Ohio Team Preview: Strasburg Franklin Tigers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Team Overview</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First year coach Tyler bates takes over the Tigers after 11 years at Loudonville. Franklin brings back a true small-school standout and one of the top 2025's in Ohio, [player_tooltip player_id='407488' first='Riley' last='Thomas'], who enters her year with a host of accolades. Last season, Franklin finished 19-6 overall and won their 3rd consecutive Inter-Valley Conference Championship - lost in District Semi-Finals to Hiland, in a game that went back and forth for four quarters.&nbsp;The team returns essentially their entire core from a season ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2023 Results</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perfect 12-0 record in IVC play and a nice road win against Frontier for a Sectional Championship. Close losses to state-ranked West Muskingum, Mansfield Senior and [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland']. [player_tooltip player_id='407488' first='Riley' last='Thomas'], [player_tooltip player_id='748828' first='Ally' last='Miller'] and Sofia Secrest all earned All-Ohio honors - with [player_tooltip player_id='407488' first='Riley' last='Thomas'] also earning IVC Player of the Year&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Players to Watch</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='407488' first='Riley' last='Thomas'] (2025)- She has already crossed the 1000-point plateau, been a conference player-of-the-year and has a chance to finish as her school's all-time leading scorer, along with being a potential 4x All-Ohioan.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sofia Secrest (2026)- runs the show as the team's point guard. An elite shooter - Sofia has added an impressive finishing package around the rim. She was an All-Ohioan a year ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='748828' first='Ally' last='Miller'] (2026)- provides a true post presence with size that most teams don't have. If she can give Strasburg a legitimate double-double option to go with Thomas and Secrest - that 3-headed monster could be enough for them to have a special season. She was an All-Ohioan a year ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lyla Wiggs (2026)- is a hard-nosed defender and good athlete who earned all-conference honors a season ago. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ella Gilkerson (2026)- is entering her 3rd year as a Varsity player, providing floor-spacing as a good perimeter shooter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Player With Breakout Potential</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Addyson Sibila (2027)- who can play inside and out. She showed flashes of being a special player during her freshman campaign and throughout the summer against high-level competition. Whatever her role ends up being - expectations are high for her.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2024 Schedule/Games to Circle</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>@ West Muskingum 11/22 - defending District Champs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tusky Valley 1/8 - perennial small-school power</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bellevue @ Classic in the Country 1/20 - one of the top teams in Ohio</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>West Holmes 1/25 - defending Ohio Cardinal Conference Champs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>IVC Showcase (Tusky Valley or [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland']) 2/8 - this match-up with Hiland could be a battle of two of the top D7 teams in OH</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->