Under first-year head coach Bob Scott, the Mount Gilead girls’ basketball team will look to improve on last year’s 11-12 record (7-7 in league play) with an experienced core of players.
Six members of last year’s team return, with three of them having received postseason accolades. Senior Maddie Fitzpatrick tallied 16.2 points and 3.4 rebounds, while shooting 92 percent from the free throw line in being named an honorable mention All-Ohioan in Division III, as well as a first-team pick in the league and District 11 and a second-team pick in the Central District.
Junior Holly Gompf (10.9 points, 2.5 rebounds) was a second-team pick in the league and District 11 and an honorable mention selection in the Central District, while senior Dakota Shipman (7.9 points, 4.7 rebounds) got honorable mention recognition from the league and District 11.
Also back are seniors Alexis McCoy and Zoie Barron and junior Isabela Schroeter, who combined to tally nearly eight points and 11 rebounds per contest.
The team will have to replace some of its interior presence with the graduation of Skyler Edwards and Samantha Sullivan, who tallied about four points and 9 rebounds a night. Juniors Kaitlyn Pfeifer, McKenzie Andrews and Kylie Irwin, as well as freshman Candace Millisor, will be expected to step in and contribute this year.
“We want to compete for a league title, set the school record for wins in a season and be a top six see for the district tournament,” said Scott.
In the league, he looks at Cardington and Highland as being the main obstacles in the conference.
