Former Pickerington Central coach Hedgepeth to lead Canal Winchester girls basketball
Having reached at least a Division I district semifinal each of the last four seasons, the Canal Winchester girls basketball team hopes its new coach repeats his past success and takes the program to the next level.
Johnathan Hedgepeth, who led Pickerington Central to the 2018 Division I state championship, was announced Thursday as the Indians’ next coach, pending school board approval.
Hedgepeth went 170-42 from 2013-21 at Central, winning district championships in each of his final six seasons. The Tigers also were state runners-up in 2019.
“Coach Hedgepeth created a very clear vision for the CW program and we are excited to welcome him,” athletic director Pat Durbin said in a statement. “Coach Hedgepeth brings experience, passion, a winning attitude (and) the ability to motivate his players to unlock their full potential, along with a proven track record for developing and cultivating positive relationships.”
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Hedgepeth succeeds Mark Chapman, who stepped down in March after going 62-31 in four seasons. Chapman’s run included a district runner-up finish in 2020.
Although he resigned as Central’s coach in summer 2021, Hedgepeth remained in the program as an assistant to his own former assistant, Chris Wallace.
Central continued its district title streak the last two seasons and in March reached its first state tournament in four years, losing to Olmsted Falls 58-53 in a semifinal.
Canal Winchester graduates 1,000-point scorer and special mention all-state selection Kate Ratliff but is expected to return several other key players from an 18-7 team that lost in a district semifinal, including junior point guard Kay Dunn and freshman guard/forward London Johnson.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Johnathan Hedgepeth named Canal Winchester girls basketball coach
