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By KIM NORTH
MARTINS FERRY -- Martins Ferry enjoyed a banner year in 2015-16 as it claimed the Buckeye 8 and Division III sectional tournament titles while going 16-8. It fell to Garaway in the district semifinals in Byesville.
However, two key pieces of the Purple Riders successful campaign picked up their diplomas. They include Shaye DeLeonardis and Tyrah King.
"They were our leaders and brought a lot to the table," fifth-year head coach and alumnus Lindsay Coyne said. "They will be greatly missed."
Easing some of that loss are four seniors who are all returning for the fourth varsity campaigns. They are Leah Coleman, Sydney Bridges, Daleitha Johnson and Hayley Sutton.
"Most of those girls have been starting since they were freshmen," Coyne said. "We're going to count on them for leadership and consistency. It's not that they are bigger and stronger, but it's their year. They are the seniors now. We're going to expect a lot from them."
One other letterwinner returns in junior Kyona Johnson.
The Purple Riders roster is made up primarily of freshmen as eight dot the 15-player roster, which also includes a pair of sophomores. The freshmen group went undefeated as 7th and 8th graders.
Coleman, a cat-quick 5-6 point guard, will be the team's leader on the floor.
"She's my commander out there," Coyne noted. "She realizes her role this year is to be positive and get everyone in place on the floor. She's had a good first three seasons and she has really worked on her ballhandling and shooting over the summer and in the preseason. This season we're also going to ask her to play great defense, and she's capable of that.
"Leah has a high basketball IQ and she is a positive role model for the younger girls. She's going to run our offense. We'll try and push the ball up the floor, but when it's not there we'll set up our halfcourt offense. She's the one that will make that call."
The 5-10 Bridges will man the post position.
Daleitha Johnson is another cat-quick 5-1 guard.
Kyona Johnson is a 5-8 forward/post.
Several members of that talented freshmen class are penciled in to see a lot of varsity time. They are Richella Spielvogel, Jaden Stalder, Shayla Schuster and Madison Ging, along with sophomore Abbi Barcus.
Spielvogel is a 5-9 post player.
Stalder is a 5-5 guard/forward.
Schuster is a 5-3 guard.
The 5-6 Ging will play guard and-or forward.
Barcus is a 5-5 guard.
Rounding out the roster are 5-1 sophomore Haylea Kuhn and freshmen Garyn Krol (5-6), Kharyzma Thompson (5-6), Garnea Schybal (5-1) and Laken Roth (5-3).
Assisting Coyne on the varsity level is Paul Matuska. The JV coach is Paige Williams, while volunteers are Larry Duck, Dan Barritt and Dominque Jones. Brittany Burch and Mike Rose are the Junior High coaches.