2025-26 Basketball Preview: Whiteoak Wildcats

This season, the Whiteoak Wildcats have a new head coach as they look to rebuild their program following a nine-win season a year ago. 

Whiteoak’s new head coach is Cory Copas, who has previously coached at Georgetown and is a graduate of North Adams High School. Copas is replacing Greg Patton as the WHS head coach. Assistant coaches for Whiteoak are Cole Schaefer, Wes Blair and Eric Schaefer. 

Last season, the Wildcats had an overall record of 9-14 and a Southern Hills Athletic Conference Division II record of 5-8. In SHAC games a season ago, WHS averaged 51.5 points per game and allowed 56.6 ppg. Overall in their 23 games played on the season last year, WHS averaged 50.3 ppg and allowed 54.8 ppg. 

Whiteoak’s roster this season consists of three seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and one freshman. WHS graduated three seniors from last year’s team. 

The 2025-26 roster has seniors Zach Igo (guard), Sawyer Blair (guard) and Brady Brandenburg (forward). The junior class is Jason Gaskins (guard), Conner Dickey (guard) and Jonah Michael (forward). 

Blair averaged 12.2 ppg during the 2024-25 season, along with 3.4 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, 1.3 steals per game and made 26 percent of his 3-point attempts. Blair’s totals were 25 made 3-pointers, 280 points, 78 rebounds (20 offensive), 59 assists, 30 steals and four blocks. He was third-team OPSMA All-District last season.

Brandenburg finished last season with 12.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.4 spg, all while totaling 278 points, 178 rebounds (80 offensive), 45 assists, 32 steals and one block. He was honorable mention Coaches All-District a season ago.

Michael during the ’24-25 season averaged 3.3 ppg (77 points) and 1.7 rpg (39 rebounds). Igo a season ago averaged 3.2 ppg (73 points) with 2.4 rpg (39 rebounds), 1.1 apg (25 assists) and 1.1 spg (26 steals).

Sophomores for the Wildcats include Christopher Wessner (guard), Grady Roberts (guard) and Carson Hart (forward). The lone freshman is Lucas Pollard (guard). 

“I’m excited to see the guys compete and play together as a team. I believe it will have to be a collective effort each night for us to be successful,” Copas said of his roster, as this is his first season at Whiteoak. “The offseason was more getting to know the guys and building a relationship. Being new to the program, the first thing is knowing the guys on and off the court.”

There have been positives for the Wildcats this offseason as they prepare for the upcoming season. 

“They enjoy being around each other. They are coming into work each day wanting to get better,” Copas said. “We want to continue to want to get better each day and work on the little things that will help win ball games.

“We have to compete each night, get better game by game and week by week. We are excited to compete each night. We understand we have a lot to prove this season, which we know will be a challenge each game.”

Whiteoak’s conference will have them in Division II of the SHAC, and that means it will be another tough slate of games for the Wildcats as the SHAC is a strong conference overall. 

“It’s a tough league, there is a lot of balance throughout both sides of the league,” Copas said of the SHAC this upcoming season. “You have to show up each night if you want to have an opportunity to win.”

The non-conference schedule for the Wildcats has the following games: vs. McClain, vs. Felicity, vs. Bethel-Tate, at Northwest, vs. Paint Valley (at Chad Hodson Classic), at Georgetown (Coach Young Classic), at East Clinton, vs. Piketon and at Clermont Northeastern. 

“Our non-conference schedule will be tough. Just as our league schedule, we will have to show up ready to play each night,” Copas said of Whiteoak’s non-conference schedule. 

Whiteoak starts their season on the road Friday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Ripley.

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