By KIM NORTH

Times Leader Sports Writer

BARNESVILLE – With a wealth of experience returning from last year, things are looking good for the Barnesville girls’ basketball team for the 2022-23 season.

First-year head coach Ty Leach welcomes nine letterwinners back. A pair of them are two-year veterans in senior Alyssa Carter (5-5) and junior Ellie Thompson (5-8). Others who lettered last winter are senior Rilee Lucas (5-4); juniors Ava McFarland and Maddy Schaffer; and sophomores Abigail Johnson, Zoey Fritter, Madelynn Tyson, and Lilly Welch.

While the Shamrocks only lost one player, it was leading scorer and rebounder Anna Yater.

“The team has a positive future with so many returning lettermen. We have worked hard in the off season and are much quicker and stronger than we have been in the past,” Leach, who was an assistant the last two seasons, said. “We made many changes to the offensive and defensive sets to make up for our lack of height in the paint and these players have adjusted exceptionally well.”

Leach said his schedule remains consistent from years past, but “we have added River and Linsly.”

The varsity roster is completed by junior Ayla Yater (5-3) and sophomore Olivia Phillips (5-4).

Ticketed for JV duty are junior Lilly Kinney (5-8); sophomores Lydia Johnson (5-10) and Kourtnie Keiser (5-3); and freshmen Aiva Leasure (5-6), Lydia Fuchs (5-6), Emma Welch (5-5), Becklee Oliver (5-6) and Roselyne Anderson (5-8).

Leach said his team’s strengths will be its outside shooting, speed and aggressive defense. The weaknesses will be its lack of height and rebounding.

Leach is assisted by Brian Clark and Jenny Richey. The junior high coaches are Justin Little and Dave Thomas.