Four new head coaches will guide girls varsity basketball programs this winter at Wayne County high schools: Dylan Miller at Cambridge City Lincoln, Brad Catey at Hagerstown, Gabrielle Smith at Richmond and Troy Titus at Seton Catholic.
Cody Dudley at Northeastern and Tyler Frame at Centerville, both starting their third year, are the most veteran Wayne County head coaches. It is likely that each Wayne County program will have a better win-loss record than a season ago. Cambridge City Lincoln, Centerville and Hagerstown will all be chasing the Northeastern Lady Knights in the Tri-Eastern Conference race, while Richmond has the experience and size to be competitive in the North Central Conference race.
Cambridge City Lincoln Eagles
Head coach Dylan Miller (2023-24 record: 3-18, 1-8 TEC)
Dylan Miller will take over from Garry Laymon, who resigned at the end of last season after seven years at the helm. Miller, who served as an assistant to Laymon, will have several players returning with varsity experience. It will be a smooth transition because Miller has worked with the players before. The Eagles will have good depth on the offensive end, with several players who can score, but they will need to improve their ball handling and defense to take the next step. Miller will look to three seniors with varsity experience, including last year’s second-leading scorer Addyson Pitcock, averaging 8.9 points per game, to lead the team. Aubrey Trent and Morgan Gambill also logged significant varsity minutes last season. Paige Pitcock and Reilynn Ferguson, who both saw varsity minutes last year as freshmen, are expected to take a bigger role as sophomores. Sophomore Rebecca Harmer, junior Allison Clayton and senior Gracie Gambill are also expected to contribute. Miller said that his team, which has a mix of new and experienced players, is working hard to improve every day.
The Eagles will travel for their first two games. They will open with a game at Anderson Preparatory Academy on Friday, Nov. 15, followed by a game Saturday, Nov. 16, at Seton Catholic.
Centerville Bulldogs
Head coach Tyler Frame (2023-24 record: 4-19, 2-6 TEC)
Third-year head coach Tyler Frame may start to reap the rewards of his rebuilding process over the last two seasons. The Lady Bulldogs will have substantial depth and should be improved.
A trio of seniors — Taelynn Swartz, Olivia Hunter and Makenna Hartman — are expected to be major contributors. Sophomores Kendall Nelson and Aubrey Seifer are also expected to assume a larger role after seeing playing time last season as freshmen.
The Bulldogs will play their first two games on the road. They will open with a game at Randolph Southern on Saturday, Nov. 9, followed by a game at Blue River on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Bulldogs will also take part in the Union City Invitational on Friday, Jan. 3, and Saturday, January 4, 2025.
Hagerstown Tigers
Head coach Brad Catey (2023-24 record: 0-21, 0-8 TEC)
Brad Catey will take over the Lady Tiger program after Chris Oliger stepped down at the end of last season. Oliger won 270 games, including two sectional championships, during his 22-year tenure. Catey is new to being a girls varsity basketball coach, but not new to Hagerstown. He has served in some capacity as a coach at HHS since 2003. He was an assistant under Oliger, is currently on the softball staff, has served on the football staff and won four sectional titles during his tenure as the varsity baseball coach. The Lady Tigers will need help from young, inexperienced players to change the fortunes of the program. Seniors Havannah Harris and Mia Hilbert, juniors Avery Blunk and Katee Cowan, and sophomore Rylan Hughes are the only roster players returning from last season with experience, and as a group they only scored 8.5 points per game. Blunk, with a 3.3 ppg average, and Harris, with 2.4 ppg average, led the way. Senior Sydney Martindale will return to the court after missing the last two seasons with an injury. Coach Catey said that his team has been working hard and has been motivated by the 23-game losing streak the program is on: ”We have been working hard since practice started. Last season’s 0-21 record left a bad taste in our mouths and we are working hard to turn it around.”
The Lady Tigers, who will have five freshmen on their roster, will open with a road game at Shenandoah on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and then return home for three consecutive games. They will host Indianapolis Scecina Memorial on Wednesday, Nov. 13; they will host Knightstown on Saturday, Nov. 16, and Blue River Valley on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The Tigers will also participate in the Edinburgh Holiday Tournament held on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
Northeastern Knights
Head coach Cody Dudley (2023-24 record: 19-7, 7-1 TEC)
Third-year head coach Cody Dudley has enjoyed great success in his first two years at the helm, winning 35 games, including two Wayne County tournament titles, and a sectional championship. This year’s team has the potential to be his best season yet. The Knights graduated four-year starter Addisen Mastriano, who now plays for Detroit Mercy, and Juztice Slick, who is now on the roster at IU East, but they still have an abundance of talented players fighting in practice for playing time.
The Knights have the potential to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. Leading scorer Adysson Kircher (15.4 ppg) and backcourt running mate Ava Mikesell (10.6 ppg) return to lead the Knights’ offense, and barring injury, both will exceed 1,000 career points this season. The duo is also a disruptive force defensively. Do-everything post player Cami Angi (6.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and six-footers Kerri Gammon (5.1 ppg) and Mackenzie Johnson give the Knights a strong inside presence and they will be surrounded by a bevy of wing players with 3-point shooting range, including Ariel Shuler and Gracie Green, who both started several games last season. Angi, Kircher, Mikesell and Green are all considering offers to play at the college level. Shuler rarely turns the ball over and adds to the team’s defensive prowess. Brooklynne Adams and Amiyah Davis can both score and defend, adding to the team’s impressive depth. The Knights open regular season play with three home games. They will host Adams Central on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Yorktown on Saturday, Nov. 9, and Muncie Central on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Knights will also host a holiday tournament on Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28.
Richmond Red Devils
Head coach: Gabrielle Smith (2023-24 record: 11-12, 5-3 NCC)
Gabrielle “Gabby” Smith will assume the reins of the Lady Red Devil program replacing Clay Bolser. Smith, who has seven years of coaching experience at both the collegiate and high school level, last served as the varsity assistant at Park Tudor High School in Indianapolis. She will inherit an experienced squad, with eight players who appeared in 20 or more games last season, and another who played in 17 games. The Red Devils return seniors Maren Bolser, Kiarra Handley, Savannah Hilbert, Amari Jackson, Shay Sexton, Amyannah Tucker and Cami Turpin. Tucker led Richmond in scoring last season with a 13 ppg average and added 3.6 rebounds per game. The six-foot Bolser averaged 11.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg, and Turpin led the team with 5.2 rpg and scored 5.5 ppg. Six-foot sophomore Sophie Reising adds to the Red Devils’ size after averaging 5.2 ppg and 3.3 rpg as a freshman. The Lady Red Devils will play their first three games on the road. They will travel to New Castle on Tuesday, Nov. 5, to East Central on Saturday, Nov. 9 and to Anderson on Friday, Nov. 15. Richmond will also host a holiday tournament on Friday, Dec. 27 and Saturday, Dec. 28.
Seton Catholic Cardinals
Head coach: Troy Titus (did not field team in 2023-24)
Seton Catholic plans to resurrect their program this season after a five-year hiatus, but first-year head coach Troy Titus had to wait until the cross country and volleyball seasons ended to start practice. It is too early to project the type of team Titus will assemble, but the Cardinals will most certainly be one of the youngest teams in the area with a roster of freshmen and sophomores without prior varsity experience. The Cardinals will host Cambridge City Lincoln on Saturday, Nov. 16, to open regular-season play. The Cardinals will also participate in the Edinburgh Holiday Tournament held on Thursday, Jan. 2, and Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.
A version of this article appeared in the November 6 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.