PREP BASKETBALL Rayen girls top choice for title

The Tigers are defending City champions and have won seven of the last nine titles.
By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- It's probably a fair guess that the Rayen School's girls basketball team is the squad to beat in the City Series this season.
"I'm going to win it," said Rayen veteran coach Holly Seimetz.
The Tigers are the defending champs and have captured the title seven of the last nine years.
Taniesha Holland, a sophomore guard, was an All-City pick as a freshman and leads the Tigers, who will use a seven-player rotation.
"I have a good group of girls who like to work and have a good attitude and want to win," said Seimetz.
Seimetz graduated from Massillon Jackson High in 1978 and was recruited by then-Youngstown State women's coach Joyce Ramsey.
After a standout career as a Penguin center, Seimetz graduated from YSU in 1982, coached at Chaney for a season and then went to the now-closed Youngstown South for eight campaigns (and three City Series titles).
High expectations
Rayen has been her home for nine years, and winning the City Series championship has become expected. The Tigers were 15-5 last winter, are 93-91 overall since 1993 and 39-9 in City play in the last nine campaigns.
Seimetz admits the team may not be as deep as some other squads she has coached, but there are 30 players vying for time.
There's even a freshman team, something unheard of in years past.
The coach said that Wilson, Chaney and Canton Timken can battle for second place in the standings.
"They don't have the athletes I have," Seimetz said. "We've played together for years.
"We take it very serious; we look forward to it," she said of defending the crown.
Two seniors, Ashley Adams and Erica Wilson, provide leadership, while juniors Taryn Perkins, Erica Smallwood and Ashley Myers give the team depth.
Against East Liverpool this week Perkins pulled in a career-high 14 rebounds.