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Liverpool Potters vs Opponents Record:
13-5 | JV Record: 8-0
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2/712
CALCUTTA -The Potters completed the sweep.
The East Liverpool girls' and boys' basketball teams rallied to earn victories as part of a doubleheader against local-rival Beaver Local Tuesday night at the Beaver Dome.
The victories gave both East Liverpool teams the season sweep over Beaver Local.
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2/6/12
February 7, 2012
Review Staff Reports , The Review
EAST LIVERPOOL - Mallory Waggle tallied a game-high 23 points leading the East Liverpool girls basketball team to a 60-55 victory Monday night over Buckeye Local in OVAC Class AAAA Tournament pool play at Potter Fieldhouse.
Also for the Potters (12-5), Whittni Davidson delivered 16 points and 12 rebounds, Kelsie Wymer recorded 10 points to go along with eight assists and eight rebounds and Chelsea Possage scored two points and had four steals.
"All three seniors scored in double digits," East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said. "I am proud of them. They kept their composure. They worked hard. It was their last home game, and they left everything out on the floor."
complete Review Buckeye Local article
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2/1/12
February 2, 2012
Review Staff Reports , The Review
GAME PHOTOS
EAST LIVERPOOL - Oh, what a night.
The East Liverpool girls basketball team sent its seniors out on a high note on Wednesday with a 53-36 win over visiting Youngstown Christian.
It wasn't the final home game for the Potters this season (East Liverpool hosts Buckeye Local on Monday), but it was definitely a special occassion.
East Liverpool honored its senior class - Mallory Waggle, Whittni Davidson and Kelsie Wymer - at Potter Fieldhouse in grand fashion.
The Potters turned up the defensive intensity right off the bat, holding Youngstown Christian to just one point in the first quarter.
East Liverpool led, 30-10, at the break and never looked back.
As for the seniors, they definitely did their part.
complete Review Ytown Christian article
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1/30/12
GAME PHOTOS
East Liverpool girls down Salem, 53-46, to end 4-game losing streak
January 31, 2012
Review Staff Reports , The Review
EAST LIVERPOOL - Mallory Waggle tallied a game-high 17 points leading the East Liverpool girls' basketball team to a 53-46 victory over Salem Monday night at Potter Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Potters improved to 10-5 on the season, and the victory snapped the team's four-game losing streak.
Also for the Potters, Whittni Davidson delivered 12, Kelsie Wymer recorded eight points and Mary Davis scored six points. Finally, Candace Holmes contributed four points, and Kiara Cowart, Chelsea Possage and Sarah Morrell all added two points.
Meghan Lehwald delivered a team-high 13 points to lead the way for the Quakers.
"I am very proud of the intensity and the team effort," East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said.
complete Review Salem article
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1/28/12
GAME PHOTOS
Potters suffer loss in OT vs Wellsville
© Copyright 2011 The Review. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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1/23/12
GAME PHOTOS
complete game results will be posted as soon as they become available.
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1/5/12
GAME PHOTOS
January 6, 2012
EAST LIVERPOOL -The Potters continue to impress.
The East Liverpool girls' basketball team ripped off an 8-0 run to break open a tie game in the fourth quarter, and the Potters pulled away to defeat Weir, 55-45, Thursday night at Potter Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Potters improve to 9-1 on the season, and the victory gives them the season sweep over the Red Riders.
The loss drops Weir to 1-8.
Weir's Alyssa Shingle drained a 3-pointer to tie the score at 41 with about six minutes left to play in the game, but the Potters scored the next eight points and the hosts outscrored the visitors 14-4 to end the game.
"After we called a timeout, I think we just needed to regroup, let the girls take a breath and focus on the gameplan, and then when they went back out there they were ready to go," second-year East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said.
The Potters put the game away from the charity stripe. East Liverpool ended the game 15-for-22 from the free-throw line.
"We did well from the foul line, and that really helped us tonight," Reed said.
complete Review Weir article
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12/12/11
GAME PHOTOS
December 13, 2011
By AARON PETCHAL ( apetchal@reviewonline.com) , The Review
EAST LIVERPOOL -The Potters turned up the heat on the Beavers.
The East Liverpool girls' basketball team stepped up its defensive pressure in the second half, and Beaver Local had some difficulty handling at times which led to turnovers and some easy baskets for the Potters. In the end, East Liverpool pulled away and held on for a 54-48 victory over local-rival Beaver Local Monday night at Potter Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Potters are now 5-1 on the season. The loss drops the Beavers to 2-3.
"We won the game, and it was due to the efforts of the girls that stepped up and that is all I am going to say," second-year East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said.
The Potters led by as many as 12 points (47-35) in the fourth quarter before the Beavers chipped away at the lead.
"I think we played pretty well tonight," first-year Beaver Local head coach J.R. Walker said. "We had a couple of breakdowns offensively. Defensively, we need a lot of work, and it is coming. That is the main thing. We could see progress. As long as we are working hard, I don't have any complaints in the world."
Three players scoured in double digits for the Potters.
Whittni Davidson delivered a double-double to lead the way. Davidson netted a game-high 16 points to go along with a game-high 10 rebounds, and Candace Holmes and Mallory Waggle each tallied 10 points. Also, Kelsie Wymer recorded eight points, Nikayla Edgell ended up with seven points and Chelsea Possage produced three points.
Holmes pulled down nine rebounds as East Liverpool outrebounded Beaver Local, 30-25.
Tenelle Hoppel tallied a team-high 14 points to lead the way for the Beavers. Also for Beaver Local, Kenzie Weber and Allie Bangor each recorded nine points, Taylor Pike picked up seven points and Danna Talbott and Sam Cook each contributed four points. Finally, Mattie Anderson added one point.
Beaver Local committed 19 turnovers in the game. East Liverpool committed 18.
Walker said the Potters' defensive pressure gave his team some problems.
"A little bit, but we caused our own problems," he said. "We weren't looking at our passes, but they are young kids. They worked hard. I'm really happy with the way we played.
"There are just little breakdowns and little things we have to work on now."
Neither team was able to gain the momentum in the first quarter as the biggest lead in the first eight minutes was just two points.
In the second quarter, a 3-pointer by Weber gave the visitors an 18-14 lead, but the hosts came right back behind a 3-pointer by Edgell and a bucket by Davidson giving the Potters a 19-18 lead with 4:404 left to play in the first half.
East Liverpool ended the half on a 6-0 run, the longest run of the first half, to take a 25-20 lead into the locker room.
The Potters began to turn on the pressure in the third quarter.
East Liverpool's second 6-0 run of the game gave the Potters a 33-26 lead. Two foul shots by Edgell gave East Liverpool a 38-29 lead with 1:01 left to play in the quarter. East Liverpool led 38-31 entering the fourth quarter.
"We were hoping to be up a little more, but we are doing fine," Walker said about his team's progress so far this season. "With our schedule, it is unbelievable the teams we are playing. Now, Friday we have to go to Howland Friday, and they are probably one of the best Division I schools in the state, so it is not getting any easier for us.
"As long as they keep working hard, that is all that matters to me.
"We will play whoever they put on the court. That is what the AD wants, and we will play whoever is on the court. It doesn't matter who they are."
The two teams combined to score 33 points in the fourth quarter, but 22 of the points came from the free-throw line, including 11 straight from the charity stripe from 6:18 left to play in the game until there was 4:30 showing on the clock.
Beaver Local-East Liverpool is one of the top rivalries in all of Columbiana County.
"Yeah, it is big rivalry and it gets the emotions that aren't normally there out of the girls, but again I am proud of the girls who stepped up and played hard and did what we asked of them," Reed said.
Walker has been on both sides of the rivalry.
"It isn't any different," he said. "It's no different. It's not about me. It's about the kids. That is what we have go to keep in mind is that everything is for the kids, not anything else.
"It's definitely a good rivalry. That is what you like. When you have two good teams going at it and working hard, that is all you can ask for. I thought it was a very-exciting high school basketball game tonight."
The Beavers and the Potters played in a summer basketball league at Wellsville, and Beaver Local was also able to scout East Liverpool in its first two games - at Lisbon and at Wellsville.
"Yeah, we went down and watched them play Wellsville one night and we watched them play Lisbon, but we are trying not to worry about the other teams. We are trying to get better ourselves and work on the things we need to do to get better. It is nice to see them, but we still want to work on what we need to work on to get better.
"They did exactly what we thought they would do. The first half, they went to their big girl (Holmes) underneath and of course are little ones are working their butts off, but size, you just can't teach size. I am proud of our big girls underneath working hard and trying to rebound, but we will be fine. we will be fine."
East Liverpool won the JV game, 35-33. Edgell tallied 13 points to lead the way for the Potters. Allison Kennedy ended up 11 points for the Beavers.
East Liverpool returns to the court Wednesday at Weir.
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12/8/11
December 8, 2011
By DAVID GRIMES ( sports@reviewonline.com) , The Review
MINERVA - The Lions earned up their first win, while the Potters picked up their first loss of the season.
The Minerva girls' basketball team flashed their way to an upset win, dropping the East Liverpool, 68-52, Wednesday night at home.
The Lions' Mayson Hardgrove dropped in seven buckets and was perfect at the charity stripe, while teammate Jacklyn Russell rained in four three-pointers and finished with a team-high 18 points to help Minerva turn the corner for first year head coach Heather Frigyes.
The big smile across her face post-game told the story of how good it felt to get a "W" in the books.
"It was nice, it was nice," Frigyes said. "It was definitely deserving of the girls. They've been working hard."
The Lions work paid off as they sent the Potters reeling from the getgo. In the first period, five different girls put up to give the home team a 13-4 lead before East Liverpool closed the gap to 13-7 by the sound of the first buzzer.
Senior Mallory Waggle scored all of East Liverpool's points in the first period and ended the game with 24 points for the Potters. The inconsistent play of East Liverpool made the visitors always playing catch up as Minerva led the entire game.
Senior Whittni Davidson added 14 for the Potters and senior Kelsie Wymer notched in five points. But the seniors and their teammates could never muster enough momentum often turning the ball over, giving up fast break and rebound opportunities.
"We had no leadership from our seniors, we fell apart over time when we made mistakes," East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said. "The girls need to trust what we do, stay with the plays and they didn't show it out there tonight.
"Basically, everything we were supposed to do, we didn't."
On the flip side, the small Minerva team pushed the ball, made the baskets and hit the boards to topple the Potters.
The girls from Minerva were gelling.
"Each game they played so far this year, they're building the confidence," Frigyes said.
She added, the group that has previously been split on junior varsity and varsity squads have finally come back as a whole unit.
The Potters did close the gap at the half and trailed the Lions, 28-25. But a 23-point third period surge by Minerva gave the home team a 51-37 cushion. Then in the fourth quarter, the Lady Lions made their foul shots and held onto their lead.
The team made 11 of their 12 free throw attempts. Russell and Hardgrove each went a perfect 4-4 at the line in the final frame.
"I give Minerva a lot of credit," Reed said. "They are a great team, they're well coached, they're fundamentally strong, and everything you're supposed to do to win a ball game they did."
"And we didn't."
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12/12/11
GAME PHOTOS
December 1, 2011
Youngstown - The three amigos have struck again.
The combination of seniors Mallory Waggle, Whittni Davidson, and Kelsie Wymer helped the East Liverpool Potters to a convincing 49-29 win Thursday night at Youngstown Christian. The win has pushed the Potters' record to 3-0 on the season.
"Whitni and Mallory, they have a gift of shot selection," East Liverpool coach Emily Reed said. "They know when to shoot it and when to hang on to it. And the other thing is Kelsie Wymer getting them the ball.
"It's the three of them, that top tier out there communicating and knowing when their open, when to cut, when to drive, when to shoot. It's something that really can't be taught."
That combination is what helped the Potters get off to a 17-point run right off the opening tip off. Waggle would score eight of her 15 points on the night in that stretch while Davidson would contribute six of her 13 points.
It wouldn't be till late in the first period before the Eagles would get on the scoreboard as the Potters carried a 21-2 lead into the second stanza.
The Potters continued to ride the early momentum as they would push their lead to 21-points early in the second period. The Eagles would cut the advantage to 16 mid-way through the second, before the Potters would go on a 5-1 run to go into the intermission with a 30-10 lead.
"They put pressure on you, they drain their shots from the outside, so we got panicky and what hurt us in the first half was turnovers," Youngstown Christian coach Bill Hoezell said.
The Eagles however would make a real run to start the second half. The Eagles Natalie Hoelzel and Shanell Harris would combine for 11 points in the third period as they cut the Potters lead down to 14 at the 1:57 mark of the period.
"Good start, then we kind of lost ourselves," Reed said. "We've been cruising lately, and I think it showed us that we definitely need to work on our passing and our rebounding. But other than that the big picture is that we won. Youngstown Christian never stops. I give them a lot of credit, they had a lot of heart, and they kept putting pressure on our guards."
"Now when our girls started to breathe, the pressure never stopped, but the game slowed down and we played much better," Hoezell said. "There in the third quarter we played our game."
The Potters would start to pull away again in the fourth period as they would go on a 5-1 run to start the stanza.
Mary Davis would come off the bench to add six points in the period as the Potters would push their lead to 23 before the final 20-point margin.
"It's nice," Reed said of the 3-0 start. "Especially the volleyball players which are my three seniors coming off a winning season and going as far as they did it kind of continues that feeling of winning. They know they have something working and they have something to lose if they don't show up every night."
Davis led the Potters with seven rebounds, followed by Candace Holmes with six and Davidson with four.
Wymer tallied six assists to lead East Liverpool, while Davidson added five.
Davidson added four steals and Waggle finished with three, while Holmes had three blocks.
East Liverpool will host Steubenville Catholic Central on Monday.
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11/30/11
November 30, 2011,
The Review
WELLSVILLE - The Potters' triple threat proved to be too much for the Tigers.
The East Liverpool girls' basketball team was led by its senior trio Tuesday night at Wellsville as Mallory Waggle, Whittni Davidson and Kelsie Wymer combined to score 39 points leading the Potters to a 37-point victory over the Tigers, 62-25.
"Yes, it was an awesome night," second-year East Liverpool head coach Emily Reed said.
Wellsville (0-1) scored the first four points of the night, but after that it was all East Liverpool (2-0).
Waggle and Davidson each delivered a game-high 15 points, and Wymer recorded nine points. Davidson also grabbed 10 rebounds, Wymer dished out seven assists and Waggle tallied five steals and one block.
It is always a good night when a team wins by more points than it allows.
"Yes, it is, and I can thank the seniors for that," Reed said. "Their leadership was really evident out on the court tonight. It was all them."
Also for the Potters, Jamie Neville and Kiara Cowart each contributed six points, Candace Holmes finished with four points, nine rebounds and three blocks while Nikayla Edgell also ended up with four points. Finally, Mary Davis scored three points.
The Potters excelled on the defensive end of the court. East Liverpool limited Wellsville senior standout Mikyla Tipton to just four points.
"We knew we had to shut down Tipton, and we decided that we need rebound, so in order to get the rebounds we just packed it inside."
Shartece Taylor tallied a team-high eight points to lead the way for the Tigers. Also, Maleya Fultz finished with four points, Rasheeda Kalam ended up with three points and Monica Wilson, Kallee' Powell and Brittany Clendenning all delivered two points.
"I think it was a combination of both (bad offense and good defense)," Wellsville head coach Ed Swogger said. "Liverpool plays a nice 2-3 zone. I think they took advantage of our weakness for the night, not having a very-good shooting night, and they just stuck with it.
"Early on, we tried to control the tempo and did, and then they controlled the tempo for most of the game, so yeah, I think it was a combination of both."
Taylor pulled down seven rebounds, Tipton produced two rebounds and two assists and Livolsi picked up two rebounds.
The Tigers committed 25 turnovers in the game.
A basketball by Davidson gave the Potters a 7-6 lead in the first quarter, and the Potters never trailed again. Davidson basket was the first of a 6-0 run, and East Liverpool led 13-8 after one quarter of play.
The Potters broke the game open in the second quarter.
East Liverpool scored the first eight points of the quarter to cap a 10-0 surge as a bucket by Holmes gave the visitors a 21-8 lead with 5:44 left to play in the quarter. East Liverpool led Wellsville, 28-14, at the half.
It was more of the same in the third quarter. The Potters scored the first nine points of the quarter to build a 37-14 advantage. East Liverpool scored the final seven points in the quarter to take a 46-18 lead into the fourth.
In the fourth, six straight points by the Potters made the score 52-18, and both teams ended up emptying the benches in the final quarter of play.
Swogger said the Potters didn't do anything he didn't expect.
"No, I scouted them last Friday, and I knew that they ran a 2-3," he said. "I knew that they ran man, and they didn't have to run much man tonight because we couldn't put the ball in the hole. We got a lot of nice looks, but things just weren't falling."
Both teams struggled from the free-throw line. The two teams combined to shoot 16-of-44 from the charity stripe. The Potters converted 15-of-29 attempts, while the Tigers made just 1-of-15-shots from the foul line.
East Liverpool won the JV game, 44-40. Cowart contributed a game-high 15 points to lead the way for the Potters. Scarabino netted 11 points for the Tigers.
Both teams return to the court Thursday night. East Liverpool travels north to play at Youngstown Christian, while Wellsville stays at home to take on local-rival Beaver Local.
E. Liverpool 62, Wellsville 25
EL (62): Mallory Waggle 6 3-8 15, Kelsie Wymer 3 3-4 9, Candace Holmes 2 0-0 4, Whittni Davidson 6 2-2 15, Mary Davis 0 3-4 3, Jamie Neville 3 0-3 6, Chelsea Possage 0 0-0 0, Kiara Cowart 3 0-0 6, Nikayla Edgell 0 4-4 4, Paige Craig 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 15-29 62.
WE (25): Maleya Fultz 2 0-0 4, Monica Wilson 1 0-2 2, Brittany Clendenning 1 0-2 2, Shartece Taylor 4 0-2 8, Kallee' Powell 1 0-0 2, Rilee Livolsi 0 0-2 0, Mikyla Tipton 2 0-3 4, Sabrina Thompson 0 0-0 0, Angelica Scarabino 0 0-0 0, Codie Jackson 0 0-0 0, Amanda Coles 0 0-2 0, Rasheeda Kalam 1 1-2 3, Brittany Caldwell 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 1-15 25.
EL 13-15-18-16 - 62
WE 08-06-04-07 - 25
Three-point field goals: East Liverpool - 1 (Davidson)
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11/26/10
November 26, 2011
BY JOE GIESY - Sports Writer ( sports@reviewonline.com) , The Review By JOE GIESY
sports@reviewonline.com
LISBON - The East Liverpool girls' basketball credited its patience for Friday's 47-42 victory over the homestanding Lisbon in the Potters and Blue Devils season opener.
"A lot of times we try to catch up and go (back and forth)," East Liverpool (1-0) head coach Emily Reed said. "We just have to realize that we have to sit back and play our game and try to control the pace of the game."
The Potters did not play to their full potential but managed to keep their composure when Lisbon (0-1) put the pressure on them in the fourth quarter, Reed said.
Lisbon held East Liverpool to 19 points in the first half then the Potters came out in the second and put 28 points on the board, 17 of which were in the fourth quarter.
"When we started getting in that momentum things started to turn around for us," Reed said.
The Potters tend to make mistakes then quit, Reed said.
"They just have to learn that, any time they make a mistake, they have to give it 100 percent and get back on the other end of the floor," she said.
"We kept our composure," East Liverpool senior Mallory Waggle said. "We knew that we were making stupid mistakes so we just had to limit those."
Waggle put up 11 points for the Potters with five field goals and a foul shot. She went one for four from the line.
Fellow senior Kelsie Wymer scored eight points - shooting 4-of-7 from the line - for East Liverpool when she took control of the ball in the fourth quarter.
"At the end when you have to pull through and be confident, you have to do what you have to do," Wymer said.
Reed pulled Wymer out a minute into the game after she fouled a Lisbon player. Wymer said it is not uncommon for her to foul out because she is so physical.
"We always try to go hard, no matter what," she said.
East Liverpool's top scorer was senior Whittni Davidson who put up seven field goals, one of which was for three points, and went 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Top scorer for the Blue Devils was Pam Pierce, who made none of her eight field goal attempts in the first half. The second half was much different, however, when she came out with three of her five field goals from the outside and 7-for-8 from the foul line.
"I didn't come out the first and second quarter," Pierce said. "That's on me, and I can't do that."
She promised the next game will feature a very different team than the Blue Devils that came out last night.
"We just need to come out, regroup, play all four quarters and the outcome will be different," Pierce said.
Blue Devils' head coach Jason Thompson said they will struggle at times this year because they do not have great shooters
"We struggled offensively in the first half," Thompson said. "Pam didn't score at all and we'll have a hard time if she doesn't score."
He said they have a few things here and there to fix but they will get them fixed.
East Liverpool won the JV game, 41-17. For East Liverpool, Nikayla Edgell tallied nine points Jamie Neville ended up with eight points and and Kiara Cowart contributed six points.
Paige Bennet scored six points for Lisbon.
East Liverpool 47, Lisbon 42
EL (47): Mallory Waggle 1-4 11, Kelsie Wymer 2 4-7 8, Candice Holmes 3 0-1 6, Whittni Davidson 7 4-4 19, Kiara Cowart 1 1-1 3. Totals: 18 10-17 47.
LI (42): Sarah Boyd 0 0-0 0, Adri Sanchez 1 0-0 2, Cami Jackson 0 0-0 0, Katy Crismon 3 0-0 7, Julie Gauntt 0 6- 12 6, Tiffany Ketchum 1 0-0 2, Jenna Dickson 0 0-0 0, Lindsey Hayko 2 1-3 5, Pam Pierce 5 7-8 20. Totals: 12 14-23 42.
EL 09-10-11-17 - 47
LI 09-04-12-17 - 42
Three-point field goals: East Liverpool - 1 (Davidson); Lisbon - 4 (Pierce 3, Crismon)
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11/29/10
November 29, 2011
By PAUL EDGAR ( pedgar@reviewonline.com) , The Review When Wellsville's Mikyla Tipton steps onto the court tonight to take on the Potters, she will begin a chase towards history.
The Tigers' senior enters play in her team's season opener with 1,112 career points, just 380 shy of the all-time school scoring record of 1,492 currently held by Jasmine Richardson.
"It's already been a great career and it's a privilege for me to coach her," Wellsville coach Ed Swogger said of Tipton. "She knows the record is within reach, and I think she'd be disappointed if she didn't get it, but I don't think she's too worried about numbers. She really just wants to win."
The Tigers finished under .500 last season, but lost only one player to graduation on a team that is eyeing its first sectional title since 2000.
Tipton's chase of the record books and Wellsville's quest for postseason success are just a few of the many intriguing storylines surrounding the start of the 2011-12 girls basketball season.
At East Liverpool, Emily Reed enters her second season with the Potters' after leading the team to a 7-win improvement in her first campaign. Reed returns three seniors, led by standout Mallory Waggle, who look to lead the program to new heights.
At Beaver Local, a familiar face takes over for the Beavers as veteran coach JR Walker returns to the coaching ranks with a team that struggled to just four wins a season ago. Walker, however, inherits eight seniors who are poised to turn things around for Beaver Local.
At Oak Glen, point guard extraordinaire Payden Eckleberry looks to cap off an already stellar career with another trip to Charleston. The Fairmont State-bound senior hopes to help coach Scott Wiley and the Golden Bears to once again reach the pinnacle of West Virginia prep hoops with a return appearance in the state tournament after falling one game short a season ago.
At Southern Local, second-year coach Cory Leek believes he has the right mix to make a run at the ITCL Lower Tier title. Senior Maddy Dowling could be a dominating force for the Indians who have the supporting cast in place to challenge the perennial powers.
The Potters took a big step in the right direction in Reed's first season at the helm. After winning just four games in 2009-10, East Liverpool moved above .500 with an 11-10 mark in Reed's first year on the job.
The second-year coach believes her team has the ingredients to reach even higher heights this season.
"We have high goals and we've challenged the girls to get better," Reed said. "We have three senior returning starters that have the experience you need. They're going to help the younger players with the transition from jayvee to varsity."
Waggle - a first-team All-County performer last year - leads a group that already has three years of starting experience under their belts.
"You want her on the floor at all times," Reed said of Waggle. "She's lightning fast and has great shot selection. She's always the first one to pick up her teammates. She's a dedicated athlete and a great student as well."
Whittni Davidson is another senior who could push the Potters to new postseason success after the team fell to Cambridge in a Division II sectional semifinal last year.
"She's a born leader," Reed said of Davidson. "She holds the team together. She has an excellent shot and range. Great anticipation on defense and she can fit anywhere I put her. Very coachable."
Kelsie Wymer is another senior who brings experience and leadership to a Potters' squad that also has plenty of young talent.
"She is a tenacious defender," Reed said of Wymer. "We put her on whoever we want to shut down. And she wants that job. She's quick, smart, adjusts to the action and sees the floor very well."
Juniors Mary Davis, Candace Holmes and Jamie Neville will be the main players completing the Potters' puzzle.
The Potters opened their season with a 47-42 win on Friday at Lisbon. Davidson netted a team-high 19 points, while Waggle also reached double figures with 11 points.
East Liverpool will play at Wellsville tonight.
Beaver Local
Last season was one the Beavers would like to keep in their rearview mirror.
Beaver Local struggled to find consistency on both ends of the floor and managed just four wins in a season that ended in a Div. II sectional opening loss to Minerva.
In steps Walker, who is a very familiar with the area basketball programs after spending eight seasons with East Liverpool.
"I enjoy working with the kids and I love the game of basketball," Walker said of his decision to return to the coaching ranks. "In my opinion, there's not a better game out there. I missed it really bad."
Walker inherits a team that lost only one player to graduation and returns a class of seniors that runs eight deep.
The Beavers starting lineup will consist completely of seniors in Tenelle Hoppel, Kenzie Weber, Allie Bangor, Taylor Pike and Sam Cook.
Beaver Local will even have experience coming off the bench in seniors Ashley Ault, Cheyenne Marsden and Katelyn Guildoo.
"It's a good class," Walker said of the seniors. "I think shooting is one of our strengths. Once they learn the offense, we'll be in good shape. There's no doubt this team will be able to put up some points."
The Beavers opened their season with a disappointing 55-25 loss on Saturday against one of the ITCL Upper Tier's top teams in United. Hoppel led with nine points, while Bangor added eight. Beaver Local will look to rebound on Thursday at Wellsville.
Walker said he has been encouraged by the work ethic of his team and he believes good things are on the horizon for the Beavers.
"I don't plan on going anywhere," Walker said. "I guess it won't really be up to me, but this is a nice fit so far. I've been treated well and I plan on staying."
Wellsville
There is no doubt that the Tigers have the area's elite scoring threat in Tipton. She could go down as Wellsville's best all-time leading scorer with 380 more points this season.
However, the question remains as to whether the Tigers will be able to translate Tipton's successes into wins.
"Being her senior year, we're looking for leadership from her," Swogger said of Tipton. "We want her to step up that part of her game. She's stepping up other areas of her game, too. She could be scary good."
Last season, Wellsville finished 10-12, but nearly won a sectional title falling to Leetonia in a tightly-contested Div. IV playoff battle.
Swogger believes the Tigers have the pieces in place to contend for a league title and make a run in the postseason. Shawntae Dillard is the only departure to graduation for a Wellsville team that has seen its' numbers grow from 14 to 21 this season. Junior Meika Dalrymple, the team's second leading scorer last season, has also chosen not to play.
Tipton will be surrounded by plenty of upperclassmen with experience. Also returning are seniors Irene Kiser, Rilee Livolsi and Courtney Cook. Juniors Maleya Fultz and Monica Wilson round out a group that has Swogger excited about the possibilities.
"We have more depth and we're fast," Swogger said. "Sometimes we're too fast. We'll be flying down the floor. If we can get out and run we could be really good."
According to Swogger, cutting down on mistakes will be the team's key to success.
"Turnovers are going to be important," he said. "We've got to win that battle. We need to make accurate passes on offense and not get impatient. We need to have better decision making and work our sets through until we get good shots."
With arguably the area's top player and a roster full of experience and talent, the Tigers - who open their season tonight at home against East Liverpool - have their sights set high.
"The girls fill out goal sheets for individual and team," Swogger said. "We haven't had a sectional title here since 2000. They want to put another number on the wall."
Oak Glen
As far as floor generals go, there isn't a better conductor than Eckleberry.
A senior point guard that sees the floor as well as any player in the area, Eckleberry has her sights set on checking out the landscape once again at the Charleston Civic Center in March.
After qualifying for the West Virginia state tournament in her sophomore year, the Bears were disappointed with a loss to Ravenswood in the Region 1 title game a season ago.
Oak Glen finished the year at 15-10, but nothing short of a deep postseason run will be satisfying this time around.
"We want to have a winning season," Wiley, in his second season with the Bears, said. "And the girls want to win an OVAC championship. That's a big deal for them. But, really, we have our sights set on getting Payden back down to Charleston."
If the Bears are to be among the state's elite, they will have to replace Kiley King who has been a dominating force for Oak Glen the past four seasons.
"She was a major presence on the court," Wiley said of King. "We're going to need a lot more offensive distribution. We don't have that one dominant person inside. We're going to have to use different options. Hopefully, we have some kids step up. We're going to have to move the ball around and maybe each night it's a different person who stands out."
Senior Amy Webster will be taking over in the post for the Bears.
"I'm not expecting her to be the next Kiley," Wiley said. "She's a great track athlete and basketball hasn't been her main sport, but she brings a lot to the table and has the potential to be a very good player."
Junior Alex Burch will play on the outside with Eckleberry.
"She's won a couple state titles in track so we want to get her out on the fast breaks as quick as we can," Wiley said. "And she's our best defensive player. We put her on the other team's best player. We call her 'The Glove.'"
Junior Casey Patterson and sophomore Vanessa Hissam round out the Bears' starting five.
"The girls know what to expect," Wiley said. "They know what needs to get done. They are winners. The volleyball team won a state title and we want that success to carry over to basketball."
Southern Local
Last season, the Indians found themselves on the wrong side of some close games. Southern Local finished the season 8-13, but lost five of those games by five points or less.
Leek believes his second year at the helm will result in a different story.
"Last year they were learning a completely new system," he said. "This time around, we're able to add stuff to the things we already have down. Plus, they know how I am, and I know how they play and react. I think you'll see a difference in our play this year."
If one area player is to have a breakout season, Dowling appears to be first in line.
The senior was the team's leading scorer a season ago, but failed to get much recognition among the postseason awards. Leek said that has motivated Dowling to take her game to the next level.
"I expect really great things from her," he said. "She can dominate. She's been really focused. She has a goal of playing college basketball and she wants to prove she's one of the best in the area."
Dowling will surrounded by plenty of talent as the Indians' lost just one player to graduation in point guard Ashley Russell.
Stepping in at the point will be senior Jenna Phillis.
"She's really getting the grasp of playing the point," Leek said of Phillis. "She's beginning to take ownership of the role of being the leader on the floor."
Southern Local should have a good inside-out combination with junior Rachel Coil in the post. Coil missed two weeks of preseason practice due to an illness but should be ready to go for the season opener.
"She's a rebounding machine," Leek said. "She's a big part of our success. She's a tough girl, our muscle underneath. We're asking for more consistency out of her this year."
Junior Kati Hipsley will start at a guard spot for the Indians and the remaining starting position will be one of two juniors in Susan Bratt and Lena Cataldo.
"All of our out of league games are winnable," Leek said. "In fact, we're looking to win all six. And Lowellville is the team to beat in the league with everyone coming back, but somebody has got to beat them sometime. Why not us?"
2011 All-Review Preseason Team
Mallory Waggle East Liverpool Sr.
The Review says The 5-foot-2 point guard is the catalyst for the Potters offensive attack. Waggle is at her best driving to the basket, but also has ability to knock down outside shots. Plays with high energy level, inspiring her teammates.
Tenelle Hoppel Beaver Local Sr.
The Review says The 5-foot-6 shooting guard is part of a strong Beaver Local senior class. Hoppel is one of best ball handlers in the area who can also score when needed. Nice compliment to fellow senior Kenzie Weber on the outside.
Mikyla Tipton Wellsville Sr.
The Review says The 5-foot-6 shooting guard is without a doubt the best scorer in the area. Using her strength and quickness to light up the scoreboard. Excels in all areas. Not much Tipton can't do with a basketball.
Payden Eckleberry Oak Glen Sr.
The Review says The 5-foot-4 point guard has great floor vision. Great ball-handler who understands the intricacies of the game. Superb passer who can also hit the open shot. Will likely pick up some of the scoring vacated by departure of Kiley King.
Maddy Dowling Southern Local Sr.
The Review says The 5-foot-9 forward has an all-around game. Big and strong enough to battle under the boards with ball-handling and shooting skills outside. Tough matchup for any team. Out to prove she's among the best during her senior season.
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