Sheridan Girls Basketball: An Update

By Isaac Young, on Monday Jan. 27

The Sheridan girls basketball team is looking good this season. Hoping for a ninth consecutive MVL title, they are second in the MVL as of right now with a record of 13-5. They won their last game 82-23 against Meadowbrook on Saturday, and play New Lexington on Wednesday. Their losses have been fairly close games against good teams, and their wins have some incredible statistics. Against Coshocton, they won 70-3. They have allowed 485 points on the season, and have a point differential of +467, which is the highest in the MVL. 

Coach JD Walters has been a huge factor in the team’s success. He’s led the school to the State Championship and State Final Four multiple times, and looks to do the same this year. I asked Walters what he believed would get him the MVL title, and he claimed: “To finish the season, we need to win out the rest of our league games. If we can’t take the MVL title, I want to share it, and each divisional game will be crucial.” I also asked Walters what he thought of the evident divide between the power of their offense and the offenses the team has gone up against thus far. He said: “A lot of lopsided divisional matchups started the season strong in the point margain category, and with these last few games being better teams I think there will be some competition so the games might even out a little. The top teams like Watterson, Tri Valley, and Coffman have been competitive and tight games that we should’ve taken, so the later it gets the better the games should be in theory. We’re currently set to play the #1 team in Ohio in round two of the playoffs, so if the bracket stays the same that game would be an example of a tight game that we should flip.”

As an unbiased and marginally ignorant spectator, Coach Walters being as confident as he is leads me to believe a playoff push is in the realm of reality for this Lady Generals team. The senior heavy lineup is stronger than people realize, and it should be no surprise if they make it as far as the Final Four. 

Sheridan Boys Basketball Depth Chart Heading Into First Scrimmage

By Issac Young, on Tuesday Nov. 12

The Sheridan basketball team is heading to Bexley for their first scrimmage on November 12th. This year’s team has many players who have stayed with the program and progressed from last year, but there has also been the loss of some key players. The starting lineup includes the following: Kory Holden, Owen Cains, Logan Russell, Evan Anderson, and Tyce Whiteman. The current reserves are as listed: Canyon Daly (injured), Coleman Sprankle, Jacob Holman, Harper Powell, Tucker Shonk, Graham Anderson, and Samuel Lawrence. 

The starting lineup consists of five returning players. On the bench, Daly, Sprankle, Holman, Powell, and Shonk played junior varsity over the past two years for at least one season. The Generals lost Raine Rodich, their point guard and leading scorer, who is now at Alma University in Michigan. They also lost their 6 '3 forward Brody White, and guards Logan Hupp and Noah Wamer.  This will definitely affect their situational strategies as they lost a lot of size over the offseason. 

Key players this season can have a major impact on where this team goes. Sophomore Logan Russell showed glimpses of stardom last year, and could be the most important piece of the team’s offense. The shooting around the perimeter is reliant on Juniors Owen Cains and Canyon Daly to improve their already solid numbers from last season in both junior varsity and varsity games. Sophomore forward and center Tyce Whiteman showed struggles defending the interior last year, but he could be a solid big to have on both sides after an offseason of improvement. Junior guard Coleman Sprankle is an energetic athlete in the backcourt known for putting points on the board, but his minutes might be limited by his size. Last, Seniors Holden and Anderson hold the responsibility of running the locker rooms and leading this roster throughout the year.

Based on the previous seasons and the current coaching, it could be assumed that this lineup won’t be record breaking. The MVL Champion hopefuls should have a solid season, but the loss of many players could negatively impact their chances in both their division and any chances of a far playoff push they would’ve had with a full roster. With that being said, talks of the coach’s retirement lead to many questions heading into a long season, but the players and fans are optimistic and looking forward to an entertaining Sheridan Generals lineup.