Waynesville will take a 16-6 overall record into the postseason — while capturing the SWBL Buckeye Division title at 13-1, marking the Spartans’ eighth league championship in the last 11 seasons.
For Bricker, a 16-year fixture with the program who spent the previous 15 seasons coaching at the freshman and junior varsity levels, this season has been both new and deeply familiar.
“Taking over for Coach (Tim) Gabbard, I knew there were going to be big shoes to fill,” Bricker said. “I played for him and coached with him for 15 years. My goal was to keep the traditions alive that made Waynesville basketball what it is, and then add a few things I was looking for.”
Those additions included more movement on offense and, with a veteran group in place, a renewed emphasis on defensive pressure. The blend of continuity and subtle change has defined a season that has felt steady even amid transition.
At the heart of the Spartans’ run is a rare senior class — seven players who have grown up in the program together, from youth basketball through the varsity stage.
“That’s special, even for Waynesville,” Bricker said. “To have those seniors who started together at a young age and stayed with it all the way through is rare.”
Leading the way are guards Maggie Stephenson and Katie Berrey, both of whom surpassed 1,000 career points this season.
Berrey reached the milestone early, battling through increased defensive attention after becoming a known scoring threat across the league. Stephenson followed later in the year, hitting the mark in a late-season matchup against Alter.
From the start of their careers, Bricker said, the duo has been all energy.
“They’ve been 100 percent in and committed,” she said. “They love the game. Katie’s done a great job this year when teams have thrown different defenses at her — finding other ways to contribute, making sure her assists are there, stepping up defensively. Maggie has really grown offensively, especially with Katie under pressure and some key seniors graduating last year.”
Stephenson averages 13.2 points, 3.9 assists and 4.1 steals per game, while Berrey adds 11.1 points and nearly four assists per contest. Together, they anchor a balanced offense that averages 54.5 points per game and shoots 41.7 percent from the field.
Inside, Grace Cordery and Amelia Bunch have provided the physical presence that fuels the Spartans’ identity.
“One of the biggest things we talked about at the start of the season was winning the rebounding battle,” Bricker said. “Grace and Amelia have been key to that. In games where we dominate the boards, we tend to come out on top.”
Cordery averages 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while Bunch adds 6.3 rebounds and shoots 49 percent from the floor. Their work on the glass has helped Waynesville maintain a plus-margin in rebounding and create second-chance opportunities.
And the Spartans’ sustained success is no accident.
Waynesville’s eight division titles in 11 years can be traced back to a youth program that begins as early as second grade. In a small school community where athletes often play multiple sports, the emphasis is on fostering a love for basketball early — and keeping it.
“There are so many things competing for kids’ attention now,” Bricker said. “We’ve been fortunate to have athletes who play multiple sports but are still fully committed to basketball. That goes back to the love of the game they develop in youth basketball and build through middle school.”
That pipeline has produced a steady stream of contributors and a culture where expectations are inherited rather than imposed.
“Every year we go in believing we have the talent and ability to compete at any level,” Bricker said. “It’s about taking it one game at a time and seeing how it comes out.”
Bricker said the shift from longtime assistant to head coach has come with added pressure — and added pride.
“It’s been a lot of fun working with a group of seniors I’ve seen come up through the program,” she said. “But it’s also a step up in responsibility. There are more decisions on my shoulders now. I want to make sure the tradition of Waynesville basketball stays at that level.”
If there is one defining characteristic of this year’s Spartans, Bricker said, it’s effort.
“One thing I keep hearing from fans is how much fun it is to watch how hard they play,” she said. “They go hard after the ball, they play hard defensively, they attack the basket offensively. They push the pace.”
That relentless approach has helped Waynesville secure another league crown and position itself for a postseason run — the latest chapter in a decade-plus stretch of dominance.
JournalNews area girls basketball postseason schedule:
Division I
No. 6 Mason vs. No. 11 Colerain at Fairfield, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18
No. 1 Milford vs. No. 13 Fairfield at Lakota East, 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 23
No. 2 Princeton vs. No. 15 Middletown at Lakota East, 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 23
No. 5 Walnut Hills vs. No. 10 Lakota East at Fairfield, 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 23
No. 2 Springboro vs. No. 5 Centerville at Fairborn, 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24
No. 12 Lebanon vs. No. 4 Lakota West at Lakota East, 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24
No. 14 Hamilton vs. No. 3 West Clermont at Lakota East, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24
Division II
No. 7 Kings vs. No. 8 Harrison at Fairfield, 5 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25
No. 9 Edgewood vs. No. 5 Little Miami at Lakota East, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25
Division III
No. 7 Aiken vs. No. 8 Ross at Western Brown, 6 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18
No. 4 Monroe vs. No. 9 Mount Healthy at Princeton, 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19
No. 11 Franklin vs. No. 12 Piqua at Springfield, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
No. 3 Talawanda vs. No. 11 Wilmington at Princeton, 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
No. 6 Badin vs. No. 10 Hughes at Princeton, 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
Division IV
No. 16 Carlisle vs. No. 2 Brookville at Troy, 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
No. 4 Urbana vs. No. 14 Madison at Troy, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 19
No. 10 Gamble Montessori vs. No. 9 Fenwick at Middletown, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18
Division V
No. 1 Waynesville vs. No. 9 Shawnee at Trotwood, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 18
Division VI
No. 2 Cincinnati Christian vs. No. 3 Cincinnati Country Day at Monroe, 11 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 21
Division VII
No. 1 Middletown Christian vs. No. 7 Oyler at Monroe, 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21 … Winner plays No. 6 New Miami at Monroe at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25
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