With one defending state champion and a perennial powerhouse, Logan looks to have another successful basketball season.
The Lady Wildcats had a phenomenal year, finishing 25-2 while winning the Class AAA State Championship. While some experience from that group returns. Head Coach Kevin Gertz will have some young players continuing to grow as the season churns along.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS – Logan will return second team all-state selection Natalie Blankenship. Blankenship, a senior, averaged 7.3 points per game for the Lady Wildcats last season. Sophomore Halle Crouse was an honorable mention all-state selection last season as a freshman and will be expected to improve. Seniors hoping to contribute are Autumn Adkins and Rylee Conn. Logan’s only junior is Madison Haugen. Five other sophomores will join Crouse and compete for playing time after playing last season. – Bam Mosby, Addy Amick, Payton Butcher and Camryn Harvey. The Lady Wildcats also have two other sophomores playing their first year of varsity basketball, including Kaylee Bannister and Lori Adkins. Logan’s three freshmen are Ava Albright, Paytience Bragg and Taylor Vance. Much of the team is young, but Gertz is hoping that they will be able to make another run at the state tournament.
KEY LOSSES – Logan lost three seniors off last years state championship team, including first team all-stater Peyton Ilderton, who is a freshman at Marshall. Ilderton was the captain of the Class AAA all-state team last season.
FINAL THOUGHTS – It’s always a tough challenge to defend a state title, and Logan lost a big time player in Ilderton. However, look for the Lady Wildcats to improve as the season goes along and be poised to defend their title. With a head coach like Gertz, expect Logan to be in the thick of it at season’s end.
Coach Zach Green’s Logan Wildcats finished 23-3 last season. The Wildcats were expected to be a title favorite before a shocking loss to Scott in the opening round of the the Class AAA state tournament. This year, the Wildcats are looking to take the next step and challenge for the title in Charleston.
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS – The Wildcats return a talented group, led by first team all-stater Scottie Browning. Browning averaged 15.2 points per game for Logan last season. He is joined by second team all-state selection Garrett Williamson. Jarron Glick and Aidan Slack also will see a lot of playing time for the Wildcats. Currently, Logan is without Jaxon Cogar, who tor his ACL during football season. The coaching staff is hoping that he can return at some point after an innovative surgery that has shown results and and a reduced recovery time. Freshman Ivan Miller has looked great in practice and and will see playing time. Julius Clancy, Cole Blankenship, McCormick Ilderton and Derek Browning will all contribute for the Wildcats. The Wildcats also added former Belfry assistant and Phelps head coach Cameron Smith to an already great coaching staff, which should provide a huge benefit.
KEY LOSSES – Jackson Tackett graduated from Logan last season, but the Wildcats return a lot this season.
FINAL THOUGHTS – With so much experience returning, Logan will be one of the favorites to win a Class AAA title. The Wildcats should make a deep playoff run. Don’t be surprised to see them cut down the nets in the Charleston Civic Center on Championship Saturday.
