With 10 consecutive tournament championships, the Dixie Heights High School girls basketball team owns the 34th District. The Colonels have won 45 games in a row against district competition, the last loss coming in 2017. Boasting a talented cast of returning players, the Colonels are in great position to keep their stranglehold on the district but there is intrigue beneath them.
Here is a team-by-team look at the 34th District with teams listed in order of expected finish along with their record from last season.
This is the third day of six with district-by-district high school basketball previews for Districts 32-37 ahead of the upcoming season which begins Dec. 2.
Boys basketball previews
Girls basketball previews
DIXIE HEIGHTS (18-13)
The Colonels are once again the favorites to repeat for an 11th straight title under ninth-year coach Joel Steczynski, who needs 23 wins to reach 200 in his Dixie Heights career. He hopes to leverage the Colonels’ strengths to their advantage.
“Look for us to push the pace and increase defensive intensity with a lineup that is quicker and deeper than previous seasons,” Steczynski said.
Senior Catherine Buddenberg, a 5-foot-6 shooting guard, averaged 12.9 points per game last season. A high-percentage shooter who can create off the dribble, she has received college offers from Transylvania, Wilmington and Wittenberg. Senior Bella Crawford (8.7 ppg) is a 5-10 forward with offers from nearly 10 schools including Centre College, Mount St. Joseph and Ohio Wesleyan.
Two players return from injury. Junior forward Coralee Pelfrey missed all of last season. She averaged 8.3 points and led the team in rebounding as a freshman. Sophomore point guard Asia Carner missed all but four games and was averaging 7.3 points before getting hurt. Senior Jordan Puitz and promising freshman Peyton Gibson led the Colonels in scoring in last season’s district final.
ST. HENRY (15-15)
There has been a changing of the guard at St. Henry, the returning district tournament runner-up. Former assistant Dan Trame is the new head coach following heavy graduation losses including the departure of four key guards. The good news is the coach has some eager basketball players willing to step into new roles.
“We have 15 players who want to get better,” Trame said. “But we have, realistically, a brand-new team after graduating six seniors. Last year, we depended on graduated senior Kayla Unkraut, who’s at Hanover, and Taylor Hill for much of our offense. This year we hope to have more balance and more weapons.”
The Crusaders are young and inexperienced but not without talent. Last season’s third- and fourth-leading scorers, sophomore Joey Powers (4.4 ppg) and junior Jayne Knollman (4.3 ppg), are back. So is 5-10 senior forward Kiki Unkraut, fourth on the team in rebounding average. Army volleyball recruit, 6-2 Corrine Blackburn, has joined the basketball team giving the Crusaders some much-needed size. Dixie Heights was the only district team to beat St. Henry last season. The Cru beat Ludlow twice.
LUDLOW (17-14)
Ryan Bowman is the new head coach in his 19th year of basketball coaching. He was previously head coach at Boone County from 2017-21. He inherits a Ludlow girls team that lost seven seniors from last year’s squad which defeated Lloyd Memorial and Villa Madonna twice on the way to a 4-3 record against district competition.
The playing rotation features a mix of veteran leaders and emerging talent, including three juniors with varsity experience. Addy Garrett (15.3 ppg) was far and away last season’s scoring leader. She needs 34 points to reach 1,000 in her career. Kiely Huff, a physical presence in the paint, and Alex Adcock offer excellent support. Younger players taking on significant roles include sophomore Addy Rice. Their development will be critical in shaping the trajectory of the season.
“This season is about learning, growing, and establishing a foundation for long-term success,” Bowman said. “With one senior with varsity experience, Kyreona Brown, we’ll rely on her defensive prowess to set the tone. Addy Garrett, a natural scorer and leader, will play a pivotal role, supported by Huff’s physicality and the all-around contributions of Adcock and others.”
LLOYD MEMORIAL (14-18)
The Juggernauts lost three key basketball players to graduation including 1,500-point scorer Sierra McCoin, now at Wilmington College, and two other three-year starters. Their only district wins last season came against Villa Madonna. Even so, coach Paul Sturgeon believes young depth can help make up for losses and change the narrative.
“Team strengths should be a cohesive, sharing-the-ball nature on offense and solid, hard-working defense,” Sturgeon said. “Also, depth should be a strength this season. We can improve on rebounding and our perimeter shooting.”
Top players are juniors Maleah Ham (8.8 ppg), Mya Holden-Hopkins (8.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and Kenya Williams (5.0 ppg). Holden-Hopkins is a versatile 5-foot-11 post player who can handle the ball and shoot from the outside. Ham is a do-it-all guard who plays well on both ends of the court. Williams is a hard-working, high-motor forward who can score inside and out. They were last season’s top three rebounders. Senior Railynn Brown was fourth in rebounding and led the team in shooting percentage.
VILLA MADONNA (6-21)
Tony Fields makes it three new head basketball coaches in the five-team district. He was previously a boys’ varsity assistant at Villa Madonna. He takes over a girls team that lost just one senior and welcomes back four starters, six seniors and 11 returning varsity players, several of whom are well-rounded athletes playing multiple sports.
The top returning scorers are seniors Kate Gibbs (7.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg), Catherine Gifford (5.2 ppg), Megan Mahaney (4.5 ppg) and sophomore Addison Nine (5.2 ppg). Junior Dahlila Gorman is a new starter. Objectives heading into the schedule include taking steps toward the program’s first winning season in nine years and improving on last season’s 0-6 record against district foes.
“Since it’s my first year, I’m looking to improve our aggressiveness and our drive,” Fields said. “We want to instill teamwork and competitiveness as foundations for our team. We need to improve our shooting and our turnovers significantly from last year.”