Ohio Team Preview- Houston

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Team Overview</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houston enters its first season as an entrant in Division 6 with the new split. The Wildcats return four of five starters after losing lead guard Katie Maier to graduation. Head coach Brian Gillespie returns for his third season at the helm.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2023 Results</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><br></em></strong>The Wildcats went 8-16 last season with a tournament victory over a higher-seeded Dixie team that had won 13 games. They also defeated a District runner-up, Botkins, for the first time since 2020. They were runner-up at the Covington Holiday Tournament and recorded a double-digit victory over 12-win Newton on the road.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Players to Watch</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='533113' first='Emilee' last='Earl'], 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She was a 2nd team Shelby County Athletic League selection in 2023 and returns to anchor the Wildcats. Earl averaged 11.3 points and 10 rebounds per contest while shooting 55 percent from the field. Earl is a beast on the block who nearly doubled her stats in all categories from her sophomore to junior years. She'll be relied upon heavily for the Wildcats this season. <em>(Featured photo above)</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lauryn Crim, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This point guard will step into the spotlight this season, as the Wildcats will need her to excel without Katie Maier to manage the ball. Crim has played a ton of varsity basketball since her freshman year and is ready for a significant leap. She is a defensive wizard with really quick hands. Last year, Crim had 57 steals and countless deflections.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olivia Burks, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She will take on a larger role for the Wildcats at the small forward spotl. Burks, another defensive standout, is due for a breakout year on the offensive end. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Makenna Vondenhuevel, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Makenna is back and is a threat inside and outside, with the size and strength to be an impressive rebounder. Burks and Vondenhuevel have both played a lot of varsity minutes over the past few years.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>More Names to Know</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Wildcats will be looking to some other key players to fill the void left by Katie Maier's absence. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LeeAnna Travis, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Travis played some key minutes off the bench last year and has had an excellent offseason</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lily Vazquez, 2025 </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This forward is a solid rebounder and scorer, and will be counted on to be a big factor for the Wildcats.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kailyn Taylor, 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor is a transfer junior post and can do a lot of things effectively and will no doubt impact the team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Player With Breakout Potential</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olivia Maier, 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She has the potential to help the Wildcats right away. She brings an excellent court sense to pair with an aggressive will to win. Olivia could find her way on the varsity court quite often this year because she defends and rebounds well from the guard position.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Underclassmen To Keep An Eye On</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Additional freshmen to keep an eye on our Carmen Beaver, Brylee Breeze, and Ava Mowery. Beaver and Breeze both are strong and skilled for their age and have the potential to help. Mowery is a lanky, quick guard that can do some very nice things.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>2024 Schedule/Games to Circle</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em><br></em></strong>On December 7, the Wildcats will host fellow league and D6 rival, Anna. The teams could square off as many as three times this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On December 27, the Wildcats will take on Arcanum in a rematch of the Covington Holiday Tournament Championship game from last season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of matchups against conference foes Jackson Center (Dec. 12 &amp; Jan. 21), Russia (Dec. 19 &amp; Jan. 25), and Botkins (Jan. 4 and Feb. 6) will loom large as well. And of course there are always those two games against defending state champion Fort Loramie (November 27 and Jan. 7).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Notable<br></em></strong>The program has a unique influx of talent from the freshman class with 11 newcomers. It marks one of the largest classes in a long time for the small school.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->