5-5, G; Kayla McIntire, 5-5, G; Jasmynn Snyder, 5-9, P. Sophomore — Jenna Erwin, 5-7, G.
Newcomers: Senior — Cara Gartin, 5-10, P; Lexi Harbour, 5-5, G. Junior — Brianna Toops, 5-10, P. Sophomore — Olivia Lloyd, 5-2, G. Freshmen — Carly Sullivan, 5-7, G; Taylor Perry, 5-5, G.
FYI: The Trojans graduated three post players in Amber Hayslip, Amanda Harvey and Katie Banion. ... The Trojans advanced to the D-IV regional semifinals, falling to Convoy Crestview. ... Erwin led the Trojans in scoring at 12.3 points per game.
Coach’s quote: “The guards have experience coming back, but we have some inexperience in the post. We’re going to have to play really good defense and execute on offense to be successful. We want to keep getting better as we go. We have a good group. Our work ethic is better top-to-bottom. It’s a new team every year, and that’s always fun.”
Triad
Coach: Jason Malone, fourth season.
Returning players: Seniors — Addie Dixon, 5-7, G; Machell Tyler, 5-11, P; Marissa Millice, 6-1, P. Junior — Hannah Smith, 5-6, G. Sophomore — Kelsey Funderburgh, 5-7, G.
Newcomers: Senior — Lauren Brown, 5-10, P. Junior — Megan Perry, 5-3, G. Sophomores — Rebecca Levings, 5-8, G.
FYI: Funderburgh averaged 12.0 points per game, while Tyler averaged 11.0 and Smith averaged 10.0.
Coach’s quote: “We want to try to look to improve on the success we had last year. I’m excited because we’ve got four returning starters. Since I’ve been coaching, It’s the best group of athletes we’ve put together.”
West Liberty-Salem
Coach: Dennis McIntosh, 15th season.
Returning players: Senior — Christine Park, 5-4, G. Sophomores — Kayla Peterson, 5-9, G; Courtney Karg, 5-2, G. Sophomore — Becka Peterson, 6-0, P.
Newcomers: Juniors — Tyler Lane, 5-1, G; Kaycee Daniels, 5-7, P. Sophomores — Alexis Smith, 5-10, P; Miranda Wallace, 5-4, G. Freshman — Melany Ward, 5-5, G.
FYI: The Tigers have won or shared the OHC title five years in a row. ... Becka Peterson averaged 13.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Coach’s quote: “We’re not very deep. We’ve got 14 players right now. We’re basically playing with six on the varsity, and some kids will have to go both ways. We want to stay healthy and stay in shape, and hopefully, we’ll stay out of foul trouble.”
Metro Buckeye Conference
Last season’s standings
Team Division Overall
Troy Christian 10-1 15-5
Miami Valley 10-2 17-5
Dayton Christian 9-3 15-6
Middletown Christian 5-7 10-11
Yellow Springs 5-7 9-12
Xenia Christian 1-10 3-17
Jefferson 0-10 0-16
Emmanuel Christian
Coach: Brett Stewart, first season.
Returning players: Senior — Lindsay Ground, 5-7, F. Juniors — Ashley Oren, 5-9, G; Mayelin Beekman, 5-1, G; Haley Lewis, 5-5, G; Dawnielle Coles, W. Sophomores — Breanna Coffman, 5-9, F; Alyssa Coleman, 5-1, G.
FYI: Oren averaged 17.0 points last season.
Coach’s quote: “I’m excited. We’re a small team with a thin bench. There’s a lot of talent. We can have a successful team, we just have to keep their composure. I think we can do well.”
Yellow Springs
Coach: Duncan Thomas, third season.
Returning players: Juniors — Stephanie Scott, 5-7, G; Alex Beer, 5-4, G. Sophomore — Ronyqua Washington, 5-5, G.
Newcomers: Sophomore — Amber Dudgeon, 5-7, F/P. Freshmen — Maryah Martin, 5-8, F; Lois Miller, 5-7, G; Rebecca Kleinen, 5-2, G; Angela Allen, 5-9, P; Adrianne Beer, 5-5, F.
FYI: The Bulldogs graduated four seniors, including Ashanta Robinson, a News-Sun All-Area second-team selection last season who averaged 19.1 points per game.
Coach’s quote: “We’re very young. The girls are very have hard workers. They have a ‘don’t give up’ attitude. We want improve each day, stay injury-free and hope we can compete.”
— Michael Cooper, staff writer