Popular choice is Piketon to take the title
Unioto locked and loaded for repeat run
Cody Smith and Jordan Brabson return to give Piketon arguably the best 1-2 scoring punch in the league. With Evan Legg returning at the point position, this senior duo should get plenty of solid looks.
On the defensive end, the versatility of Keenan Brush, Kenny Helton, and Caleb Southworth gives Coach Lisath plenty of options to mix-and-match his defensvie schemes.
Pushing Piketon for the top spot will be Zane Trace. The Pioneers have great depth and athleticism. They will get plenty of offense with Kirk Maxwell leading a balanced attack, but again this year, their question mark will come in their consistency with guard play. Zane Trace does grow up a lot in the backcourt returning several players with varsity experience.
Another contender could be Adena. The Warriors will lack a little depth; however, Clay Roll returns as one of the front-runners to win this year's conference player-of-the-year. The Adena senior enters this year knocking on the door of 1,000 career points, and is an extremely tough match-up for his opponents. His ability to shoot it from three as well as a very solid mid-range game combines to make him one of southern Ohio's prolific scorers.
Two of the scariest teams in the league could be Westfall and Unioto. It is tough to say if they have enough to contend over the 14-game schedule, but they both have great size and athleticism. Unioto has a huge frontline with 6-11 Alex Kimsey and 6-5 Quentin Detillion just to name a couple; however, they were hurt a year ago by inconsistent guard play. This year there is optimism for improvement in the backcourt, but much of their talent is young and unproven. In this mix, you can also throw in the defending champs. Huntington returns great expereince on the frontline in Corey Cottrill and Drew Trusty as well as Craig Magill at guard.
Rounding out the league on the boys side you have Southeastern and Paint Valley. First-year head coach Kyle Uhrig takes over the tradition-rich program at Southeastern, and will look to seniors and size to compete throughout the year. The Bearcats will be led by a trio of seniors (Matt Workman, Mike Hamilton, and Josh Long) as well as a very athletic group of sophomores and juniors.
Shiann Ray and Chloe Cottrill return for Unioto providing the Lady Shermans a dominate interchangable combo on the perimeter. Janae Driggs also returns with both point and off-guard skills that gives Unioto a very lethal backcourt.
Complementing the fine guard play will be Mackenzie Arledge. The sophomore returns after averaging double-figures last season as a freshman. Liza Elliott, who had
a solid freshman season two years ago before missing most of last season with an injury, returns this season and combines with Heather Sanders to give the Tanks good depth on the frontline.
If the Tanks have a weakness it is probably the consistency from the outside in terms of shooting. The great guard play is made up of players that would rather beat defenses off the bounce rather than catch and shoot. Combine this with Arledge, and Unioto will probably be looking at zone defenses for most of the year. The purple and gold will combat this with their great defensive pressure. This is a part of their game that did not get nearly the credit it deserved a year ago, and should help jump-start their offense on nights in which their opponents try to slow the tempo.
At the top with the Shermans should be the Lady Warriors of Adena. Volleyball player-of-the-year, Ashley Jordan will be one of the top candidates to win that same award on the hardwood as well. Jordan, who should surpass the 1,000 scoring mark sometime after Christmas, is one of the league's toughest match-ups. The athletic lefty can score in a variety of ways and should be helped by a nice supporting cast. Brytan Givens returns at the point for the two-shade blue, and Kirsti Yates and Kelsey Bielanow add depth on the Adena frontline. Brittney and Brooke Snyder will also give the Warriors some much needed perimeter shooting. Adena does lack some size, but as all Lee Snyder coached teams have done in the past, you can be sure Adena will take care of the ball and play great defense to keep them in every game they play.
Another contender will be Joe Dunkle's Zane Trace team. The red, white, and blue returns quite a bit off a team that made a lot of noise towards the end of last season. Other than Unioto, Zane Trace is probably the most balanced team in the league with too many athletes and threats to mention.
After that - your guess is as good as mine. Huntington returns four or five players with varsity experience, but the loss of Lydia Bridenbaugh and Jess Fraley leaves several question marks on the offensive end. Paint Valley has a very talented starting five anchored by Tristan Rumfield and Erica Barker but little depth off the bench, and Piketon, Southeastern, and Westfall have very young rosters that will need time to adjust to the varsity level. If I had to pick a sleeper, I would go Piketon. The Lady Redstreaks return a solid scorer in Heather Burns and welcome one of the league's top newcomers in Alex Southworth. If Piketon can get a solid post presence from Andrea Beekman, the Lady Redstreaks could sneak into a top-half finish.
