The Jonathan Alder girls basketball team is pictured from left front row, Sydnie Bushong, Sophie Zawodny, Melissa Walbom and Kenzie Bushong; second row, Sydney Bourquin, Abby Jones, Corinne Parker, Emily Davis and Jillian Jakse; back row, McKenna Huff, head coach Steve Cawley, assistant coach Steve McGhee and Peyton Mast.
(Photo submitted)
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There’s a new man in charge of the Jonathan Alder girls basketball team this year.
Steve Cawley, who previously served as the girls head coach at Tree of Life High School, has taken over the reins from Bob Wehner.
The coaching change came after Wehner guided the Lady Pioneers to a 12-12 record a year ago.
Cawley has a number of lettermen back, including seniors Emily Davis, McKenna Huff and Payton Mast.
They are joined by junior Corinne Parker, who lettered two years ago as a freshman. She did not play basketball last winter.
Additional lettermen are sophomores Sydney Bourquin, Jillian Jaske, Abby Jones, Sydnie Bushong, McKenzie Bushong and Melissa Walbom.
“It’s a good veteran nucleus,” said Cawley. “We’re still a young team, but a lot of these girls played varsity last year.”
Cawley plans to have the Lady Pioneers, who have won two of their first three games, push the ball on offense.
“It’s a motion offense and we will run the floor,” he said. “We’re not a big team, but I think we have the quickness to get the ball up and down the court.”
That same quickness will come into play on the opposite end of the floor.
“We’re going to press and pressure other teams,” said Cawley. “We’re also going to play a hard man-to-man defense.”
Cawley feels Jonathan Alder’s move from the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference to the Central Buckeye Conference is good for the team.
“The MOAC was very difficult for these girls a year ago,” he said. “I think moving to the CBC will be more competitive for us, especially in the Kenton Trail Division.”
Cawley feels that Kenton Ridge and Tecumseh will be the top teams in the Kenton Trail.
“We will play them twice this year,” he said.
A cross-over game from the Mad River Division will be against Benjamin Logan.
“They should be the top team in the Mad River,” said Cawley.
“The girls have set lofty goals of winning the Kenton Trail and making it to the district tournament,” he said. “I hope we can compete for one of the top three spots in the division.
“I also want to get the team over that .500 hump that they seem to have been in the past few years,” said Cawley. “I am looking forward to that challenge.”