Fayetteville’s Ryley Kleemeyer, center, threads a pass through the Harrison defense June 27, 2023, during the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout at the Norwood Recreation Center. Kleemeyer, who will be a junior this upcoming season, was one of the Lady Rockets’ top performers last season, averaging 9.1 points per game.
Fayetteville girls basketball team enjoying not-so-off-season
Fayetteville’s Christina Murphy, left, drives through the Harrison defense and to the hoop June 27, 2023, during the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout at the Norwood Recreation Center.
Fayetteville’s Scarlett Crawford, left, tries to chase down a pass June 27, 2023, against Harrison in the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout at the Norwood Recreation Center.
Fayetteville’s Cara Rummel, left, tries to get off a shot June 27, 2023, against Harrison in the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout at the Norwood Recreation Center.
Fayetteville’s Scarlett Crawford, front right, works through the Harrison defense on her way to the basket June 27, 2023, in the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout at the Norwood Recreation Center.
Goodbye, summer. Hello, winter.
The Fayetteville girls basketball team wrapped up play in a summer of open-gym sessions, camps and shootouts with a pair of games June 27 in the Norwood Lady Indians Shootout.
The team, consisting of players who will suit up this winter for the Fayetteville-Perry Lady Rockets, lost its first game June 27, falling to a solid Harrison squad, 48-28, at the Norwood Recreation Center, then walked across the street to Norwood Middle School, where the team closed out summer play with a 37-31 victory over Taylor later that afternoon.
“That Harrison team was a tough bunch,” Fayetteville coach Tory Rummel said. “It was a good challenge for us.”
While the score was kept, individual stats and scoring and the like were not.
“For summer ball, I make it a habit not to keep stats and (individual) scoring simply because I want the girls to concentrate more on the team bonding and learning to play with one another than where points and stats are coming from,” Rummel said. “The overall goal is to contribute to the team, be it points, rebounds, assists, leadership …”
Now, with summer play over and the season still about four months away, Rummel looked back on a summer that served its purpose.
“Overall, for the summer, we have had a great time on and off the court,” said Rummel, who will be in her third year as the Lady Rockets’ head coach after leading the team to section championships her first two seasons. “We held multiple open-gym sessions, held a youth basketball camp for over 60 kids ages K-8, competed in multiple shootouts, and also attended a team camp at Cedarville (Ohio) University. We have played division 1-4 schools and competed well against each of them.”
Several players who contributed extensively during the 2022-23 season for Fayetteville-Perry played in the shootout and throughout the summer, led by Ryley Kleemeyer.
Kleemeyer, who will be a junior this upcoming season, was second on the team in scoring and rebounding last season at 9.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game – graduated star Anne Murphy was first in both categories – and was at the center of the action during the shootout.
Scarlett Crawford, who will be a sophomore, was third on the team in scoring at 6.0 points per game, and Victoria Thompson, who will be a junior, was fourth at 4.7 ppg.
Also on the Fayetteville roster this summer and expected to compete for the Lady Rockets this upcoming season: senior Ellie Attinger; juniors Lilee Coffman and Lilly Waddell; sophomores Lilly Carlier, Darcie Reeves and Ava Baker; and freshmen Cara Rummel, Aubrey Barber, Christina Murphy, Autumn Waddell, Ava Corsmeier, Avery Wolf, Maya Murphy and Ella Bryan.