Coach: John Bryan, 2nd season
Record: 3-18
Last Year: 3-18 (2-10 TAAC)
Key Players: John Willey, 5-9, Sr., G; Garrett Mallett, 5-10, Sr., W; Garrett Reighard,
6-1, Sr., W; Ricky Hartley, 6-1, Sr., F; Tyler Williams, 6-0, Jr., G; John Segura, 6-2,
Jr., F; Evan Perkins, 5-9, Jr., G

John Bryan knows a thing or two about basketball.

Bryan, who has over 35 years of coaching experience in Ohio, Florida and West
Virginia, will use his knowledge to help rejuvenate a Northwood program that
finished 3-18 and lost its last 13 games to end the season.

“I haven’t even thought about it,” Bryan said of the losing streak. “You’ve got to go
game to game. We were competitive in some of those 13 down the stretch. Then we
had that three or four minute span where we kind of fell apart and teams took
advantage.”

Bryan is in the beginning stages of laying the foundation for a successful program.

“The kids we have now are committed,” he said, “and that’s what we want. If you’re
doing things the right way, you’re going to have success.”

The Rangers, who return seven letterwinners, open the season with league foes
Ottawa Hills, Emmanuel Christian and Danbury.

Senior Ricky Hartley, a 6-1 forward, will be an instrumental part of the team’s
rebuilding process, bringing a hard-nosed mentality to the undersized Rangers.

“We’re expecting bigger and better things from him,” Bryan said, “He’s a lot quicker
and stronger this year.”

Hartley, an All-Press selection last season, led the Rangers in scoring with 8.9 ppg
and averaged nearly five rebounds.

Guards Garrett Mallett, Garrett Reighard and Tyler Williams complement Hartley and
add speed to an up-tempo offense.

“We’re going to get up and down the floor, and we’re going to shoot the ball,” Bryan
said. “We’re not blessed with a lot of height, but we do have overall team speed.”

On paper, Bryan said his team is standing at the bottom of the conference looking up
at perennial contenders Ottawa Hills, Maumee Valley, Toledo Christian and newcomer
Gibsonburg.

But games aren’t played on paper.

“There’s just nobody bad in this league,” Bryan said, referring to the TAAC. “I’ll go on
record and put us at the bottom. We haven’t proven anything yet. We still have to
prove that we can be mentioned with the other good programs, and I think we can
do that.”

Coach: Bill Hamilton, 1st season
Record: N/A
Last year: 8-13 (7-5 TAAC)
Key players: Anna Raymond, 5-7, Sr., G; Becca Bisbee, 5-6, Sr., G; Sandra Koch,
5-5, Sr., G; Alayna Martinez, 5-7, Sr., F; Alysha Henzler, 5-5, Sr., F; Kelly Sawmiller,
6-2, Jr., F

First-year Northwood coach Bill Hamilton is enjoying every minute of his new job.

“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “I have a great bunch of young ladies that are
willing to play. I’m hoping we have some great success.”

The Rangers finished 8-13 overall last season and 7-5 in conference games. With
six returning letterwinners, Hamilton expects his team to improve upon its losing
record—and maybe even compete for a TAAC title.

“That’s something that we have mentioned—as far as wanting to be there,”
Hamilton said when asked if his team has what it takes to win the league. “We’ve
told them from the beginning that it’s not going to be easy because there are some
great teams that we are going to have to face.”

Northwood, which has only eight players on its varsity roster, has struggled in
recent seasons, a trend Hamilton and his players are dying to change.

“We’re working really hard as a group,” Hamilton said. “We’re putting some new
things in. Just like any time you put new thing in, there will be struggles. But we’re
working toward refining all of those things and hopefully, when we put it all together,
the outcome will be good.”

Starters Becca Bisbee, Sandra Koch and Anna Raymond return to the court with
added experience and high expectations.

“They want to have a better record and go farther than they did last year in the
tournament,” said Hamilton, who has five seniors on his roster. “All of [my seniors]
really have a goal to be better than they were last year.

“Each one of those seniors will definitely add something new to the team,” he said.
“Every one of them has a unique quality that they give us, and all of them will be
key players.”

Senior forwards Alayna Martinez and Alysha Henzler will get most of the touches in
the paint for the Rangers.

Kelly Sawmiller, a 6-2 forward, gives Hamilton another inside force to work with off
the bench.