Crawford 12: Rivals on the court expected to battle for titles

Editor's Note: This is the fifth of a summer series.

This one is a fun one — rivalry week!

Yes, our next two teams are not only rivals on the court, but they'll be expected to duke it out for conference supremacy and could meet for a third time in the postseason.

If that isn't enough to get you excited, I don't know what will!

And in case you missed the first three installments featuring the honorable mentions and teams 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, that can be found in the links below.

Let's check out the No. 4 and 5 teams in the Crawford 12.

5. Colonel Crawford Girls Basketball

Last season was a step in the right direction for the Eagles as they battled up until the final day for a league title but ultimately finished as runner-up. They didn't let that faze them winning their third sectional title in four years, then knocked off Clear Fork in a district semifinal overtime thriller before falling to a Margaretta team that has dominated that district for half a decade now.

But anyone close to the team knows they had loftier goals, and this season they'll be hungry for even more. It all starts with rising senior Mira Holt, special mention All-Ohio last year, who led the way with 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 40.8% from 3-point range. Classmate Gabby Roston has run the point the last two years and will be looked upon more from a scoring aspect this winter, she averaged 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.0 steals per game shooting 75% from the free throw line. The final two seniors, Camryn Powers (seven appearances) and Carley Zender (eight appearances), will have a much larger role this season, too.

Soon-to-be junior Lexi Dure was one of the breakout players of the season after a year of working on her game. She played in all 25 games and averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.8 steals. There was no game bigger for her than a 16-point performance over Clear Fork in the postseason where she led the team in scoring, along with getting a clutch rebound late and hitting the ensuing free throws to ice the game. Her classmate Elizabeth Ehmann featured seven times last season and will add depth to the team.

Rising sophomore Robin Ehmann carved out a role for herself appearing 17 times for the Eagles averaging 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds. Standing at 5-foot-9, she'll take on a much larger role this winter as a post player. As will her classmate, Lila Plesac who played in three games as a freshman. And two potential incoming freshman that could see varsity minutes this winter are Emmi Power and Saylor Holt.

The Northern 10 is going to be a grinder again this season with last year's champs doing so with three league losses. Just about every in the conference has at least a strong core returning, if not more, so every night will be a battle. When postseason rolls around, this is a team with district tournament experience and that alone gives them an advantage over others.

4. Wynford Girls Basketball

The direct competitor for the Northern 10 crown will be the Royals who return all but two from last year's 14-9 squad. They were forced to start inexperienced players and youth, and it led to them becoming one team nobody wanted to face last in the season.

Gone is second leading scorer Zoe Whitmeyer (10.1 points, 3.3 rebounds) and Kenna Caldwell (4.2 points, 3.9 rebounds), which will be felt. But Wynford has a pair of All-Ohioans returning, plus a now three-year starter at point guard to soften the blow. Rising sophomores Caroline Sheldon and Brooke Frombaugh were special mention and honorable mention All-Ohio respectively. Sheldon led the way in scoring with 12.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the field and knocking down a county-high 70 3s. Frombaugh was a walking double-double with 10 points and 10.9 rebounds as a freshman.

These two, plus junior Maradath Engler (7.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 points, 2.6 steals) at point give the Royals one of the strongest returning cores around. And Briana Westrick will be the team's lone senior, she'll be expected to lead by example, especially on the defensive side where she thrives. Standing at just 5-foot-2, it's her athleticism and quick hands that allow her to matchup so well on the court.

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From there, it's back to Sheldon and Frombaugh's sophomore class that features Maggie Ridge (2.6 points, 3.5 rebounds) as the only other player returning to have played in all 22 games. Alivia Ritzler, Lily Liapply, and Ally Liming all featured in a handful of games last season, but should see their roles increase to make up for the minutes lost from Whitmeyer and Caldwell. Add in a new group of talented freshmen including Jenna Filliator, Kate McGuire, and Megan Young, and you can see why the Royals have everything it takes to compete for titles this winter.

Wynford's signature win last year was a 43-24 win over Colonel Crawford in which the Royals opened the game on a 20-0 run. It also featured some tough losses to a Buckeye Central team on an eight-game losing streak, and to rival Bucyrus in sectionals . But those are the types of results that make you better, and with so much young talent on the roster, this is a Royals team that'll be here for a while.

zholden@gannett.com

419-617-6018

Twitter/X: @Zachary_Holden

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Crawford 12: Rivals on the court expected to battle for titles