DII-AA State Tournament Contender: Father Ryan

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: Father Ryan</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Enjoy the preview of the Father Ryan (DII-AA) of the Middle Region ...a State Tournament Contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Head Coach: <strong>Malik Mims</strong> (1st season at Father Ryan)<br>Last Season's Record: 20-9<br>Last Season's Ending: Lost to Ensworth in DII-AA State Quarterfinal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Players</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2236510"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693cf6e5eb55f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>12/14/25:</strong> Quick first-step. Lefty scorer. Joshua is more combo than lead guard. Father Ryan does not tend to lean heavily on ball-handling guards, in general. They are very "passy" and like to change the point of attack quickly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"We have not had anybody this year that could keep him in front including Walker Valley and Bearden," said Father Ryan Head Coach Malik Mims via phone December 22nd. "Even in those games he was able to touch the paint. In the off-season he took what we told him he had to do and worked on it. High level athlete playing around the rim. A nightmare to try to keep in front."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams can create his own a little bit. Williams will average double-figures this year for a team that wins a lot of games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cleveland State Community College and Pellissippi State Community College are looking at him. Cleveland State evaluated him twice already in-person since the summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1834842"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693cf7577019e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>12/14/25:</strong> Great, great student! </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I knew about him from travel ball some, but with us playing at a different pace this year shows truly what he is and what he can do," said Father Ryan Head Coach Malik Mims. "He is 6'3" and 185 solid. A matchup nightmare. He can post up smaller guards. Take bigger guys to the basket."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fisch is putting up 17.0 ppg on 54% shooting. If there is a criticism, then it is that the tremendous shooter only gets to the free throw line slightly above one time per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2408382"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693cf8bbdb523"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong><strong>12/22/25:</strong></strong> "Elite shooter," Father Ryan Head Coach Malik Mims. "He is shooting 49% from the 3 for the year. That is over 75 attempts. Spreads the floor for us and allows Michael and Joshua to do what they do."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2453504"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693f70cf3e1cf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong><strong>12/22/25:</strong></strong> "Intangible guy," said Father Ryan Head Coach Malik Mims. "Legitimately 6-foot-5 walking around. Capable three-point shooter. He can guard 1-5 for us. We switch everything when he is in the game."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2639219"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69496677a4f61"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>12/22/25:</strong> Helping the squad with 5.9 ppg and 3.2 apg midway through his sophomore campaign.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Tremendous upside," shared Father Ryan Head Coach Malik Mims. "He is 35% from 3. He kind of has to defer to the other guys right now because they are older. We are asking him to be an assist guy this year and an elite level defender. He can shoot it. He can dunk it. And he can guard his position. He looked good in the Bearden game. He looked good in the Walker Valley game. Hillsboro was his best game of the year."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Returners</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2236510' first='Joshua' last='Williams']<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2408382' first='Jd' last='Hauser']<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2639219' first='Tyler' last='Bennerman']<br>[player_tooltip player_id='1834842' first='Michael' last='Fisch']<br>Brad Bach<br>Levi Jenkins<br>Miller Lord<br>Ryan Cockerham<br>Olek Balinski<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2905353' first='Reece' last='Young']<br>Jed Bach<br>Wes Reilly<br>[player_tooltip player_id='2453504' first='Caleb' last='Wyatt']<br>Hudson Bryant<br>Whit Morton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Newcomers</strong>:<br>[player_tooltip player_id='3009738' first='Henry' last='Nguyen'] (Class of 2027)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Departures</strong>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hayden Campbell (Graduated)<br>Cade Bennerman (Graduated)<br>Ford Zook (Graduated)<br>Charlie Grimes (Graduated)<br>JD Fisch (Graduated)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->