Editor's Note: This is the second installment of a series.
Next up is Bucyrus and we'll take a look at 10 talented returners ranging from sophomores to seniors — in no particular order — along with a few honorable mentions.
In case you missed the first installment featuring Buckeye Central, that can be found in the link below.
Crawford 100:Buckeye Central's bunch look to build on last year's successes
Let's get started!
Crawford 12:Honorable mention teams have what it takes to compete
Haylee Stratton, jr.
Featuring in every set for the Lady Red as a sophomore, Stratton quickly emerged as one of the premier defensive players. Her 259 receptions and 23 blocks are the most among returners this fall, and she also had 48 kills and 39 assists. In the winter, she was used sparingly off the bench appearing in 18 games, scoring just one point along with grabbing three rebounds, and recording one assist, one steal and one block. Spring is where she really shined for Bucyrus, leading the team with 25 hits, 10 doubles and one home run on the diamond, also carrying a .403 average with 12 runs and 15 RBIs.
Reese Garvin, so.
A contender to have a breakout sophomore campaign much like Stratton did, Garvin joins her on the court in the fall and winter. She saw some varsity action in the fall featuring in 21 sets, recording one ace, two blocks, 16 digs and 13 receptions. And it was a similar story in the winter as Garvin played in three basketball games knocking down her lone shot of the season — a 3-pointer — and grabbed one rebound. Five spots are open in both sports after five talented seniors departed, which means Garvin should be in the mix for a greater role this coming year.
Hayden Butcher, so.
Thrust right into action as a freshman, Butcher started on the offensive line and was a tenacious linebacker, recording 38 tackles, a team-high 10.5 for loss and five sacks, along with a forced fumble. He was also one of a handful of district qualifying wrestlers for Bucyrus — competing at the 190-pound class — but one of just two returning this winter. He will again be looked upon to be a force to be reckoned with on the offensive line, and a tricky block in the second level of defense. When it's time to return to the mats, he'll be one of the few with quality postseason experience.
Karter Boggs, jr.
A tireless engine for the distance program, Boggs has been one of the top runners in cross country and track since his freshman year. He dealt with runner's knee early in the fall but was clocking in good times early in the season and continued all the way to helping Bucyrus to its first County Meet title in 13 years, a runner-up finish at the Northern 10 championship, and helped advance the team as a whole to regionals. In the spring, he won the mile, two mile, and was part of the 4x400 and 4x800 relays to win county meet titles and a third place finish. He was a regional qualifier in the 1,600 and 3,200 opting to just run the mile at Heath where he finished eighth after leading the first half of the race. Two years to go, the sky is the limit for Boggs.
Malina Rowland, sr.
A key role player for the Lady Red on the basketball court, Rowland appeared in all 22 games, averaging 2.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.5 steals as a junior. She was efficient from two-point range, making 50% of her attempts, and 30.5% of her 3s. With 30.5 of the team's 42.7 points per game having graduated, Rowland will be one of a few expected to make a big step forward in her final year.
AJ Griffin, so.
Bursting onto the scene as a freshman, Griffin quickly ascended to become Bucyrus' third scorer in cross country. Notable finishes include 10th at the Crawford County Meet as his team won the title, 18th at the Northern 10 championships, and 25th at the district meet. Springtime he only ran sparingly running the mile at the Ridgedale Invitational and as part of the 4x800 relay at the Mansfield Mehock Relays.
Kyle Pifer, jr.
Right alongside Griffin was Pifer who placed 11th at the county meet, 28th at N10 and 36th at districts. With two scorers now gone, even more will be expected of him this fall to step up and finish high to ensure maximum points. In the spring, he was solely a two-miler finishing 13th at his home meet to start the season, then closed out in 11th at districts shaving 30 seconds off over the course of two months. He's one of a handful of young runners at Bucyrus looking to keep the distance program competing for titles.
George Floyd, jr.
His athleticism was key to Bucyrus' play style last season on the court and it led to him averaging 7.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Entering this season, he returns with the second-most points and will undoubtedly be looked upon to produce even more in coach Brian Hargis' second year. It's going to be a somewhat new look Bucyrus with the all-time leading scorer Malachi Bayless gone, but Floyd is just one of several talented players capable of rising to the occasion.
Grady Weber, jr.
Primarily used on defense as a sophomore, Weber recorded 28 tackles (13 solo) which is fourth-most among returners. A wrestler in the winter, he was runner-up at the Northern 10 championships in the 120-pound class and fourth at sectionals which qualified him for districts. In springtime, he's one of two pole vaulters clearing 8-00 at the N10 meet and at districts. His role on the football team should increase dramatically on both sides of the ball, and gaining valuable postseason experience in wrestling will only benefit him the next two years.
Aubrie Kimmel, so.
As a freshman, she immediately carved out a role on the volleyball team finishing with 106 kills — third-most last season and most among returners — along with 20 aces, five blocks, 141 digs and 50 receptions as an outside hitter. And with 476 of the team's 704 kills now gone, her attacking role will increase this fall. And in the winter she was primarily a JV basketball player, but featured in three games for the Lady Red finishing the year with one block. Capable of operating as a point guard or shooting guard, Kimmel could see herself in the mix for a starting position with all three of the team's top ball handlers having graduated — this could be a breakout sophomore campaign.
Honorable Mentions
Addison Weber (so.) featured in 15 games batting .163 with seven hits and six RBIs in 43 at-bats and will only get more time this season with a slew of seniors having graduated; she'll also see her role on the basketball team dramatically increase … James Frazier (jr.) is one of three returners on the diamond to have featured in just about every game last spring, he batted .216 with eight hits, two doubles, and four runs … Hayden Ginn (so.) was right there alongside Butcher on the offensive line standing at 6-foot-2, 285 pounds as a freshman and he should continue to be a force the next three years; he also placed fifth at sectionals as a heavyweight wrestler … Jacob Green (sr.) returns as one of the standout defensive players on the football team; his 62 tackles is the most among returners, along with two interceptions, one forced fumble and half a sack.
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