Eyes on the 937!- Division 4 Teams to Watch

With high school basketball practice starting next week in Ohio, it is nearly time to shift our focus from showcases and travel basketball over to the high school scene. This week, I will be looking at some of the top teams in the Dayton area (thus, the 937 reference) starting today with Division 4 teams. These are 7 teams to keep an eye on, in alphabetical order. Check back the rest of this week for the other 937 divisions, and we will be looking at other parts of Ohio also this month. Angie Saiter will be focused on teams in Central/Southeast Ohio next week, while Adam Johnson writes on Northeast Ohio and I will look at Northwest Ohio. Starting in November, we turn all attention to the high schools with a breakdown of many of the conferences in Ohio. Also next week, the showcase coverage wraps up with the Northwest Ohio Shootout which is this Sunday. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Eyes on the 937! Division 4 Teams to Watch</span></strong></span> <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;">Botkins</span></strong> They will be competitive again this season, and it all starts with their fiery 5-6 2022 point guard Carmen Hueker. I love her intensity and desire for the ball, she does a great job controlling the tempo and can push transition if it is there. She also is a big threat from the perimeter. Another player I liked from last year is 5-8 2022 Boston Paul. She knows how to come up big in the big games, example last year when she hit some big shots in tournament play. <strong><span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Cedarville</span></strong> Under coach Molly Cary, the Indians were the third seed in last years sectional bracket, and will push for a conference title in the Ohio Heritage Conference. It starts and ends with 5-11 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="312662" first="Ciara" last="Horney"], a post player who has improved and looked good over the summer at their team event at Urbana. She controls the paint well and can defend many positions. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Covington</span></strong></span> The Buccs have changed conferences and they look to compete and win the new Three Rivers Conference. Covington will be led by 5-6 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="312669" first="Claudia" last="Harrington"], a player who has come into her own the last year. Claudia <em>(feature photo above)</em> possesses a lot of intangibles with good handles, a sharp passer and the ability to beat you on the drive or the three. 5-9 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="316729" first="Carlie" last="Besecker"] has also blossomed into one of the top sophs in the region with her long, athletic frame, and can run the floor well. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Fort Loramie</span></strong></span> The defending state champions rolled through everyone in tournament last year with one exception, Minster who played them through to the end. The Redskins return 5-10 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="159381" first="Ava" last="Sholtis"], who missed most of last year with an injury. When healthy, she is a major force in their attack. 2022 guard Riley Heitkamp also will be a factor this season as she will use her experience to contribute in a variety of ways. The cupboard is not dry in Fort Loramie, they have some more very talented young ones coming. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Russia</span></strong></span> There are some teams you don’t want to play late in the season, this is one of them. I look for them to become better every day and with the weapons they have, it will make for some great league and tournament games this season. 2022 6-foot Ella Hoehne has committed to Edison State, is a natural leader and a long athletic post. I love the play of 2023 Cece Borchers who is proficient both inside and out. 6-0 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="270603" first="Kate" last="Sherman"] also will be a factor, giving the Raiders a very serious chance to make quite a run. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Springfield Catholic Central</span></strong></span> There is a new regime in Springfield, and Danielle Roe looks to have this team focused on a long tournament run. They are led by 6-foot 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="92522" first="Mallory" last="Mullen"], an athletic wing who can score at the rim and is the most prolific rebounder in this area. She will be going major D1 for track, and Irish fans hope for a big year from her. The Irish have solid weapons with her, including 5-8 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="269819" first="Serenity" last="Castle"], who had a good summer with the Dayton Metro. 5-8 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="216011" first="Jordyn" last="Smoot"] has also improved, will be more involved in the offense this season. <span style="font-family: ’arial black’, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-32471 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2019/03/Meghan-Downing-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />Tri Village</span></strong></span> This team has a legit chance for another big run this season, with their eyes on the UD Arena in March. They are familiar with the regionals and returns their top three players. 6-3 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="32603" first="Meghan" last="Downing"] <em>(pictured right) </em>is a shot blocking machine with a long frame, can rebound and push the ball. She is strong at the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="93548" first="Morgan" last="Hunt"] is a 5-10 2023 who has developed into a player who can legit do it all. Great hands, can play downhill and is active on defense. Also, [player_tooltip player_id="93556" first="Rylee" last="Sagester"] is the guard who just verballed to Marshall, and the 5-6 2023 can shoot from anywhere on the floor. Unlimited range. &nbsp; &nbsp;