Defending state champion Bulldogs retain high expectations

COLUMBUS GROVE – Columbus Grove girls basketball coach Brian Schroeder knows you cannot just replace a player like Lauryn Auchmuty.He can take some comfort, though, in the fact that he has a strength-in-numbers chance to make this season as productive as the last.Auchmuty capped a brilliant career by leading Columbus Grove to the Division VI state championship last season. The 5-foot-7 guard averaged 24.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 steals as was named Ohio's Division VI Player of the Year for the 27-2 Bulldogs.She scored 17 point in a 65-46 win over Rootstown in the state championship game, and ended her career as Putnam County's all-time leading scorer – boys or girls – with 1,951 points.Auchmuty picked up her diploma and headed off to play for the University of Findlay. Every other player on the state championship roster is back, though, and it's an alphabetically affluent group of veterans that, combined, has earned 13 varsity letters.Senior forwards Nicole Nesby and Kendal Palte are already three-year letter winners. Senior guards Elyse Fortman, Ruth Myers and Allison Thompson have two varsity letters each and Aubrey Schroeder, a sophomore guard, not only lettered as a freshman but averaged 8.8 points a game and scored 14 points and dished out three assists in the state championship.Nesby averaged 10.2 points a game and had a 13-point, 16-rebound double-double in the state final. Palte averaged 6.2 points a game, Thompson 5.4, Fortman 2.5 and Myers 1.7.Senior guard Mya Verhoff, junior guard Saige Benroth and freshman guard Brynn Calvelage round out a deep and talented roster for Brian Schroeder, who has compiled a 233-74 record in his 17 seasons as head coach.