The 2024-25 girls basketball season kicked off over the weekend with several teams picking up big wins. Here is look at the teams and keys players in the conference this year.
TRI-VILLAGE PATRIOTS – (20-5, 11-0) 1st WOAC – Coach Brad Gray

The WOAC is now heading into its 4th year as a league and the Patriots have won all three WOAC championships up to this point. They will face serious challenges this year from Mississinawa Valley and Arcanum both hungry to grab their first title in the WOAC.
Tri-Village lost a few key pieces to their 2024 league championship team including size in the post. This year’s Patriots style of play will be to play fast and defend all 92’ of the court. It will be a scrappy and competitive group of ladies taking the floor every night.
Here is a look at key players in 2024-25
- Adalynn Hines * JR 5-5 Guard – averaged 8.7 PPG last year in the 14 games that played
- Tai Mize * JR 5-4 Point Guard – averaged 8.6 PPG last year. Was a 2nd team All WOAC
- Kenna Wilcox * SO 5-7 Wing/Post – averaged 6.4 PPG coming off the bench last year as a freshman
- Sydnee DeLong * JR 5-8 Guard – leading returning scorer from last season’s team at 9.2 PPG but she will miss the majority of this season with an ACL injury. We hope to get her back before the end of the season but there is no guarantee that will happen. She was 2nd Team All WOAC last season as well as District 9 1st Team & 3rd Team AP Southwest District
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
- Mylee Bierly SO 5-6 Wing – we are looking for Mylee to be a rebounding and defensive presence for us this year.
- Alexa Light JR 5-6 Post – Alexa provides us with some accurate midrange shooting from the post position
- Kaley Brandon SO 5-5 Wing – Kaley is a kid that is a streaky shooter and has really good basketball IQ. We are looking for her to give us some really good minutes this year.
- Mackenzie Besecker SO 5-7 Post – Mackenzie is a really good defensive & rebounding presence for us at the post position.
“The strength of this year’s team will be our guard play. We have multiple kids who can run the point position, especially once we are able to get Sydnee back. This is also a team that has multiple scoring threats, especially from the perimeter. Here early in the season, we really need Adalynn, Tai, and Kenna to kind of lead our young, inexperienced group because they are really the only 3 kids returning with significant varsity experience here in the early part of the season. As always, we will want to try to play fast and use our defense and transition game to create some easy offense for us. Rebounding and taking care of the basketball will be two key factors to whether or not we can have a successful year,” Coach Gray said.
Coach Gray echoes most coaches seeing Mississinawa Valley and Arcanum as the top two teams to beat this year but also has high expectations for his team as well.
- Miss. Valley- return the WOAC Player of the Year in Woodbury and have experienced guards returning with her who can shoot the basketball. Also have some great length.
- Arcanum- basically return the bulk of their team from last year and also have some nice young talent joining their experienced kids.
- Tri-Village- Although we have a lot of unknown kids on our roster and we lack size, I still think our experienced guard play can keep us in most games when it comes to this league.
MISSISSINAWA VALLEY BLACKHAWKS (21-6, 10-1) 2nd WOAC – Coach Michael Paige

The Lady Blackhawks are coming off the best season in school history winning their first ever District Championship. Although they graduated key players from that team they have personnel to backfill those positions.
They also return the WOAC conference player of the year and will be poised to make a run at winning the league title in 2024-25.
1. Taylee Woodbury* Sr. 5’5” G – WOAC POY, District 9 POY, SW District POY, Prep Girls Hoops POY, 1st Team WOAC, 1st Team District 9, 1st Team All State. Taylee is on pace to be the all-time scoring leader in school history. She is currently the All-Time Asst. and Steals leader. She Finished the season with 15ppg, 7.1apg, and 3.8 spg.
2. Syenna Purdin* Sr. 5’8 G – 2nd Team all Conf. She Avg. 8.2 ppg and is currently 2nd all-time in 3pt shooting in school history. She shot 36% from 3 while taking the second most 3s in the conf (162) only behind her teammate Taylee Woodbury.
3. Brooklynn Seubert* Jr. 5’10” F – Started a few games last season and had a major impact on our district championship run. She will be one of the best players in the conference this season. She avg. 6.5 ppg and 5 rpg off the bench.
4. Paige Emrick* Jr. 5’6” G – She started a few games for us last season and lead the conf. in 3pt% through the first 8 games of the season. She finished the season shooting almost 34% from distance. Paige is a PHENOMENAL defender and will have a major
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
1. Gretchen Rodeheffer So.5’10” F – Gretchen will be one of the top shot blockers and rebounders in the conf. this season.
2. Makenna Hoggatt Jr. 5’10” G – Great shooter with limitless range and a good defender.
3. Cora Hoggatt Jr. 5’10” F – Great rebounder and shot blocker
4. Emily Byram Sr. 5’9” F – Shooter and rebounder
“Our teams’ strengths are shooting, defense, speed, and chemistry. The keys to our success this season will be to control the tempo and play GREAT defense.”
“Our goals for this season are to win State and win the WOAC along the way,” Coach Paige stated.
Coach Paige believes there are a number of quality teams this season but also fully expects his team to win a conference title.
1. Mississinawa Valley – we return a lot of great players from last year’s team, including the POY. We finished second in the conf last season on a one-point loss to TV at their place.
2. Arcanum – They have a really good team this year and they are very well coached.
3. Tri-Village – Though they have had some injuries and roster changes, they are still returning three good players that will help them to compete for one of the top spots in the conf. again this season.
4. Newton – I believe they are well coached and are talented down low. They have some good young guards and will surprise some people this season.
5.Tri-County North – Well coached team with a lot of experience in the guard positions. I believe they could finish anywhere between 3-5 this season.
ARCANUM TROJANS (14-9, 9-2) 3rd WOAC – Coach Abbey Moore

Arcanum has been in the mix every year since the WOAC started and they have experience and talented players returning that will not only challenge for a league title but also make a good post season run.
- Brooke Anderson 12 G
- Alexis Gibbons 12 F/G
- Matty Noe 10 G
- Caroline Long 11 F
- Claire Hein 10 G
- Faith Wooten 11 P
- Avery Leeper 11 G *did not play the majority of last season due to an injury
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
- Madison Schwartz 10 G
“We will have 7 on JV that will come up and sit on varsity,” Coach Abbey Moore said.
“This team has great chemistry. We want to play fast, strong, and TOUGH this year. Putting the extra work in the weight room is going to have a big impact on what we are going to be able to do on the court. Our biggest goal is to come out every night, compete and leave it all out on the court. This group has a great opportunity this year to make it a memorable season.”
“The battle for the top of the conference will be very competitive this year. We will work hard every day to hopefully have the opportunity to be a part of that excitement,” shared.
DIXIE GREYHOUNDS (13-9, 8-3) 4th place WOAC – Coach Justin Keirns

The Lady Greyhounds were a solid team over the least couple of years and much of that had to do with one of the best players to wear a uniform at Dixie. But Sierra Brinson has graduated as the all-time leading scorer and that will leave a hole in their offense.
Dixie will also have a new leader on the bench this year with Justin Keirns pulling the strings.
Keirns is a 2016 Graduate of Dixie High School and is going into his 5th season as a coach within the girls’ basketball program with previous roles being a MS Head coach and JV Head coach the last 2 seasons.
“I am looking to develop a program that will sustain success on and off the court for many years to come at my Alma mater,” Keirns said.
“Our team motto is to “Be A DAWG” the DAWG stands for Discipline, Accountability, Work Ethic and Grit. I believe the girls are really starting to buy in to this culture as a whole and I think the girls will begin to see success in all aspects of their life including on the basketball court,” Keirns explained.
Here is a look at the roster and players:
1. Cooper Miller * Sr. 5’4 SG – Cooper is a strong leader within our program, unanimous player and coach vote getter for captain. Cooper sees the floor and understands the game very well and can shoot the ball at a very high level. We expect Cooper to have a breakout season!
2. Bethany Himan * Jr 5’4 SG – Bethany will be an integral part of our success this season with her ability to score the ball as well as play great on ball defense. Bethany was also selected as one of our varsity team captains!
3. Kaylie McConnell* Jr 5’8 SF/PF – Kaylie is a very athletic stretch 4 type player with a high motor! She has the ability to knock down shots as well as finish around the rim. Kaylie can guard 1-5 at a high level. She was also selected as a team captain!
4. Kaitlyn Loch Sr 5’7 SF – Kaitlyn is a very quick forward with the ability to get to the rim with ease. Her first step is one of the quickest I’ve seen, and I think it makes her very difficult to guard.
5. Teegan Miller So 5’7 PG – Teegan is a true point guard with fantastic vision of the court with the ability to set her teammates up in positions to be successful. Teegan has the ability to knock down shots and will be a great change of pace scorer for us!
6. Kendyl Hypes So 5’11 PF/C – Kendyl will fill a stretch 4 role for us. Kendyl has a great knack of blocking shots in the paint. With her height, wingspan and athleticism she will anchor the middle of our defense. Offensively Kendyl is comfortable knocking down mid-range shots and will crash the boards hard!
7. Maddison Caldwell So 5’6 PG/SF – Maddison is an aggressive ball handler with the ability to get to the rim with ease. She is a very physically gifted player that attacks each facet of the game with a gritty attitude!
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
1. Maddie Delong So 5’6 SG – Maddie is a great mid-range shooter and looks to earn her minutes by hitting shots and play solid defense for us.
2. Mylie Palmer So 5’7 SF – Mylie is a young forward that will play JV and varsity for us this season. Mylie is one of the best on ball defenders I’ve seen. She plays the game with an old school mentality and takes pride in making plays for us on the defensive end. Her offensive game is quickly developing, and she is putting the work in to fight for a larger role on varsity.
3. Hailey Armstrong Sr 6’0 C – Hailey is a true center that is rejoining the program after not playing the past few years! Hailey will fill a true post presence role for use with a great ability to finish around the rim, block shots and rebound the ball at a high level
“In order for us to be successful this year we will have to play a modern brand of basketball that involves pushing the ball, playing solid pressure defense and hitting shots when we need to. I think our youthfulness, depth and aggressiveness will allow us to develop a system for years to come,” Keirns stated.
Here are the top teams coach Keirns sees on the conference for 2024-25.
- Mississinawa Valley will be a force not only in the conference but in our area.
- Arcanum is returning a really solid core and will be tough to beat.
- Tri Village is always fundamentally sound, I have no doubt they will be ready to compete.
- I believe TVS will be sleeper team within the conference. They have a group of girls that have a lot of talent and play extremely hard!
NEWTON INDIANS – (12-12, 6-5) 5th place in WOAC – Coach Stefany Landis

Newton has a year under its belt with coach Stefany Landis who returns three starters and four lettermen and will look to challenge the top teams this year on the hardwood.
Here is a look at the top players returning:
- Felicity Harbour* SR 6’0 C – Last year was 2nd team all WOAC, 4th in FG%, 9th Rebounding. Avg. 9pts, 7 reb. Returning starter.
- Layla VanCulin* SR 5’10 F – Last year – avg. 5ppg, 6 reb. Suffered season-ending injury. Returning starter.
- Rylee Hess* JR 5’7 G – Last year – avg. 5 ppg, 4 reb. Returning starter.
- Brilie Hines JR 5’5 G – Returned to play after taking last season off to play travel soccer. Split action between Varsity and JV her freshman year.
- Mya Denlinger* SO 5’4 G – Last year played JV and Varsity.
- Mia Szakal* SO 5’10 G/F – Last year played JV and Varsity.
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
- Violeta Cottrell JR 5’4 G
- Emily Flora JR 5’5 G
- Brynnasen Fiely FR 5’4 G Incoming freshman
- Paige Holbrook FR 5’10 F Incoming freshman
- Michaela Flora FR 5’6 G Incoming freshman
“I am looking to continue to build off of last season. We have three of our starters returning, but numbers are a factor again this year. Our focus this season will be defense, intensity, pushing the ball, and overall execution. We have to play smart, compete every time out, and stay healthy,” Coach Landis stated
“There is a lot of talent returning from the leading teams last year. Mississinawa, Arcanum, and Tri-Village will still be top competitors. However, there are a few other teams that I think do things well. Our league is scrappy and tough. Every game is going to be a battle,” Landis concluded.
ANSONIA TIGERS – (11-12, 5-6) 6th WOAC – Coach Connor Custenborder

- Gabby Leeper 12 G – Averaged the most assists from our returning players. She is a team captain and provides great leadership. We look for her to be a part of the group of girls that will help us handle the ball.
- Lydia Hahn11 G – Lydia provides great defense for us. I think she is one of the better on ball defenders in the conference. She will also be a part of the platoon that helps up handle the ball.
- Olivia Schmitmeyer 11 F – She is a great shooter for the post position. Her experience will help her be more comfortable playing at a quicker pace. She will help us out on the inside this year with the ability to stretch the floor.
- Rose Barga 11G – Rose showed great scoring spurts last year. Having another year under her belt we hope that she continues to grow there. She led the team in FT% last year. She will help us handle the ball this year.
- Olivia Creager 11 G/F – A do it all type player. Can run the 1-4 for us. Can handle the ball and also bang around on the inside. She is a great slasher, and one of the better defenders in the conference. I think she will help fill some of the Steals we lose from our seniors last year.
- London Reichert 10 F – London was our leading returning scorer. She led the team in Reb and Blk last year. She will have a good chance of breaking the school record for Rebounds and Blocks this year already as a Soph. We look for her to take the next step in scoring as well.
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
- Sophia Aultman 12 F – A scrappy player that isn’t afraid to bang around on the inside. She will help us guard more physical and bigger post when we need to.
- Charlotte Barga 9 G – Charlotte is a great player who I believe can become one of the best players in the conference. She has an amazing work ethic and is always wanting to get better and learn. I would expect for her to help us score the ball and handle pressure this year.
“We hope to be a well-rounded team that is tough to score on this year. We take pride in our effort and preparation on the defensive end. To be successful we have to win the tournament battle. We have to keep our steals up from last year, while cutting our turnovers down. Our goal is to be better every day than we were the day before.”
“We do not want to take any team lightly or give anyone bulletin board material to help them beat us. Everyone in the conference does different things well and we have to prepare for the differently.” Coach Custenborder said.
“If I had to pick one team that will for sure be up towards the top it would be Arcanum. Arcanum is a great team that has a lot of depth with skilled players. I think Anderson is a very underrated player for them and has the best court vision in the conference. Noe also impressed me a lot as a freshman last year, and I’m sure she’s developed even more as Coach Moore does a great job over there.” Custenborder added.
“We definitely think there are other teams that will be competing with them though. Like I said every team will provide a different challenge this year and we have to prepare for them all the same,” Custenborder concluded.
PREBLE SHAWNEE ARROWS – (5-16, 5-6) 6th WOAC – Coach Anitra Roell

This will be the 2nd season for Anitra Roell as varsity head coach at Preble Shawnee. The Arrows graduated Bella Agee and Ashleigh Mondello-Garrett both accounted for most of the teams’ rebounds. Ashleigh was also the point guard and led the WOAC in steals.
Here is a look at the roster and information on players.
Caylee Hatmaker, Senior, #11, Guard/Forward – Caylee Hatmaker returns as a starter, last season she received honorable mention in the WOAC. Caylee has shown great leadership in the preseason. She is the only returning senior and looks to be a strong presence for our team.
Faith Jessie, Senior, #23, Guard
Layla Roberts, Senior, #2, Guard – she is playing basketball for the first time and has an amazing personality and understands the game well, she will be a great addition to our roster.
Aubrey Unger, Junior, #3, Guard – Aubrey Unger returns as a starter and she was recently named the WOAC player of the year for the second year in soccer. Aubrey is extremely fast and athletic.
Ava Apking, Junior, #5, Guard – she will lead our offense as point guard.
Braelyn Tangeman, Junior, #14, Forward – is one of the smartest defensive players we have.
Autumn Ruble, Sophomore, #22, Forward – returning player who steps up to varsity. She is very strong, fast, and physical and can match up with anyone.
Cora Geise, Sophomore, #32, Guard/Forward
Lainey Hawley, Sophomore, #10, Forward
Josie Mondello-Garret, Freshman, #24, Guard – will step right on to the varsity floor to replace her sister Ashleigh who graduated last year. Josie will be a prominent part of our program for the next 4 years.
Madison Moore, Sophomore, #21, Guard/Forward
Jenna Dixon, Freshman, #20, Forward – is battling a pre-season injury, Jenna scored a lot of points for us over the summer, when she is healthy I look for her to be a dominating force both offensively and defensively.
“We have set goals for our girls. We hope to win more games than we did last season. We are young. We are a varsity only program this year as our numbers are down. There will be some younger players get tossed right into the mix and they will be pressured to figure it out right away. We are Looking forward to working hard and getting better every day. The girls have to step up and mature and grow as players. It is my goal to make that happen,” Coach Roell shared.
TRI-COUNTY NORTH PANTHERS – (11-12, 4-7) 8th WOAC – Coach Jessica Spitler

The Tri-County North girls basketball team is coming off a good season with the most wins in a while for the program showing steady improvement over the last few years. They are poised with some strong guard play to be in every game they play this year.
Here is look at key players.
- Bella Cherry * 11 5’6” PG 13.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 4.4 steals pg, First team All WOAC, District 15 Underclassman POY, offensive and defensive threat.
- Leinani Garcia * 12 5’5” PG 9 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 spg, Special Mention All WOAC, D15 Underclassman Team, key for offense player.
- Jordan Pinion * 11 5’8” Forward 4.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, expects her to be a big part of the offense with her scoring and quickness. She will be a big part of rebounding this season.
- Gracie Hemp * 12 5’5” Forward – is a defensive specialist with quick speed, shows valuable experience.
- Rylie Myers * 12 5’7” Forward Brings senior leadership, coming off a great soccer season. I expect to see her contribute offense and defensively.
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
- Cadence Darnell * 10 6’2” Center Returning player with height and strength. Worked hard the off season expect big results and big rebounds for the team.
- Chloe Jackson * 11 5’10” Center Post player that contributes & helps with rebounding.
- Lola Grieshop 9 6’0” Forward Upcoming freshmen with height and athletic ability to produce good minutes on the floor. She will contribute both offense and defensively.
“We are returning 4 starters this year that all have had big minutes, experience and continue to build our TCN girls program. We are hoping to compete this year in all the conference games and get better as a whole each day and stay healthy,” Coach Spitler stated.
She sees the following teams competing for the title Tri Village, Mississinawa Valley, Ansonia and Arcanum.
FRANKLIN MONROE JETS – (7-14, 4-7) 8th WOAC – Coach Tim Barga

Franklin Monroe numbers are down but they will be able to play a varsity schedule this year and will be guided by veteran coach Tim Barga in his 2nd year at the Hanger.
Key players for the Jets.
1. Presley Cox Sr., 5’9” C
2.Caydance Nichols Jr. 5’2” G
3.Kyra Barnes Sr., 5’3” F
4.Figel Jr., 5’2” G
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
1. Adissyn Bosserman Fr. 5’5” C
2. Peyton Buhl So. 5’3” G
3. Savannah Miller Fr. 5’2” G
Although the number are down the Jets will be competitive each night.
“With only 7 players we will need to stay healthy and out of foul trouble every night,” Coach Barga stated.
Here is who coach Barga sees as the top teams in the WOAC
1. Mississinawa Valley
2. Arcanum
3. Tri-Village
4. Ansonia
BRADFORD RAILROADERS – (4-18, 3-8) 10th WOAC – Coach Josh Siedling
NATIONAL TRAIL BLAZERS – (7-16, 1-10) 11th WOAC – Coach Garrett Denlinger

1. Hannah Henderson* 12 5-4 G District 15 Underclass team / Special mention WOAC
2. Josie Stiner* 12 5-8 F
3. Morgan House* 11 5-10 C
4. Ollie Mason* 11 5-6 G
5. Belle Anderson* 12 5-9 C
6. Lillian Cordle* 10 5-2 G
Key contributors moving up from JV or transfers coming in
1. Peyton White 10 5-10 C
2. Chloe Graves 10 5-6 F
3. Claire Osswald 10 5-6 G
Great leadership from my senior group. Work on building our basketball program.
1. Mississinawa Valley- Returning all-state player
2. Ansonia
3. Arcanum
4. Newton
TWIN VALLEY SOUTH PANTEHRS – (1-22, 0-11) 12th WOAC – Coach Kerry Crouch

The Panthers will have a new coach this year leading the way Kerry Crouch, who brings a lot of experience and a roll up the sleeves mentality and is eager to build a solid program at Twin Valley South.
“I was hired in May and began immediately working to start getting kids involved from K-12th grade, running skills and drills sessions for youth kids, setup the 3-day youth camp in the summer and holding open gyms and workouts. I continued to do this until the High School season started.
Previously I coached girl’s programs; last year at Lebanon High School and 4 years at Springboro. I came to TVS as I see it as an opportunity to build a successful Girls Basketball program from the bottom up using the experience I’ve had at both of those winning programs.
The community has been great in supporting me and the kids are a great group to work with, they want to get better, are very coachable and want to win. I look forward to seeing us progress this year and going forward,” Coach Crouch shared.
Here is a look at the roster for the 2024-25 season.
Jordan Ritchie* SR 5’8 G – 12.5 ppg, 5 reb/game last year. She has opportunities for some scoring records, but most importantly wants to win games her senior year.
Maci Arndts* SR 5’6 F – Hard worker, plays both ends of the court, always around the basketball. Does the little things that do not show up in the box scores.
Brylii Day* JR 5’9 F – 6.0 ppg, 7 reb/game last year. Has worked hard to improve her inside game and will be a tough matchup in conference play.
Kelsie Maggard* SO 5’4 G – Competitive, very athletic, leader on the floor. Will be a key piece in setting the tone for us this year.
Maddy Nelson JR 5’4 G – Returns to TVS after 2 years at Tri-Village, will excel in our style of play. Great work ethic, great addition to our program.
This year we will be competitive, we will look to use our athleticism to our advantage and our style of play will be different then years past. The kids are coming in everyday working hard and buying in and believing they can win games.
Coach Crouch sees Mississinawa Valley, Tri Village and Arcanum as teams to beat but also list Twin Valley South as a challenger.
“We are coming off a 1-22 year, 6-62 the past 3 years, but things are changing at South,” Crouch concluded.
Good luck to all the girls teams in 2024-25.