Dabbelt’s Division 2 All Area Team

Many times in the past I have re-posted or referenced information from the Dabbelt Report, which covers girls basketball in the state of Ohio. Each year Jim Dabbelt releases his All Area teams for Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as his choice for Ms. Basketball in the Miami Valley.

His All Area team for Division 2 is below and two Clinton-Massie players made the first team: Sydney and Kasey Uetrecht. Syd was also picked as his Division 2 Player of the Year.

You can see the entire D2 list on his blog page as well as explore his picks for all four divisions. Here is his first team for D2:

Sydney Bates, 5-8 Soph., Springfield Kenton Ridge- Came back from a shoulder injury to put up some great numbers this season. Outstanding shooter with three-point range. Had a great last half of the season, ending the season averaging 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and nearly 80% from the line.

Maddie Bazelak, 6-0 Jr., Kettering Alter- super athletic kid who has a high basketball IQ and has been inquired about more than once from the coaches at the next level. Bazelak is also a volleyball standout for the Knights, but in basketball, she averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds.

Emma Bockrath, 5-8 Sr., Kettering Alter- The offensive leader for the powerful Knights squad has had a very solid junior season, near the top of every Alter category. Bockrath scored 15 points per game, while grabbing 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and nearly three steals per game.

Sydney Brackemyre, 6-1 Sr., Clinton Massie- Came back from an ACL injury stronger than ever as a senior, leading Clinton Massie to a 22-0 regular season record. The Louisville-signee is the best D2 player in Ohio, and earns the Dabbs D2 POY. Averaged 15 points and nearly eight rebounds per game.

Carly Clodfelter, 5-9 Soph., Tippecanoe- I feel that Clodfelter is the premier sophomore in the area, and she had a productive season for the Red Devils. Great slasher, quick and solid in all aspects of her game. Scored 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals per game.

Stefanie Davis, 5-8 Sr., Springfield Kenton Ridge- Solid floor leader for the Cougars, who has a knack for coming up with the clutch shot at the right time. Hard nosed player who had a very solid senior year. Averaged 11.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and nearly four steals per game.

Danielle Karns, 6-1 Jr., Eaton- Standing over 6-foot, Danielle can do a lot with the basketball. She can post up, step out and shoot the three, and has really improved her game. This college prospect averaged 11 points, 5.7 rebounds

Halee Printz, 5-10 Jr., Tippecanoe- really improved her game from last year to another level. Incredibly hard worker who can drain a three against a zone, or penetrate to the basket. Averaged over 19 points per game, with nearly 10 rebounds and over five assists. Headed to Toledo.

Maddie Schroeder, 6-1 Sr., Dayton Carroll- finished the season as the leading scorer in her conference, and has impressed a lot of the area coaches. Hard nosed post who gave Carroll the leadership they needed with several young players in the lineup. Averaged 17.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.1 steals per game, shooting 60% from the field.

Chea Taylor, 5-11 Sr., Bellbrook- was the leader for a Golden Eagles team that still had a solid season after graduation last year. Defensive standout who saw her game improve this year. Chea averaged 16.1 points, over seven rebounds, and will be headed to Detroit.

Kasey Uetecht, 6-1 Sr., Clinton Massie- What a duo for the undefeated Clinton Massie Falcons, with her and Brackemyre. Kasey took care of the paint, and was a strong force underneath. She averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds per game.

Autumn Whirley, 5-6 Jr., Eaton- great year for Whirley, as the state’s best pure shooter in the 2015 class was key in leading Eaton to the SWBL title. Finished averaging nearly 13 points per game, with three assists. They call her “buckets”.

Player of the Year- Sydney Brackemyre, 6-1 Sr, Clinton Massie

Freshman of the Year- Braxtin Miller, 5-10, Kettering Alter

Coach of the Year- Ed Foulk, Springfield Kenton Ridge

OGBR Top 25 Seniors

OGBR Top 25 Seniors – Class of 2014

Sydney Brackemyre, 6-1, Clinton Massie

Jenna Burdette, 5-8, Reedsville Eastern

Amanda Cahill, 6-2, Clyde

Stasha Carey, 6-3, Berea Midpark

Kristen Confroy, 5-9, Solon

Sasha Dailey, 5-8, Toledo Rogers

Jenna Gunn, 5-11, Mason

Alexa Hart, 6-3, Columbus Africentric

Regina Hochstetler, 5-8, Berlin Hiland

Trinity Hunter, 6-2, Gahanna Lincoln

Tyra James, 6-0, Cincinnati Winton Woods

Bethany Krause, 5-9, Centerville

Kelsey Mitchell, 5-9, Cincinnati Princeton

Nicole Orr, 5-9, Reynoldsburg

Imani Partlow, 6-0, Cincinnati Winton Woods

Baleigh Reed, 5-9, Twinsburg

Alyssa Rice, 6-3, Reynoldsburg

Megan Sefcik, 5-9, Austintown-Fitch

Laina Snyder, 6-1, West Holmes

Terra Stapleton, 6-5, Proctorville Fairland

Kaylee Stroemple, 5-11, North Canton Hoover

Korrin Taylor, 5-6, Canton McKinley

Marquia Turner, 5-8, North Canton Hoover

Makayla Waterman, 6-2, Kettering Fairmont

Kathryn Westbeld, 6-2, Kettering Fairmont

Coming Back From Injury

In the past I’ve re-posted some information from Jim Dabbelt’s blog. He does a great job promoting girls high school basketball in the state of Ohio.

On October 25 he had a post about some of the girls in our area coming back from injury. It included Syd and one of her Angel teammates, Olivia Philpot. He did a nice job with the article and is a great voice for the girls in our area. Stop by his blog to keep up with what’s happening this season.

Everyone knows that Christmas is set for December 25 as it is every year, when the small children run downstairs to rip open their presents before the crack of dawn.

For several young ladies around Ohio, it will seem like Christmas morning as they wake today, because they know that all of their hard work they put into the game of basketball all summer long is about to pay off. Today is the day a lot of us have been waiting for.

Today…. is the start of basketball season.

Girls’ basketball teams can begin practice today across Ohio, and while several girls look at this as the beginning of a new season, a few area girls are chomping at the bit even more, as they prepare to prove to everyone that they are back.

It has been a rough year for injuries, as several girls around Ohio are out to make a statement to everyone that they are back… and better than ever.

Seniors Sydney Brackemyre, Olivia Philpot, and Amy Bullimore are all recovering from knee injuries, while sophomore Sydney Bates had shoulder surgery in the fall and is ready to return to the court soon.

Brackemyre, a 6-1 senior at Clinton Massie who verballed to the University of Louisville, suffered a season-ending ACL tear on December 29 of last year, and while she has suffered through the long road to recovery, she knows the extra time she has been away will ultimately be worth it.

“My recovery seemed like it was never going to end, but now I’m back and playing,” Brackemyre said yesterday. “It feels good to know I had the extra couple of months to recover. Most people come back from an ACL team in about 6-7 months, but in my case it was a full nine months.”

The Massie senior was frustrated waiting to get back, but she understands it will help her prepare better for a return.

“My doctor was very cautious with the things he would allow me to do, which was entirely frustrating at the time, but I know it will pay off,” she said. “I have had so much support from family and friends that told me the waiting would be worth it.”

Brackemyre has been working on her physical part of the game while she has been out of action. She stated she is stronger than she has ever been, and worked on the things she was allowed to. The future Cardinal will be wearing a brace until December.

Philpot had her ACL surgery on July 5, as the Middletown Madison senior will miss most if not all of her senior season. Her goal to return in January will be based on a functional assessment next month by Dr. James Klosterman, and that will determine if a return mid-season is even going to be reasonable.

Philpot, who opened up her recruiting back up after choosing not to attend Youngstown State as earlier planned, has been doing physical therapy and training at Ignition for the past several months, making solid progress each week. Philpot understands the risk of returning too soon, and knows there is a bitter prize down the road, playing basketball in college.

Bullimore also hopes for a strong senior year after suffering the same injury last season. The 6-1 senior, who has yet to choose a college, was recently cleared to begin playing again, and knows it has been a long road back.

“I did rehab at least three times per week with my therapist, but everyday by myself,” Bullimore said, very much looking forward to the season to begin. “Sometimes it was so painful or hard I didn’t think it would ever get easier.”

“I’m not sure there was a day that I didn’t find a hoop to shoot on, and continued to improve my shot daily,” she added, who credited Dr. Shaw, therapist Shaun Tubbs and trainer Tammy Pollack with a huge role in her recovery. “I had the right support from my coach and others to get my mind off the setback and look to the bigger picture.”

She also learned a lot about herself while she was on the sidelines watching her team last season.

“Recovery played a big role with my personality,” she said. “It helped me to learn what it’s really like to be a teammate. I sat on the sideline cheering on my teammates, with a sense of pride and urgency to get back on the court.”

Bates, one of Ohio’s top sophomores, also looks for a successful return after suffering a shoulder injury this summer that hampered her play through her summer season. After battling the pain for the month of July, she finished the summer with shoulder surgery on July 31. She had the ligaments and cartilage of her shoulder stabilized was told that recovery would take her 12-16 weeks.

For the first six weeks of rehab, Bates would be forced to wear an immobilizer the majority of each day, but even though she couldn’t do much to work on her game, Bates would keep her stamina up by walking 6-8 miles each evening. She also spent time ball handling and shooting with her non-surgical arm.

Bates was cleared to run at eight weeks, and for the next four weeks, she would cardio at least 90 minutes per day, and work on therapy. This past Tuesday, Bates was cleared to do all aspects of basketball except for contact. During the last three months, Bates has learned a lot about motivation, commitment, and effort and never to take your health for granted.

Also, Alter’s Emma Bockrath, one of Ohio’s top players in her class, looks to put her ACL injury behind her and come out strong and leave her mark on the new basketball season.

For these five, plus others recovering from injuries, today is the beginning of new hope and new dreams.

5 Key Players to Watch this Summer – Dabbs Blog

If you read my blog with any sense of regularity, you will see I repost stuff from Jim Dabbelt’s blog. He follows girls basketball in our area and does a great job highlighting the individuals and teams that are performing well.

In a recent blog post, he identified five players from each class (2013, 2014, 2015) that are playing this summer that he deems elite players to watch. Syd made his list for the class of 2014. Below is the listing from her class. You can read the entire list on his blog.

Class of 2014

One kid who exploded onto the scene last year is Sydney Brackemyre from Clinton Massie.  While this site introduced her to the Miami Valley as a freshman, she has introduced herself to all the major college coaches around the country with some outstanding play.  Explosive and athletic, and according to Jenkins, she has earned her spot among the top 3 juniors in the Dayton area.  He stated there isn’t a thing she can’t do, she is quick and skilled enough to play the perimeter.  While her dedication to the game is huge, her stock has gone through the roof.

Another kid who has drawn the attention of those “in the know” is a young lady who has become one of the top all around guards in Ohio in the 2014 class.  Ashton Lovely from Greeneview is a dynamic scorer, and has very deep range to stretch a defense.  Lovely also does a nice job to create her own shot, and can set up her teammates with solid passing.

Last year, she snuck onto the scene at Oxford Talawanda.  Now, there is no place she can hide on the court, as Ana Richter has developed into quite a talented player.  She has a great basketball frame, is fundamentally sound, and is a team player.  Jenkins stated that she sacrifices her own offensive game for the better of the team to win basketball games.  She is a tough kid who just loves to win.

Makayla Waterman from Fairmont continues to mend, and get back to her dominant level of play.  Remember, it takes 12-15 months for a knee ligament to completely heal, and while she is approaching the 12 month mark, she continues to draw the praise from college coaches everywhere.  There is no more of a passionate player across Ohio than Makayla.  Jenkins- “She is an exceptional passer, has great hands, and the best court awareness of any front court player in Ohio.  She makes tremendous decisions and is tremendously skilled.”

If there was one kid I can start a team with, it is Kathryn Westbeld from Fairmont.  She is likely the best all around player in the area, when you take into account all aspects of the game.  According to Jenkins, Kathryn is the biggest mismatch mightmare in all of Ohio, regardless of class.  She is deceptively quick, has great hands, and honestly, when she wants to score, she will.

AAU Team Rankings – Dabbs Blog

I’ve reposted some information from Jim Dabbelt’s website called The Dabbelt Report.  He does a nice job covering girls basketball in our area.

This week he posted his top 5 AAU teams leading into the spring/summer season.  Here’s what he posted:

AAU team rankings heading into huge weekend

By JIM DABBELT / Mon. April 16

With the spring eval period almost here, I will be taking a look at the Dabbs Top 5 AAU teams here early in the season. Now, notice I didn’t mention clubs…these are teams, which could come from a club, or could stand alone. A lot of people misinterpret the difference. When it comes down to the best club in Ohio from youngest to oldest, it is the Dayton Lady Hoopstars. Now call it biased or whatever, but those are the facts.

When it comes to the top 5 teams, they can come from any club, organization, or single team. Now to be fair, I have yet to see everyone play, but with that all being said, here is the list of the top 5 AAU teams in Ohio right now:

5. Ohio Lady Attack Black- another solid season so far for the Attack, as this year there are two teams. The Black team is young, in fact there are only 3 juniors on this “Premier” team, and the rest are underclassmen. Ashton Lovely (5-10 Greeneview, 2014) is a D1 prospect, and is their top all around player. This group won the season opening AAU Tip-Off event, only to lost last weekend in the Dayton Lady Hoopstars SRT. A couple of other players to watch during the evaluation weekend are Autumn Whirley (5-6 Eaton, 2015), Halee Printz (5-10 Tippecanoe 2015), Elizabeth Haley (6-1 Oakwood, 2013), and Kara and Emma Bockrath (Alter, Kara 2014, Emma 2015). This team has a strong nucleus to have another nice summer, as they won the AAU National title last summer. This weekend: Deep South.

4. Dayton Metro Premier- Standing at 10-4 on the season, the Metro “right now” may be the best team in Dayton. Three of their losses were close games to outstanding teams (All-Ohio Black 64-59), Team Supreme (83-81 3ot), and DLH Premier (59-57). But they have put together some good wins along the way. They beat both DLH Elite and Lady Attack Black twice, also cruised past W Va. Thunder 61-44 to win the DLH Super Regional on Sunday. Guards are their strength, as they are led by next-level type players Chelsea Welch (5-10 Fairmont, 2013), Trischa Lacy (5-10 Urbana, 2013), Konner Harris (5-9 Sidney, 2013), and one of the hardest working players around, Sarah Ammons (5-10 Mason, 2013). Victoria Wabler (Wayne), Sidney Cera (Brookville) and Ciara Poppa (Carroll) add to their guard depth, while Samantha Phillips (Beavercreek), Chelsea Winner (Marion Local) and Megan Galloway (Greenville) control the inside. This weekend: Deep South.

3. Cincinnati Angels- I saw them last weekend in a huge leave-it-all-on-the-floor scrimmage against Sports City, and let me tell you….don’t pass up seeing this team. They run the floor very well, put good pressure on you, and likely have at least 7 D1 solid prospects on the roster. Sydney Brackemyre (6-0 Clinton Massie, 2014), Jenna Gunn (5-11 Mason, 2014) and Kayla McDowell (6-2 Mason, 2013) all were very impressive. All three are major D1 prospects. Ana Ritcher (6-0 Talawanda, 2014) will break onto the national scene this summer well, and Alex Henning (5-10 Centerville, 2013) is a very underrated player who fits in nicely with this team. I am impressed with Leah Schafer from Highlands, KY, and throw in a solid group of guards, and you are looking at a team who can compete at all of their events. They also have a younger team who won their first tournament of the season last weekend. I figured this team would be the “real deal”, now everyone else is about to find out. This weekend: Windy City Classic.

2. All-Ohio- This team is loaded, and every college coach in America will want to see this team. It all starts with the best player in Ohio, Kelsey Mitchell (5-10 Princeton, 2014), who will attract everyone. Add in Vanessa Smith, and Taylor Agler, and you have quite a group to work with this season in Columbus. They also have the likes of Marley Hill and Alexa Hart, meaning they have one of the strongest complete lineups in the nation. They can run you out of the gym, and have the solid posts to pound it inside and dominate. Honestly, you take the top 4 on their team,and it would hard to say who is their 5th best. Seven kids on any given night can step into the fifth spot, and they wouldn’t lose a thing. This weekend: Boo Williams.

1. Sports City U- They are back on top again to start another season, and when you look at this team, it is hard to find a weakness. They have size, with six kids over 6-foot-1, they have speed, experience and youth all blended together to try to eclipse their national ranking they get every season. You can start off with the top 3 junior guards in Ohio in Alexis Peterson (5-6 Northland), Ashley Morriessette (5-9 Twinsburg) and Bianca Quisenberry (5-8 Tecumseh), meaning you better be ready to run. Trying to score inside? You will be staring at Paige Cashin (6-5 Newark, 2013), and Alyssa Rice (6-3 Reynoldsburg, 2014). If you take Rice, along with SCU teammates Makayla Waterman (6-1 Fairmont) and Kathryn Westbeld (6-2 Fairmont), you have the top 3 sophomore posts in Ohio. Add in the multi-dimensional Alexis Gassion (5-10 Fairborn, 2013) who can handle the ball, play the 2, or post you up, along with Jenny DeGraaf (6-1 Springboro, 2013) who can play inside or step out, and the potential is unlimited. Martha Thompson (5-9 Solon, 2013) is a quiet gem who can contribute, and add in the two young ones, but good ones. Tierra Floyd (6-1 Toledo Notre Dame, 2015) is the state’s top player in the class, and Celina King (5-5 Landmark Christian, 2016) is considered Ohio’s top PG in the incoming freshman class next year, and you are looking at a machine ready to roll. This weekend: Windy City Classic.

Sydney featured on The Dabbelt Report

Jim Dabbelt is the creator of a website called “The Dabbelt Report” which follows Ohio high school girls basketball in our area.  He spends a lot of time in the gym watching teams and blogs and tweets to give the girls in our area some exposure.  On his blog, he features a basketball player who is standing out among the many talented players in this area of Ohio.  This week he featured Sydney.

You can read the article on The Dabbelt Report website.

I follow his blog posts and on Twitter.  If you like basketball in our area, he will keep you up to date.

Here’s the article about Syd:

By JIM DABBELT

When it comes to the most talented sophomores in the Miami Valley, the bar is set at the very top with the Fairmont duo of Makayla Waterman and Kathryn Westbeld.  But next in line is a player who has exploded onto the scene after having an outstanding summer.

Clinton Massie 6-foot small forward Sydney Brackemyre has vaulted into the elite status in her 2014 class, and for the standout, she has a lot to credit to her summer AAU program, as she looks to lead Massie far into the playoffs this winter.

“This summer was amazing for me,” she said.  “About a week before AAU tryouts, I had no idea where I was going to be playing.  Chris Arington gave me the opportunity to play for the Cincinnati Angels, and it was probably the best decision I have ever made.”

Brackemyre was a key part as the team went 34-3 over the summer, and competed against a lot of tough teams from all over the United States.

“Coach Arington was a great coach who has an incredible knowledge about the game,” she said.  “He is a great role model for me this summer.  He also asked coach Dante Harlan to help train the three Angels teams.  He trained with us about three times a week.”

While the Angels were beating nearly everyone they played, Brackemyre’s stock went up.  She credits her time with the Angels and Harlan for that happening.

“Two of the biggest benefits of playing for the Angels are working with coach Harlan and the ability to train at Ignition in Mason.

“I worked out at Prasco with Dante during the entire off-season,” she said, getting to work out with some of the top players in Cincinnati such as Raeshaun Gaffney, Jenna Gunn, Nicole Bell, Brianna Glover, Chloe Pavlech, and other great players.  “They expanded my game to be strong and creative on the offensive end as well as quick and physical on the defensive end.”

All of that hard work has led to what she hopes will be a very memorable season with Massie.  The super soph knows the team is capable of playing well, with some solid players.

“There are some big expectations for our team this year, but we have definitely come into the season ready for the challenge,” she said.  “We have a really strong team with a lot of speed and athleticism.  Our team is very diverse and that is why I think we will be so successful.”

Brackemyre is joined on the Falcons squad by 6-foot sophomore Kasey Uetrecht and Brianna Machado, along with solid guards Mary Moyer, Allison Monnin, and Brittany Smith.

“We realize we have a long way to go, and our coach (Allen Wilkinson) does a great job keeping us humble when we win big, and encourages us when we get down.  We just want to come in everyday and get better.”

Not only is Brackemyre working on helping guide her team to a great season, she also has to worry about all the attention she will be getting from this point on.  She is no longer a stranger to the college coaches in the area, and while is talented, she also knows she has a long way to go.

“There is a huge room for improvement, but I think I need the most work on my defense,” she said.  “After (visiting schools) and talking to coaches, I have realized that defense is a huge part of what they expect from a player, not just that they can score.”

“I want to also work on making better decisions on the court, just being a smarter player and cutting down on turnovers.”

A lot of her attention came at the prestigious OGBR Skills and Exposure Camp at Denison, held every year in early July.  Last summer, she turned a lot of heads with her play at that camp, and opened the doors to a positive experience with the recruiting game.

“I had a great experience at that camp,” Brackemyre said.  “Going into it, I didn’t know a lot about it, but it was huge in my recruiting process.  Between that camp and the Top 64, I received a ton of exposure to college coaches.”

“OGBR also allowed me to experience some of the great players from other areas of Ohio that are really getting a lot of attention.  “Tom Jenkins is a great guy and he has allowed me the opportunity to be involved in things like camp, and the opportunity to work at some of the events such as the Classic in the Country.”

While she looks forward to working that great January event, it would mean a lot to her as well if she could experience the Classic from another angle…as a player.

Division 2 Underclassman All-Stars

Clinton Massie plays in Division 2 (District 15) of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Each year the coaches pick an all-star team of seniors and an all-star team of underclassmen. Syd made the all-star team of underclassmen…not too bad for a freshman!

Jim Dabbelt covers girls basketball for southwest Ohio and generates a lot of internet traffic. It’s a great place to keep up to date on what is happening in girls hoops in this area of the state. You can see the full listing on his blog — Dabbs Blog