The Fairbanks girls varsity basketball team is pictured from left, front row, Kate Ruff, Avery Groves, Lindsey Smith, Ellie Carter, Gracie Pyers and Reese Poling; back row, assistant coach Tyler Alexander, Anna Poling, Elaina Lahmers, Macy Miller, Katelyn Vollrath, Elizabeth Reinhard, Carly Lehman and head coach Landon Fraker. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
A trio of top scorers returns this winter for the Fairbanks High School girls hoop squad.
Juniors Carly Lehman, Macy Miller and Elaina Lahmers respectively averaged 10.3, 8.6 and 8.4 points per game as the Lady Panthers posted an overall record of 12-11 last winter.
FHS won 10 of 16 games in the Ohio Heritage Conference and placed fourth behind West Liberty-Salem, Mechanicsburg and West Jefferson.
Additional lettermen include junior Ellie Carter and senior Anna Poling.
They will be joined by varsity newcomers senior Kate Ruff and junior Reese Poling.
Senior Gracie Pyers, who was being counted on for another season of solid post play, will miss the entire campaign after suffering an ACL injury and a broken wrist.
Although folks such as Ava Groves, Katelyn Vollrath and Lindsey Smith will see some varsity time, the Lady Panthers will basically go seven deep in most games.
Head coach Landon Fraker plans for Fairbanks to play an up-tempo offense and a partial defensive press.
“We’re going to press early in games and then back it off in our man-to-man defense,” he said. “With only seven deep this season, we’re going to have to do that, especially since we want to play up-tempo for an entire game on the offensive end of the floor.”
The Lady Panthers will still employ some offensive sets, but will try to score points by creating matchup problems with their speed.
Miller, who stands 6-0, will play a single post, but could have matchup difficulties with some of the bigger players in the OHC.
Aside from that, Fraker will basically go with what he calls five guards to keep opposing teams off-balance with speed.
“Gracie would have played a lot of post for us,” said Fraker. “However, you can’t predict injuries and we will go with the players we have.”
Fraker sees the OHC’s North Division being about like it played out during the 2020-21 campaign.
“West Liberty-Salem and Mechanicsburg have a lot of people back,” he said. “However, if we can get our outside shooting untracked this season, we’ll be right there.”
Fairbanks’ top goal is to win a North Division championship.
“We’d also like to go a few games into the Division III tournament and experience that time of excitement,” said Fraker.
Fairbanks’ junior varsity girls basketball squad is pictured from left, front row, Julie Headings, Anna Lynch, Alice Ruff and Hailey Dee; back row, coach Madison Fraker, Claudia Mueller, Anna Mueller, Rachel Hoover and coach Lyndsey Mangen. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
Fairbanks’ freshman girls basketball team is pictured from left, front row, Sidney Williams, Jenna Dee, Ally Gearhart, Addie Grant and Allie Boyd; back row, coach Chris Lydy, Grace Zahn, Malynn Bouic, Riley DaRe, Miah Cheney and Neviah Coleman. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)