December District Darlings

The calendar is about to flip to 2023 and half of the girls basketball season in Ohio is in the books. Several teams are playing well and are looking forward a chance to make a deep run into the post season. For now, a look at a team in each district who has started off the season well.   SOUTHWEST- Lakota East   This is a team who is living up to expectations as they are off to their best start in many years. They are very talented and very deep. Six players are averaging 6 or more points per game and they go several players deep off the bench. [player_tooltip player_id='216105' first='Madison' last='French'], the Miami of Ohio recruit is their go-to player with an excellent floor game and can score in all three phases of the game. [player_tooltip player_id='329533' first='Emma' last='Fohl'] is a 5-5 junior who commands the game, has good court vision and is able to distribute. 6-foot senior Savannah Smith has put together a phenomenal season and is one of the more underrated players in the Cincinnati area. Coming off the bench is a player I loved to watch last summer/fall, sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='451617' first='Katlyn' last='Pham'] an excellent defender and can score. [player_tooltip player_id='319056' first='Brooke' last='Asher'] and Peyton Woody are two players who contribute in many ways and do the little things to make this team successful.   NORTHEAST- Loudonville   They lost on opening day against Harvest Prep with an injured [player_tooltip player_id='217339' first='Corri' last='Vermilya'] limited on the court and the young Redbirds grew up quickly! They defeated Cardington and Medina Buckeye and now that Vermilya is back, Loudonville has won 8 straight games heading into Christmas. Their defense has been stellar, only allowing 23 points per game and Corri is back to her normal self. She is averaging 28 points, 11 rebounds and 8 steals per game as she was ranked in the top ten in her class in the last PGH rankings. Jena Guilliams is a solid guard at 9 points per game and [player_tooltip player_id='217334' first='Sophia' last='Spangler'] has proven her move to Loudonville has been beneficial with a good stat-line of 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. She is a hard-nosed player who is a workhorse on the court.   CENTRAL- Granville   The Aces are off to a fast start this season, standing 8-1 overall and unbeaten in the Licking County League. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='217312' first='Harper' last='Annarino'] has been the main go-to player as the post player is a player with the knack to contribute to her team. She is an inside-outside threat who moves well and has deep range. She is versatile and is averaging 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She also shoots 57% from the field and 44% from the three. Another 2024 to watch is [player_tooltip player_id='217317' first='Aliyah' last='Moore'], a 5-6 guard who shoots from anywhere. She is averaging 11 points per game and has "parking lot" range. She had good handles and has really gained strength since her freshman year. Ava Gossman is a 5-10 2023 wing who can play the 3 or 4 spots but has been playing the 3 more this season. She can post up efficiently and stretch out and shoot from the three. On the defensive side, Ella Schenider is a strong defender and a bigtime soccer player who doesn't really look to score but will defend the opposing point guard.   SOUTHEAST- Proctorville Fairland   This is a team loaded from top to bottom this season and has plenty of talent ready for the next level. They are off to a 9-0 start and only one of their games did not have a running clock. Offensively they are averaging close to 70 points per game and only allowing 23. Their balance is incredible as they have been led in scoring by six different people in the nine games. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='93545' first='Tomi' last='Hinkle'] is averaging 11.1 points per game and 3.2 assists. Their 2024 class includes [player_tooltip player_id='316723' first='Bree' last='Allen'] (feature photo above), a combo guard who can run the floor well and at 6' is able to defend multiple players. She is averaging 12.3 points and 7.1 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id='319037' first='Kamryn' last='Barnitz'] is only a 2025 but she has incredible game, averaging 9.4 points with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='481371' first='Bailey' last='Russell'] leading the way at 13.1 points per game. They go much deeper than those four players and will look to make a trip to Dayton in March.   EAST- Union Local   Another team off to a great start, they are 9-0 on the season and are focused on making another trip to the state final four after they advanced to Dayton last season before getting knocked off by the eventual state champs. [player_tooltip player_id='157703' first='Reagan' last='Vinskovich'] (20+ per game) is a 2023 who continues to show why she is among the top players in Ohio and will head to West Liberty State to play basketball. [player_tooltip player_id='157710' first='Torre' last='Kildow'] (also 20+ per game) is another returning player who has put up some good numbers the first half of the season and will play volleyball at Ohio U. Lauren Miller is another talented player who has been a big part of their fast start. Both Reagan and Torre will end up as the top two scorers in school history. A name to keep an eye on is 2026 Laken Vinskovich who is also coming on as her stock is rising.   NORTHWEST- Convoy Crestview   No surprise this team is starting to pick up some steam, winners of six straight games. In a recent game, they knocked off previously unbeaten Liberty Benton. Cali Gregory is a 5-10 2024 who is leading the way for Crestview at 16.1 points per game, shooting over 50% from the field and grabbing 6.6 rebounds. She is a long athletic wing with handles, good quickness and can defend multiple positions. Ellie Kline is a 5-5 2025 who handles the ball well from the point position, scores in double figures but also has good court vision and leads the team in assists.

The calendar is about to flip to 2023 and half of the girls basketball season in Ohio is in the books. Several teams are playing well and are looking forward a chance to make a deep run into the post season. For now, a look at a team in each district who has started off the season well.