Derrick Webb

Derrick is SOSA's chief content coordinator and has worked for the Chillicothe Gazette, the Portsmouth Daily Times and Eleven Warriors. He's a 13-time award-winning journalist, a self-proclaimed baseball purist, a suffering Bengals fan and has never met a stranger.

GIRLS HOOPS: 10 players to keep an eye on this winter

Keep your eyes on these ten names.

Derrick Webb, Staff Writer

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

After an exciting fall sports season, we have our fingers crossed for the same this winter.

With the start of high school basketball season upon us, here’s a list of 10 girls players in our coverage area, and in no particular order, to keep your eyes peeled for this coming season.

NOTE: This certainly does not mean there aren’t other players who will have great seasons. This is simply a list of 10 players we’ve randomly compiled.

Milee Smith, Unioto

If you’re looking to see a big-ticket freshman, here she is. Before stepping onto the floor, Smith had already been recruited by several Division I programs. In her first taste of action, she scored 14 points and added five rebounds and five assists in a 53-point win. She has the chance to be a once-in-a-lifetime talent and will spearhead Unioto’s efforts for the next four years.

Morgan Ware, Southeastern

Midway through last season, Ware emerged as a name that opponents had to pay attention to if they wanted to get by the Panthers. Now, the junior is a known commodity. Ware is an excellent shooter who can hit the deep ball when needed — she led the team with 23 triples in 2021-22. She’s also an above average passer and brings an offensive energy SE desperately needs.

Kenzie Davis, Jackson

There are multiple reasons why Jackson captured the Frontier Athletic Conference, but Davis was one of the biggest ones. The 5-foot-11 junior was a second-team all-district selection after averaging 11.7 points per game. She gives the Ironladies an inside presence that few can match and is magnificent with the basketball near the bucket. She’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Skylar Zimmerman, South Webster

Don’t be surprised if you see Zimmerman’s name at the top of many area leaderboards. She’s been a special talent. However, with former teammates Bri Claxon and Faith Maloney now graduated, she’ll likely take on an even bigger role for the Jeeps. As a sophomore, Zimmerman averaged 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4 assists per night. Those numbers should grow steadily.

Miami Trace’s Hillary McCoy will look to lead the Panthers to success this season.
CREDIT: *Derrick Webb/SOSA*

Hillary McCoy, Miami Trace

McCoy just may be the key to the Panthers’ success this season. With teammates Bean Jacobs and Jessee Stewart already on defenses’ game plans, McCoy could be the x-factor all year. She distributes the basketball well, can run the point with ease and can provide a scoring option when it’s needed — from either side of the 3-point arc. She’s a name to keep on your radar.

McKenna Thompson, Huntington

One game down and Thompson is already making quite the impact. In a season-opening win over Wellston, Thompson logged 12 points and five rebounds. You can expect more of the same going forward. Over the past four seasons, Huntington has relied on Allison Basye to do most of its scoring. This year, the team will be more balanced. But Thompson leads the charge.

Bree Allen, Fairland

The cat is out of the bag on Allen. She solidified herself as one of the area’s best players last winter while helping her Dragons finish 25-3 overall. Her sophomore numbers included a team-leading 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.9 blocks per game. The 6-foot junior will now try and lead Fairland to a regional championship — a goal that’s absolutely attainable.

Ella Kirby, Notre Dame

When Kirby first started to earn playing time, you could tell she had all the makings of a special talent. As a sophomore last year, she did a little bit of everything, averaging 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 steals per night. Those numbers should all see a rise during her junior campaign — one where her and her Titans will try and get back to the regional tourney.

Waverly’s Caris Risner is a sparkplug for the Tigers.
CREDIT: *Derrick Webb/SOSA*

Caris Risner, Waverly

Spark. That’s what comes to mind when Risner is brought into the discussion because it’s what she always provides. As a freshman, Risner continuously brought newfound energy off the bench and it showed in the way she performed. This season, she’ll be asked to do that in, quite possibly, a starting role. She’s athletic, she’s a firestarter and, undoubtedly, she’s fun to watch.

Daysha Reid, Portsmouth

Yet another young star is budding along the river. Reid is a next-level talent that’s absolutely electrifying with the basketball in her hands. She averaged 15.7 points per night as a freshman and was a third-team all-district selection. This year, with the Trojans already sitting on a win Reid scored 16 points in, she’s looking to top that output. Portsmouth is for real this season.