2024-25 Basketball Preview: Symmes Valley Vikings
- Staff
- Dec 3, 2024
- 3 min read
WILLOW WOOD — There was a TV western back in the 1970s called Smith & Jones. The Symmes Valley Vikings are looking to utilize their own gunslingers named Smith and Jones.
The Vikings are returning their top two players — Ethan Smith and Will Jones — from its 13-11 team and head coach Alvin Carpenter is looking for the two seniors and some other veteran players to help build on last season’s success.
“Ethan has been hammered and rode a lot and he still produces despite being the target of other teams,” said coach Carpenter.
“Offensively, I think we’re more consistent than what we were last year. Last year we’d score 70 points one game and then 42 the next. Last year, if somebody helped Smith score, we scored a lot. This year, we’re hoping with being a little older we can get more consistent scoring from everybody else.”
The 6-foot senior Smith was first team all-district and All-Ohio last season. A four-year starter, Smith averaged 15.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season.
Jones averaged 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds and was the most consistent scorer other than Smith.
“We have Jones back. He plays hard all the time. If there’s a loose ball on the floor, you can expect him to be on the bottom of the pile and coming out with it,” said Carpenter.
One player who could help ease the workload off Smith will be 5-11 freshman Bronx Carpenter.
“Bronx has been running the point for us. He’s just a freshman but he takes the pressure off Ethan and he’s been doing a pretty good job of handling the ball,” said coach Carpenter.
Also back are 6-3 junior Tanner Corn and 6-3 junior Logan Simpkins. Added to that group will be 5-6 junior guard Noah Hutchinson and 6-foot seniors Levi Owens.
“We’ve got some pretty good young guys. Noah Hutchinson is a long-range shooter,” said Carpenter. “Tanner Corn has grown and we need him to step up and get eight or nine rebounds a game.”
The Vikings will look to get 6-foot sophomore Gradee Holland back from an injury which will be a welcome addition.
“Holland broke his collarbone in football and we’re hoping to have him back soon. He’ll give us more depth and scoring,” said Carpenter.
Three other key role players will be 6-3 sophomore Zayne Wilson, 6-3 junior D.J. Taylor and 5-10 sophomore Andy Strow.
“We have some really good sophomores. Zayne Wilson and D.J. Taylor are sophomores. We’re looking for a lot of quality minutes from those two. Andy Strow is a junior and he’s kind of an in-between guy who can play a little inside or outside. He plays good defense,” said coach Carpenter.
“Levi Owens is shooting the ball well and he’s really coming on. We’re expecting a lot of things out of him.”
In the Southern Ohio Conference 2 race, Carpenter said there was no clear-cut favorite.
“I really think it’s going to be a really tight race. Western has some good kids back, Northwest lost a couple of good players but they had a good jayvee team, South Gallia graduated like five seniors but they’ve got athletes there. I think it’s going to be anybody’s race,” said Carpenter.
Symmes Valley Vikings
2024-25 Basketball Roster
No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.
2 Zayne Wilson C 6-03 So.
3 Gradee Holland G 6-00 So.
4 Logan Simpkins F 6-03 Jr.
5 Ethan Smith G 6-00 Sr.
11 Tanner Corn C 6-03 Jr.
12 Andy Strow G 5-10 So.
20 Bronx Carpenter G 5-11 Fr.
22 Noah Hutchinson G 5-06 Jr.
24 Will Jones F 6-03 Sr.
30 Key Roberts G 5-10 Fr.
33 Levi Owens G 6-00 Sr.
44 D.J. Taylor C 6-03 Jr.
55 Asher Maynard F 6-02 Fr.
Head coach: Alvin Carpenter
Assistant coaches: Eric Holland, Braden Corn
2024-25 Basketball Schedule
December
6 PORTS. NOTRE DAME
10 NEW BOSTON
13 at Portsmouth West
17 MINFORD
20 SCIOTOVILLE EAST@
21 ROCK HILL
28 COAL GROVE
January
3 OAK HILL#
4 at River Valley
7 NORTHWEST#
10 at Beaver Eastern#
14 at Green
17 at Western#
21 at Fairland
24 SOUTH GALLIA#
28 at Oak Hill#
31 at Northwest#
February
4 at St. Joseph
7 BEAVER EASTERN#
11 WESTERN#
14 at South Gallia#
15 at South Point
#-Denotes SOC-2 game
@-Waterloo Wonders Night
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