This is an interesting transition year in the ACAC as the balance of power is once again going to tilt. At the top, the race will be tight and there is always the question: can one team sweep the regular season and tournament titles? Although Woodlan did so last season, it is not always an easy feat to accomplish.
If you have been paying attention to our Girls Hoops Preseason Top 50, then the “impact players” shouldn’t surprise you so we will be brief, but keep an eye on those players on the rise, all young ladies NOT in our preseason Top 50.
NOTE: The order of teams listed is Bounce’s personal predicted order of finish. Don’t sue me.
BOUNCE’S FAVORITE
Jay County Patriots
Many people, myself included, thought that maybe Jay County was going to be out of the title picture for longer than they actually were. Woodlan’s level of dominance and title pushes by Adams Central may make your forget that the Patriots finished just a game back in the ACAC race at 5-1 in conference and 14-9 overall last season. They secured wins in some close games while boasting one of the area’s best freshmen in Renna Schwieterman (15.9 ppg/7.4 rpg). She has plenty of help back as Jay County return their top three players and 7 girls who saw action in 21 or more games.
Madisen Dirksen returns as the leader in steals (2.7) and rebounds (8) per game and as the second leading scorer and she is just a junior. Fellow junior Izzy Rodgers will also contribute. Seniors Grace Saxman (38% FG) and Pacie Denney (team high 25 three pointers) are also back.
THE CONTENDERS
Adams Central Flying Jets
Don’t look now but Adams Central just won 19 games for the first time since longer ago than I can count and have back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2003/2004. Sectional champions for the first time since 2001, the Flying Jets ended their season winners of seven straight before losing in the regional round. They have some size and strength to replace, but have to be happy about being able to lean on the returning McKenna Dietsch (11.2 ppg/32% three-point) along the way. She will be joined by fellow senior returners Sage Hammond (8.3 ppg/8.9 rpg) and Carly Black. Their class expands by bringing up three more girls off a JV team that was 18-2. Strong shooting junior Alivia Dalrymple is also back to take some of the lead guard pressure off Dietsch.
“I am expecting a very successful season based off how far we have come in my first two seasons here. Dietsch and Dalrymple should be very good on the perimeter on defense, shooting and scoring while Hammond will be very good in the post defensively, rebounding and scoring,” Adams Central coach Doug Curtis said. “We also have lots of quick, aggressive depth to help those three out each game. We will compete and have a chance to win each contest so it should be fun!”
Woodlan Warriors
Woodlan was the team that ran roughshod over the ACAC a year ago. Even when they looked down on a rare occasion, they always stormed back and never lost to a conference foe. Then they lost the face of their program to graduation. That pressure now falls on junior Dakotah Krohn. How will she handle it? Well, she has grown leaps and bounds after being thrown into the fire as a freshman and then averaging 9.6 points per game as a sophomore. Krohn’s ability to play smothering defense is something coach Gary Cobb has to hope spreads like wildfire through this team. Evah Smith (5.8 ppg/5.9 rpg) returns after a really good freshman year and she can help control the post next to Alicia McMahan.
THE OTHERS
South Adams Starfires
With eight players returning and the addition of a couple of steady freshmen guards, South Adams will stay in the hunt and certainly should have the top teams on upset watch. What the Starfires lack in size, they will make up with in tenacity. Peyton Pries and Kristen Wynn return as their top two producers. Expect that duo to continue to be difficult to defend as they both will be expected to shoot the ball more and more consistently. Carlie Sealscott will be able to play a little inside and out for South Adams while seniors Madi Smith and Kelsa Ortiz will have added priorities as leaders. Freshman Macy Pries will see the court a lot according to coach Brett Freeman.
“We won’t be overly tall, so we’re going to have to push the ball and get out and defend if we’re going to be successful,” Freeman said. “If we can bring the intensity and defense that we played down the stretch last season we should be in good shape. We will definitely need to shoot the ball better from all areas of the floor.”
Bluffton Tigers
After successful years and sectional titles under Karl Grau, Bluffton will shift dynamics this season as Eric Mounsey takes over the head coaching position. Better yet for him, he inherits a team with seven returners including Emme Boots (12.4 ppg/4.7 rpg), who will likely go down as one the program’s top producers ever. Boots’ leadership will prove highly important for this group but she is part of a five player senior class that all will need to produce. Zoe Barger‘s inside play got really tough in the second half of last season and is a great rim protector while also averaging a near double double at 10 points, 8.3 rebounds per game. Natalie Lehrman, Elayna Kitt and Alexis Vineyard round out the senior class.
Heritage Patriots
Another school in the conference that will undergo a coaching change as assistant Nicole Sisson takes over a fairly young group. Both Ella and Claire Bickel return with Ella, a 46 percent shooter from the field, expected to take over the brunt of the offensive production lost to graduation. Junior Shelby Schane also returns with some varsity experience. The three returning guards will be balanced out by three forward newcomers Abby Zelt, Lydia Schultz and Raelyn Mullins.
“We have very young group with only three players who received significant varsity minutes last season. We will be looking to grow and develop our young team and have new players step up to fill various roles,” Sisson said. “Also, we will be stressing intense, tough defense and a balanced offensive attack involving multiple scorers.”
Southern Wells Raiders
A five player senior class has Southern Wells very much competitive in this conference where spots 3-7 could fluctuate quite easily. Georgia Hanauer returns after a 15.9 point, 8 rebound per game season. She is one of the most quality and often overlooked threats in the conference. Jadeyn Thomas will be the next up to elevate the team that only lost one senior to graduation. They will look to fit in Bluffton transfer Hannah Leas and another junior in Riley Tappy, who did not play last year due to injury.
“Competitiveness will increase with a lot of players improving in the offseason,” Southern Wells coach Jessica Killingbeck said. “Experience mixed with a highly competitive younger group will help the Lady Raiders compete at a higher level.”
IMPACT PLAYERS
Renna Schwieterman, Jay County
This girl can flat out play at all levels of the floor. You should expect to hear her name over and over again for the next three seasons and she could single handedly keep Jay County at the top of the ACAC even if she won’t have to. Schwieterman controls games by seeing things a lot of other players cannot and she can complete any task she knows needs done.
McKenna Dietsch, Adams Central
Speaking of pace setters, Dietsch pushes a pace that few can replicate. Even better, she can change it on a dime and knows how to play wild and knows how to play smooth and simple just as well. Adams Central will go as Dietsch goes.
Dakotah Krohn, Woodlan
She is going to have to score more, but we all know that. Krohn can play defense on par with anyone in this conference. Have we seen the best Dakotah Krohn yet? I don’t think so at all. Now that she is the lead of the Warrior play, her game can expand and open up even more.
PLAYERS ON THE RISE
Madison Dirksen, Jay County
Dirksen is tough and plays tough. With that last name, it kind of comes with the territory. She scored double digit points in her first five games of 2019-20 and posted six double-doubles during the course of Jay County’s “bounce back” season. She is great at getting to the ball defensively and only had two games last season where she didn’t register at least one steal; good thing those were two of her double-double nights.
Sage Hammond, Adams Central
Especially against teams with tougher post play, Hammond’s inside presence and rebounding prowess is going to be very important. She can beat and bang around inside, which is something Adams Central lost some of and is really going to need.
Georgia Hanauer, Southern Wells
Just a reminder, she put up 33 points on 10 of 16 shooting against Adams Central and averaged 13 points per game in conference games. Hanauer shot 42 percent from the field and 79 percent from free throw line. She is a scrappy rebounder and one of the most overlooked players in the ACAC.
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
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