2024-25 Basketball Preview: Fairland Lady Dragons

PROCTORVILLE — Last year’s puzzle is missing some pieces now due to graduation. But that’s okay because coach Jon Buchanan has a whole new puzzle.

The Lady Dragons were 26-2 last season and reached the Division 2 state semifinals. But gone is the program’s all-time leading scorer Bree Allen and fellow All-Ohio player Kylee Bruce.

Those pieces might be gone, but 6-foot junior Addison Godby, 5-8 senior Kamryn Barnitz and 5-8 Bailey Russell are returning starters and the biggest piece returning.

Joining the starting quintet will be 5-10 junior Isa Taliaferro and 5-8 junior Taegan Leep and Buchanan said those pieces all fit.

“Everybody else has to pick up the pieces a little bit. The way we try to play we always try to have five people that are able and willing scorers and that won’t change,” said Buchanan.

The new pieces Buchanan inserted along with the starters are 5-6 freshman Ava Layne and 6-foot junior Addyson Cornell.

“We had some kids waiting in the wings last year and they’re going to fill right in. I think some of those kids like Kamryn, Bailey and Addison may get a few more shots,” said Buchanan.

“But on the other hand, Isa is going to take more shots, Ava Layne as a freshman is going to take shots, Taegan is going to have some shots, Addyson Cornell will. We have a lot of kids who are going to take some shots.”

Russell led Fairland last year with 17.3 points a game. Godby averaged 10.3 points and Barnitz 10.1 [points.

Leep and Taliaferro played extended minutes off the bench and Buchanan was happy with their contributions.

“Based on the way we play, the opportunities are going to go up. We don’t try to force feed one kid. We try to make you guard everybody,” said Buchanan.

“(Leep) does a lot of the dirty work for us. Every team has someone who’s going to battle defensively, be physical and rebound. She’s that kid,” said Buchanan. “And she’s super smart. In practice, just the things she says directing traffic, you can tell she has a big basketball IQ.”

Buchanan said the new faces will help.

“Ava Layne plays as much or more as anyone. She in theory may be the sixth man, but she’s almost like the fifth starter,” said Buchanan. “She’s a really dynamic kid. We’ve had kids like that in our program like that. Bailey Russell led us in scoring her freshman year. Emily Chapman played Division 1 basketball and didn’t start as a freshman.

“Addison Cornell is going to play a big role on our team. She hasn’t played basketball for two years. She stepped away for a little while but came back and she’s going to be good, too.”

Fairland tied Portsmouth for the Ohio Valley Conference title last season and both teams reached the Final Four. But with 7 divisions this season the two teams will be in Division 5.

“I think the way it shakes out for us and the teams in Southeast Ohio are Division 5 which was Division 3,” said Buchanan. “It’s pretty much the same. It’ll still be really tough.”

But before the Lady Dragons can talk Final Four, Buchanan said there’s a lot to take on during the regular season.

“The thing we struggled with in the summer was can we get tough stops and big rebounds. Obviously, we lost Kylie and Bree. They could score, but it was their presence inside whether they were getting a rebound or their defensive presence,” said Buchanan.

Fairland and Portsmouth are the top teams in the league.

“Portsmouth has every kid back and kids who have Division 1 offers and made the state tournament last year. They’re going to be a really hard team to beat. They have as much talent as any team in the league that I’ve seen and this is my 15th year,” said Buchanan.

“Everybody has a piece. Chesapeake has Kate Ball and Kate Ball is very good. I watched Ironton and Lola Hankins is very good. I think we have a really good league of coaches. We don’t have a lot of new, young coaches. Everybody is kind of a veteran. They know what we do and we know what they do.”

Fairland Lady Dragons

2024-25 Basketball Roster

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

00 Taegan Leep F 5-08 Jr.

  1 Isa Taliaferro F 5-10 Jr.

  2 Ava Layne G 5-06 Fr.

  3 Addison Godby PG 6-00 Jr.

  4 Haleigh Miller G 5-05 So.

  5 Siera Pemberton G 5-06 Sr.

11 Addyson Cornell C 6-00 Jr.

15 Stella Whitley   F 5-08 Fr.

24 Kamryn Barnitz G 5-08 Sr.

32 Bailey Russell F 5-08 Jr.

44 Khloe Walters G 5-06 Fr.

Head coach: Jon Buchanan

Assistant coaches: Adam Alt, Ashley Whitley, Holley Donahue, Ronnie Canterbury, Britney Thompson

2024-25 Basketball Schedule

November

22 vs Harvest Prep (W, 69-54)

December

  3 COAL GROVE# (W, 73-23)

  7 at South Point# 7:00

10 at Rock Hill# 7:00

13 IRONTON# 7:00

14 Ashland, Ky@ 6:30

17 GALLIPOLIS# 7:00

21 PORTSMOUTH# 7:00

27 Parkersburg, W.Va.% 1:30

28 Wheeling Park, W.Va.% 1:30

January

  3 at Chesapeake# 7:00

11 WARREN 7:00

13 at Coal Grove# 7:00

16 SOUTH POINT# 7:00

19 Mt. Notre Dame& 1:30

20 Wadsworth& 9 a.m.

23 ROCK HILL# 7:00

27 at Ironton# 7:00

30 at Gallipolis# 7:00

February

  3 at Portsmouth# 7:00

  6 CHESAPEAKE# 7:00

  8 MARIETTA 2:30

#-Denotes OVC game

@-Denotes at Shawnee State

%-Denotes Marietta College

%-Berlin Hiland H.S.