Dayton Division 1 Teams to Watch – part 1

With the start of high school basketball practice in Ohio coming up next Friday, I will take the next few days to look at some of the top teams in the Dayton and surrounding areas in each division. Each preview will look at several teams with the first group being the teams battling to get into the Top 5 this season, and the second part will be the top 5 teams in the division. Today, a look at Division 1 teams looking to break through and get into the top 5. <span style="color: #ff0000"><em><strong>Division 1 Teams to Watch</strong></em></span> <strong>Bellbrook</strong> One of three teams on this list who have moved up to Division 1 this season, after success shown in Division 2. The Golden Eagles will get a chance to battle for their league championship with some solid returning players. Senior Gigi Painter had a good summer, and is being courted to play at the next level. Another senior returning is Kayla Paul, a hard-nosed athlete who has proven to be a good all-around player. Alexis Cable also returns as a senior, while Bailey Zerby is a returning junior who is the top leading returning scorer for the Eagles. <strong>Monroe</strong> The Hornets, like Bellbrook, moved up to Division 1 this season, and will return a high-scoring athletic guard in 5-9 senior Olivia Wells-Daniels, who had a productive junior season despite missing a few games. Wells-Daniels will be joined by a talented senior Kylee Slone, who I personally saw at the Ohio Summer Showcase for the first time and was impressed with her work ethic and dedication to the game. Brooke Frazier is a rising junior who had some good moments last season. Another junior, Alyssa Beckett, had several quality games last season and looks to be a solid contributor. <strong>Franklin</strong> Gone is all-Ohio standout [player_tooltip player_id="32346" first="Layne" last="Ferrell"], who has taken her talents to Akron. But the Wildcats, who have also risen to Division 1 this season, have a very pair of quality returning players. [player_tooltip player_id="91121" first="Jordan" last="Rogers"]<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt"> </span></strong>is a 5-9 junior who really looked good this summer and improved her game, and is ready to take over the leadership role of this team. Brooke Stover is right there with Rogers, and the 5-10 senior will provide strong play around the rim. Kristin and Madison Earles are returning seniors, as is Kaylee Harris. <strong>Troy</strong> Some say the Trojans will contend for a Miami Valley League title this season, and that all starts with the play of the impressive sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="32622" first="Macie" last="Taylor"]. The 5-7 soph was the Player of the Year last season as a freshman during their final season in the GWOC, and looks to improve on her game this year. Tia Bass also returns as a senior post presence who is a strong, physical player. Makenna Taylor is a senior who can be a difference maker with her overall play, as she had a great summer. Laura Borchers is another key senior who returns, while fans will also need to watch for junior Taylor Roop and sophomore Morgan Kaiser. <strong>Wilmington</strong> Like Franklin, the Hurricane lost a major part of their offense the last four years as [player_tooltip player_id="32345" first="Mya" last="Jackson"] is at Seton Hall. Wilmington will return a very talented sophomore in Jasmine Jamiel, who averaged nearly 10 points per game last season as a freshman. Speaking of newcomers, Sophie Huffman is expected to be a big factor in the success of the Hurricane during her freshman season. Karlie Morgan also returns as a sophomore, as does Sami McCord. <strong>Tecumseh</strong> It will be a whole new look for the Arrows this year, as they lost a lot of talented seniors from last year, with two of them playing at the next level. Now, Tecumseh brings to the table a different group of weapons to challenge for another league title. Junior Terah Harness returns and I expect her to produce with the spotlight on her, while sophomore Mae Mastin is a very hard-nosed point guard who is a great leader. Delaney Martin and Lyndsey Back also return to the Arrows, while they will also have some key freshman who should contribute this season. &nbsp;