2024-25 Hillsboro Lady Indians Girls Basketball Preview

Coming off an 11-win season, which was a seven-win improvement from the previous season, the Hillsboro Lady Indians look to keep going up the ladder in the Frontier Athletic Conference and the Southeast District.

Entering the 2024-25 season, Hillsboro has two starters back on the roster from last season, and seven returning varsity letterwinners from that same year where they finished with an overall record of 11-12 (including playoffs) as head coach Heather Storer begins her third season at the helm of the Lady Indians’ program.

HHS finished 5-5 in the FAC in 2023-24, as they were third place in the conference, where Jackson won the FAC with a 10-0 record, and McClain was second at 7-3 in conference games. The FAC also saw HHS finish ahead of Washington (3-7), Miami Trace (3-7) and Chillicothe (2-8).

This season, the Lady Indians’ roster has one senior, that being Peighton Bledsoe (guard), followed by a junior class of five players that include: Kiara Boris (center), Kyra Boyd (forward), Aubrey Burton (center), Kobie Miles (guard) and Kayla Seeling (guard).

Bledsoe  — who was All-FAC and honorable mention coaches All-District in ’23-24 — returns for her senior season, where as a junior she averaged 7.8 points per game and had 2.6 steals per game.

“Co-captain Peighton Bledsoe will continue to be our ‘floor general’ in the backcourt. She has a high motor and does a great job of seeing the floor and pushing the speed that we need in our system,” Storer said. “Her ability to get the ball down the floor and get the ball into the lane at the level she does is not something a lot of players can do. Her leadership this year has been elevated, and we will look to her for a lot of guidance on and off the floor.”

Kyra Boyd finished with 7.9 ppg, while Miles had 8.7 ppg, 2.5 spg and 3.7 rebounds per game, and she was also OPSWA Special Mention All-District.

“Kyra Boyd and Kobie Miles are juniors that will also lead the team as captains in addition to Peighton. They will be looked to this year to fill multiple stat columns on the court,” Storer said. “Kobie gives us an unmatched quickness on both ends of the floor and brings in two years of starting varsity experience, as she will continue to be an offensive threat for us.

“Kyra will take on an intensified load this year on the offensive and defensive side of the floor. Her length and quickness will allow us to pressure teams defensively, and she will be looked upon to take shots on the offensive side.”

Storer also spoke about Seeling.

“Kayla Seeling is another returning varsity letter earner that will give minutes on the varsity floor. Her ability to make good decisions and push her teammates in practice and games will translate to our style on the floor,” Storer said.

Sophomores for Hillsboro are Chanel Captain (guard), Tylee Davis (guard), Josie Rhoades (guard) and Annia Young (center). Davis as a sophomore finished with 8.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 3.2 spg. Davis as a freshman was OPSWA All-District special mention.

“Tylee Davis and Annia Young are two players that continue to better their game. Tylee saw a ton of varsity minutes last season and was the spark off the bench in every game that jump-started us every time we needed it,” Storer said. “Her athleticism and basketball IQ is extremely unique, and her aggressiveness on the floor defensively and ability to see the floor and create for her teammates is something that allows her to continue to impact the game.

“Offensively, (Davis) will be looked upon to create and continue to score. Annia Young earned a varsity letter last season on limited time, but her work ethic this offseason has been great. She brings a level to our game by allowing us to play within the post and brings size to the team. She will be a presence inside for us and keeps developing into her role.”

Freshmen for the HHS program include: Dinah Ames (forward), Peyton Gobin (forward), Ella Jordan (guard), Riley Pence (forward), Taylor-Ann Scruggs (center) and Piper Wilkin (guard).

“We also bring in freshman Ella Jordan. Ella is a highly athletic and high-skilled basketball player for a freshman,” Storer said. “She will aid in bringing the ball up the floor and allowing us to continue to amp up our ability to push the pace on offense and up the pressure on defense. We are excited to see what she will do this season.

“Returning seven players to the varsity bench from last year is exciting on its own. Seven girls who know how we need to play and now have the experience of the varsity game speed.”

The Lady Indians this season know they have nearly 20 points per game to replace from three starters lost from last season, and they have been putting in the work to replace those points this offseason.

“This offseason was our most growth-filled offseason yet. We were invited to travel to the Cedar Point Midwest Shootout in June, where we competed against some of the best teams within the Midwest,” Storer said. “We also traveled to Ashland and hosted a HS Shootout of our own. The offseason gives us time to gel as a team, especially with lots of young and new faces joining the high school program.

“We couldn’t ask for a better group of girls and coaches. My staff has been with me for my entire tenure, and we all have a common goal that is understood. Our players have been involved in making our program what it is and developing the current culture. The environment in practice of working hard and making practice harder than games is something that comes from our players' mentalities and will for sure pay off this season.”

The Lady Indians have the same coaching staff returning for a third consecutive season, including Division II District 14 Assistant Coach of the Year Ben Fouch, as Storer said she and her coaching staff are all on the same page with this being their third year as a coaching staff.

“We need to continue the path of growth that we are on. We need to never settle or be happy with where we are and work hard every day — no days off,” Storer said. “After two years of making big strides within the program, this year has a lot of internal expectations. We will come out every night to be the aggressor and control the game from tip-off. We want to push the pace on both ends of the floor and never lie down. We have goals within the league and our district that are achievable if we stay locked in and focused and continue to work as we have so far.”

Storer spoke about the FAC and how it will be a challenging conference.

“After several coaches within the FAC have moved on, this season will bring lots of new styles to teams that have had similar systems in the past,” Storer said. “I believe that we should be extremely competitive in the league, and we are striving to set the pace.

“Jackson, Miami Trace and Chillicothe all have new coaches, which will require some time to figure out how they will play. McClain and Washington are both programs that will bring back pieces and compete every night. There are no easy battles in the FAC, with lots of good coaches and players that want to win and work hard.”

The non-conference schedule isn’t a walk in the park either, starting the season on the road at Western Brown. The rest of the non-conference opponents include: vs. Goshen, vs. Portsmouth West, at Peebles, at North Adams, at Fairfield, vs. Lynchburg-Clay, at Paint Valley, vs. Blanchester, at Wilmington, at Whiteoak and vs. Adena.

“We asked for an even more challenging schedule, including teams like Western Brown, Portsmouth West, Goshen and North Adams,” Storer said. “These teams will help prepare us for hard-fought league games and the end of the season. With the new formula for the tournament ranking that will put a heavier emphasis on strength of schedule, this will help set us up for a good position in the tournament rankings.”

There is one word Storer said describes her Lady Indians team, and that word is “together.”
“These girls all come from different backgrounds and walks of life – but we have come together to develop and create a program, together,” Storer said. “Everything we do, good or bad, we will do together. We have a motto for the season, ‘Burn the Boats’ – which is basically to put all else aside for a common goal, and that’s to come together and get it done.”

Hillsboro tips off the 2024-25 season on Friday, Nov. 22 in Mt. Orab against the Western Brown Lady Broncos at 7 p.m.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.