The theme for this year is battles and new head coaches. Every team has a new leader on the sidelines. Albeit, one changed from one side of the Licking River to the other side.
For the third time in four seasons, Calvary Christian will not field a team. The Cougars played 18 games last year winning just the last one, 37-17 over Madison (Indiana) Christian Academy on Feb. 10. They forfeited all three district games.
That makes every regular season district game even more important. The top seed in the district tournament automatically earns a trip to the 10th Region Tournament.
Bishop Brossart Mustangs
The Mustangs finished 20-11 last year winning the district tournament crown for the second straight year after winning the region title in 2021. Brossart lost 45-27 to George Rogers Clark in the region semifinals at Nicholas County.
They graduated four seniors from that team including two starters in guards Madison Parker and Lauren Macht. The other two are center Alexis Kaeff and forward/guard Bentley Fisher.
But two starters return including their leading scorer from last year in senior 5-foot-11-inch forward Molly Kramer and 5-8 senior guard Olivia Lloyd. Kramer scored 292 points and snatched 194 rebounds last year leading the Mustangs with 9.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The other spot depended on matchups among other things.
New head coach Steve Brown, who spent the last three seasons in the same position at Scott, said all six seniors will see a lot of action. The other four are 6-0 forward Cora Bertsch, 5-9 guard Claire Hummel, 5-7 guard Jill Planeaux and guard Bella Rowe. Hummel and Planeaux helped the Brossart girls soccer team to a 10th Region title and the first state tournament win in program history in the fall. Planeaux is committed to play soccer at the Ohio Dominican University.
“They’re just really good with their feet,” Brown said. “They’re just very athletic. That’s obviously why we’re going to want to play a little more up-tempo than we have in the past.”
Brown said he plans to run a lot of five-out or four-out, one-in motion offenses and man-to-man defense. He likes seeing Bertsch and Kramer be able to pull out for jumpers.
“We’ve been working on that a lot,” Kramer said. “The thing that’s different is instead of taking the ball out and rebounding, we’ll all be able to push the ball up ahead and follow so hopefully, we can get some more touches in the paint instead of relying on three-pointers like we have in the past.”
Brown said five others could make an impact including sophomore guard Zoee Meyers. The other four are junior guard Maddie Kremer, 5-7 sophomore guard Kaitlyn Kramer, 5-5 sophomore guard Zoey Woosley and 5-9 freshman forward Rachel Shewmaker. Kremer helped the Brossart volleyball team to its first region crown in the fall.
Brossart outscored opponents, 1,351-1,262 last year and nabbed 764 rebounds. The Mustangs made 446 of 1,323 shots for 34 percent including 130 of 508 three-point tries for 26 percent and 328 of 511 free throws for 62 percent.
The first game is Dec. 2 at Mason County. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Scott Eagles
Eric Pouncy, Jr. takes over a program that battled through an injury-riddled 12-19 season that saw several players end the season with torn Anterior Cruciated Ligaments. The Eagles lost 39-33 to Campbell County in the district semifinals.
The Eagles graduated two seniors in guards Macy Campbell and Payton Fields. The three returning starters are senior forward Kayla Peterson, senior guard Autumn Ponder and sophomore guard Kaia Peterson. Ponder led the Eagles in scoring last year averaging 9.6 per game.
One senior in guard Ava Coleman is back at full strength. The other six seniors are forwards Grace Braden, Kayla Overman, guards Francheska DeLuna, Presley Grant, Raegan Scheper, Amberly Turner and Madelyn Wilson. Wilson grabbed 23 rebounds in two games last year.
“We want to do what we did last year. We always talked as a family,” Overman said of developing solid team chemistry. “Everything was based around the family as a whole so we were talking to each other as teammates and forming relationships on and off the court making sure that we all connected when we play because you don’t want a team that can’t play together. We’re building each other on and off the court.”
Pouncy said another sophomore in Jayla Sanders could give the Eagles good minutes. He said 6-foot-even eighth grader Kortney Peterson gives Scott some size.
“We have a lot of talent,” Pouncy said. “A lot of it is the physicality, the effort I’ve seen in almost the past month here. Just everyone has the ability to take control when they need to and share the basketball. We’re going to run into some teams with some big girls. But I think our toughness will help with that.”
Pouncy said he would like to see the Eagles push the ball in transition and run a motion offense in the half-court sets. Then on defense, he plans to employ the man-to-man defense.
Opponents outscored Scott, 1,503-1,299 last year. The Eagles grabbed 923 total rebounds and made 453 of 1505 shots for 30 percent including 119 of 511 three-point tries for 23 percent. One are of improvement is free throws after Scott made 272 of 472 free throws for 58 percent.
Scott last won the 37th District Tournament in 2019. The Eagles drove to the 10th Region title game in 2018 losing to George Rogers Clark.
Scott opens the season Dec. 2 at home against Dayton. Game time is 7 p.m.
Campbell County Camels
New head coach Davey Johnson said the team is ready to start a new era. The Camels finished 11-19 last year and 7-17 two years ago.
But it has not been too long ago since the Camels tasted success winning the 37th District crown in 2020 and driving all the way to the 10th Region title game with a 22-12 record. Campbell County last won the region in 2016.
“The key for us is the confidence level,” Johnson said. “If the girls can realize the potential that they have and it continues like it has for the first two weeks, it can be a good building block to get us going for the first game of the year. I think they’re starting to buy in and understand they are a pretty good basketball team. Don’t worry about the last two years. Just move forward. I think they way they’re competing in practice tells me they are.”
The Camels graduated three seniors in forward/guard Kylie Koeninger, guard Morgan Revell and forward Aliya Bauer. Bauer and Koeninger started. Koeninger averaged 15.1 points per game before suffering a season-ending injury nine games into the season.
The three returning starters are senior 5-foot-8-inch forward Key Cullum, junior 5-7 Alli Collins and 5-9 freshman forward/guard Izzy Jayasuriya. Cullum is the team’s leading returning scorer averaging 8.2 points per game.
“I feel like we’re really close this year so I definitely feel like we’re going to work well on the court together,” Collins said. “We have a lot of younger girls coming in that know what’s up. They’re going to be bringing it. It definitely pushes us harder every day knowing they want it just as much as we do. We have to prove ourselves and set an example for them.”
Campbell County has four seniors overall. The other three are guards Soph Beck, Kennedy Johnson and forward Julia Busam. Johnson is back after not playing last year.
Junior 5-8 center/forward Lilli Enzweiler returns after leading the Camels with 5.8 rebounds per game last year. Johnson also said sophomore center/forward Macie Peoples gives Campbell County some size standing 6-1.
Johnson said he prefers to play an up-tempo style and run the motion offense in the halfcourt to go with man-to-man on defense. Johnson said he’s not big on set plays.
Teams outscored Campbell County, 1,545-1,322 last year. The Camels made 460 of 1,338 shots for 34 percent including 110 of 436 three-point tries for 25 percent and 291 of 480 free throws for 61 percent. The Camels also nabbed 836 rebounds.
The Camels open the season Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at home against Bracken County.