Experienced Indians

The leader is different.

But she represents the only major change to the makeup of the Tribe girls basketball team this year.

Fort Recovery High School first-year coach Holly Gann took over a squad that lost no one to graduation.

“We have a ton of great talent back,” said Gann, whose team opens its season Friday at Crestview. “They’re very coachable and they work hard.

“They do everything I ask of them.

“The greatest thing is to see that these girls have such a solid foundation. When I get a group like that, that already has such a good, strong skill set, it’s just seeing where we can go from there.”

Val Muhlenkamp, who is signed to play next season at the University of Findlay, leads Fort Recovery’s experienced group. She was the only Indian to average double-figure scoring last year as she came in at 11 points and six rebounds per game.

“Val … is one of the best spot shooters I’ve seen,” said Gann. “That is going to be her role. … Val can also put the ball on the floor.”

After averaging 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds last season, Olivia Patch also has plans for a collegiate career at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Joining those three in the starting lineup will likely be Alli Vaughn (7.7 ppg), Kierra Wendel (5.5 ppg) and Brooke Kahlig (3.9 ppg), with Paige Fortkamp (4.4 ppg) as the first player off the bench.

One of the focuses will be to improve scoring output after averaging 41 points per game last season — that included just 26 in a district semifinal loss to eventual Division IV state champion Minster — while shooting 38 percent from the field. The target, Gann said, will be to develop an aggressive mentality on the offensive end while taking advantage of the everyone’s individual abilities.

“Just breaking down the offense and doing the things that we can, building off everybody’s strengths,” she said. “How can we maximize all the things we can do?

“We have to shift the mindset to — when we get the ball in our hands, (scoring is) the goal.

“Offensively, we have to look to score every time. … It’s just being aware of whose on the floor and what they can bring to the table, because everybody can bring something.”

Defensively, the Indians will use a similar philosophy to the way Gann played during her high school career. They will press and they will run.

Gann looks at the Indians’ record — 11-12 overall and 3-6 in the Midwest Athletic Conference — from last season and believes they are capable of much more with another year of experience under their belts. (The Indians won 19 games, including at least six in the MAC, in each of the previous three seasons.)

She’s looking to build a culture of success.

What does that mean?

Well, ultimately, it’s measured by the scoreboard.

“We’ve got to win,” she said. “Winning is fun.”