LANCASTER – The high school boys’ basketball season officially tipped off last week, and it should be another exciting year for teams in the area.
There will certainly be several intriguing storylines, especially with seven divisions in the tournament. While teams lose talented players, there is no shortage of talent returning as teams gear up for another exciting season of high school basketball.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMore: Kent Riggs reaches coaching milestone, notches 500th career win
Lancaster junior guard Cam Eaton shoots a jumper in the lane against Horizon Science during the Golden Gales' 60-59 nonconference win on Saturday, Jan. 4.Area Boys Basketball Capsules
LANCASTER
Coach: Kent Riggs (ninth season)
Conference: Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division
Last year’s record: 11-12
Returning letter-winners: Cam Eaton, Sr., Davis Call, Sr., Drew Whitlatch, Sr., Carson Rhymer, Sr., Brody Burke, Sr., James Cox, Sr., Shawn Willis, Sr.
Key Newcomers: Kaleb Santiny, Sr., Cam Crawford, Jr., Gavin Rupp, Jr., Elijah Brown, Jr.
Coach Riggs’ take: “We will need to find a replacement for Colton Bruny, our starting point guard for the last three seasons and leading scorer. Experience with eight seniors on the roster is a positive. Rebounding and inside defense will be a concern with our lack of size.”
Bloom-Carroll junior guard Caleb Hinkle fights for the ball against a Circleville defender during the Bulldogs' Mid-State League-Buckeye Division game on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. B-C fell short 53-45.BLOOM-CARROLL
Coach: Andy Schmitz (second season)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementConference: Mid-State League-Buckeye Division
Last year’s record: 13-12 (2nd in league, D-IV district runners-up)
Returning letter-winners: Caleb Hinkle, Sr., Jayven Griffith, Sr., Maddox Byler, Sr.
Key Newcomers: Sterling Jones, Sr., Brady Petty, Hr., Alex Barber, Soph., Lucas Hogue, Soph., Jacob Kondash, Soph., Blake Reynolds, Soph., Caiden Schooley, Soph., Wyatt Rich, Soph.
Coach Schmitz’s take: “Our guys have put in a lot of work over the offseason to get better individually and as a team. We will be relying heavily on our seniors to lead us, especially while our younger guys figure out how to compete in and win varsity basketball games.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLIBERTY UNION
Coach: Aaron Riddle (fourth season)
Conference: Mid-State League-Buckeye Division
Last year’s record: 12-12
Returning letter-winners: Cooper Manson, Sr., Tanner Rose, Sr., Caleb Jones, Sr., Chase Swayne, Jr.
Key Newcomers: Cooper Meacham, Sr., Numerous impact underclassmen.
Coach Riddle’s take: “The kids are working hard and embracing the process by getting 1 percent better every single day. We move from D-5 to D-6 this season and are working towards peaking at the end of the season.”
Fairfield Union freshman Asa Kline drives to the basket against Meigs during the Falcons' 40-36 nonconference loss Wednesday night.FAIRFIELD UNION
Coach: John Helber (first season)
Conference: Mid-State League-Buckeye Division
Last year’s record: 12-12
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementReturning letter-winners: Mason Ailes, Jr., Dean Clark, Jr., Asa Kline, Soph., Trevor Utzinger, Jr., Keaton Webb, Jr., Kaden Woltz, Jr.
Key Newcomers: Codie Andrews, Jr., Drake DeFazio, Sr., Camden Maynard, Jr.
Coach Helber’s take: “We’re extremely excited about the potential our team has this season. We find ourselves in a unique position because we’re still a young team, but we’re returning tons of varsity experience from last year’s group. You add in some talented players who will be contributing in our rotation for the first time this year, and we could have something really remarkable. We have an extremely hard-working group of kids, which is what it’s going to take to achieve the goals we’ve set out for ourselves this year. We just need to go out and earn it.”
BERNE UNION
Coach: Chad McKnight (fifth season)
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementConference: Mid-State League-Cardinal Division
Last year’s record: 7-15
Returning letter-winners: Brody Tallerico, Sr., Ezra Clark, Sr., Cameron Brown, Jr., Colton Moore, Jr.
Key Newcomers: N/A
Coach McKnight’s take: “It’s time to turn the page to a new season, and I look forward to the journey ahead.”
(Editor’s note: Information was not received from Fisher Catholic, Amanda-Clearcreek, Fairfield Christian Academy, or Millersport coaches.)
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: H.S. Boys Basketball Preview: Which area teams will prevail this season?
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