FINAL 4 PREVIEW: Lady Dragons to clash with the Lady Titans

PROCTORVILLE — For the Fairland Lady Dragons this is déjà vu all over again.

For the fourth straight season the Lady Dragons have won the regional tournament, twice in Division 2 and twice in Division 5. That means the Lady Dragons are making their fourth straight Final Four appearance.

Fairland (23-4) will play the unbeaten Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans (27-0) at 5 p.m. on Friday at Wright State University. The winner advances to the state finals on Saturday at the University of Dayton to play the winner of Portsmouth (22-4) and Creston Norway (24-2) who meet at 7 p.m. Friday.

Ottawa-Glandorf features 5-foot-8 senior Karen Erfrod who averages 19.5 points a game, was the Northwest District Co-Player of the Year and is a candidate for Ms. Basketball.

“They are a good team. The thing that stands out to me on film is how well they play defense. They play good team defense. Offensively, they don’t have anybody that’s afraid to play awful. You can’t play single up on one kid.”

Also on the first team all-district is 6-2 junior Madison McKee who averages 12.6 points a game and on the second team was 5-7 senior guard Alivia Grothause who averages 7.1 points a contest.

“They’ve played a good schedule. They do a great job of rebounding the ball. A lot of times rebounding comes down to desire,” said Buchanan.

Fairland is not without some standout players of their own.

The school’s all-time leading scorer is 5-8 senior guard Bailey Russell who averages 17.1 points a game. The point guard is 6-foot senior Addison Godby — A Division 1 Stetson recruit — averages 11.8 points and leads the team with 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

The other three starters — all seniors — are 5-10 center Addyson Cornell who averages 9 points and 5.3 rebounds, 5-9 senior forward Isa Taliaferro (9.4 ppg, 3.5 rebounds) and 5-8 senior forward Teagan Leep (3.6 jpg, 2.5 rpg).

Buchanan said the fourth straight trip to the finals, the wins, the awards, the championships this group of seniors has amassed makes this an historic group.

“Has any team or group accomplished what this senior class has accomplished from a team perspective. It’s hard to compare them to anything. I’ve worked with them since third grade. They’ve been together as a group that long,” said Buchanan.

“The parents have been together that long. They said this group was going to win titles. I thought you don’t know how hard it is to do these things and here we are four years later doing these things. I don’t have to beg them to do anything. They were there when the gym opened and left when it closed. It’s not easy to be consistent every day. It’s going to take some pain and suffering.”

The key with this veteran group is evident with its approach to winning a fourth straight regional title.

“We’re all just focused on trying to get the job done. We’ve watched more film. This was the first time we’ve been in the gym on Sunday after winning the regional on Saturday. We usually take the next day off. I said, ‘Alright 8 a.m. tomorrow in the gym’ and no one said a thing.”

Fairland Lady Dragons

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

00 Teagan Leep F 5-08 Sr.

  1 Isa Taliaferro F 5-09 Sr.

  3 Addison Godby PG 6-00 Sr.

  4 Rylee Russell G 5-08 Fr.

  5 Haley Lykins G 5-05 Fr.

10 Addyson Cornell C 5-10 Sr.

15 Stella Whitley G 5-08 So.

22 Lola Donahue G 6-00 Fr.

23 Kiana Miller G 5-07 Fr.

24 Liana Streets G 5-07 Fr.

32 Bailey Russell G 5-08 Sr.

33 Radiance Anderson G 5-08 Fr.

44 Morgan Elkins F 5-11 Fr.

Head coach: Jon Buchanan

Assistant coaches: Adam Alt

2025-26 Results

Fairland 79 South Point 14

Fairland 88 Rock Hill 10

Fairland 90 Ironton 8

Fairland 80 Gallia Academy 39

Fairland 44 Portsmouth 39

Fairland 35 Westside 50

Fairland 83 Ramsay 57

Fairland 51 South Pointe, S.C. 65

Fairland 72 Marietta 29

Fairland 75 Coal Grove 26

Fairland 82 Warren 39

Fairland 73 South Point 20

Fairland 72 Rock Hill 11

Fairland 48 Bellbrook 31

Fairland 62 Pickerington N. 47

Fairland 64 Chesapeake 18

Fairland 77 Ironton 10

Fairland 68 Johnstown-Monroe 49

Fairland 63 Chesapeake 17

Fairland 62 Coal Grove 22

Fairland 82 Gallia Academy 30

Fairland 40 Portsmouth 60

District Tournament

Fairland 111 Northwest 20

Fairland 68 Minford 38

Fairland 69 Portsmouth West 38

Regional Tournament

Fairland 76 Waynesville 38

Fairland 60 Anna 38

Record: 23-4

Ottawa-Glandorf Lady Titans

No. Player Pos. Ht. Gr.

  3 Alivia Grothause SG 5-07 Sr.

  4 Karsyn Erford W 5-08 Sr.

  5 Allison Kuhlman G 5-10 So.

10 Gracie Lammers G 5-05 Jr.

12 Rilee Brinkman PF 5-04 So.

14 Savannah Recker PG 5-04 Sr.

20 Madison McKee C 6-02 Jr.

23 Greta Liebrecht W 5-09 Sr.

24 Leah Escamilla PG 5-04 So.

32 Ava Masters SF 5-07 So.

Head coach: Troy Yant

2025-26 Results

O-G Titans 59 Spencerville 42

O-G Titans 55 Shane 46

O-G Titans 55 Toledo Catholic 46

O-G Titans 52 Liberty-Benton 27

O-G Titans 66 Defiance 31

O-G Titans 54 Patrick Henry 46

O-G Titans 55 Kenton 6

O-G Titans 63 Crestview 37

O-G Titans 45 Columbus Grove 33

O-G Titans 56 Miller City 50

O-G Titans 68 Wapakoneta 34

O-G Titans 71 Fort Loramie 45

O-G Titans 62 Kalida 30

O-G Titans 68 Elida 37

O-G Titans 51 Ottoville 43

O-G Titans 79 Memorial 60

O-G Titans 67 Notre Dame Academy 49

O-G Titans 62 Bath 40

O-G Titans 60 Perrysburg 35

O-G Titans 58 Archbold 34

O-G Titans 61 Van Wert 24

O-G Titans 70 Celina 38

O-G Titans 63 Otsego 12

District Tournament

O-G Titans 60 Elmwood 26

O-G Titans 51 Oak Harbor 29

Regional Tournament

O-G Titans 62 Col. Academy 57

O-G Titans 54 Africentric 42

Record: 27-0