‘Embracing the secret sauce’: Unselfishness breeds success for Big Walnut girls basketball
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
By Micheal Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Big Walnut junior Sydney Mobley shoots a jumper in the lane in a home game against Dublin Scioto on Jan. 13. Photo: Kevin Rouch
When asked to describe the catalyst of the success of her Big Walnut girls basketball program this season, coach Carey Largent paused and contemplated the answer for a while.
The Golden Eagles are 18-4 overall and champions of the OCC-Capital Division at 12-0, and are ranked ninth in the state in Division II heading into the postseason.
All that has added a second league title in three years and a regional championship for the first time to the banner on the gymnasium wall.
Big Walnut, the top seed in the district tournament, opens at home against 15th-seeded and league rival Dublin Scioto Feb. 19 with the winner facing 14th-seeded Canal Winchester in a district semifinal.
The obvious answer to the pondered question is talent. Big Walnut has plenty with juniors Sydney Mobley (forward) and Remy Largent (guard), and sophomore Ryleigh Thrapp (guard) perhaps the most notable. All three have Division I college offers in hand.
But coach Largent provided the underlying reason for that success.
“There’s a level of sacrifice that comes with that,” she said. “I think finding your place and embracing that is the secret sauce to being on a good team. Not every team can get to that place.”
Mobley is averaging 19.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.9 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, Remy Largent, the coach’s daughter, is averaging 12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals, and Thrapp 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.9 assists to lead the Eagles.
Junior Remy Largent spots up for a shot in Big Walnut’s OCC home game against Dublin Scioto last Friday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Seniors Lexi Federer (guard) and Alexa Morris (forward), junior Jozie Syroka (guard) and sophomore Shelby Damron (forward) have also shared in the wealth. Damron is also a key player on the volleyball team.
“I think there’s a lot of things we do in practice,” said Federer, a Southeastern (FL) University commit, who averages a team-best 3.5 assists to go with 5.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. “We do a lot of ‘One More’ drills – just practicing getting each other open. And then off the court, we spend a lot of time together. I think it just makes it really easy for us to want to make plays for each other … to make that extra pass and play unselfish.”
Developing their bond began in the offseason.
“Last summer, we went to (Mobley’s) lake house and spent a day on the water, skiing and tubing and stuff,” Federer said. “We went to Florida and spent time on the beach together, eating all our meals together, traveling together, playing our games together and just hanging out at the house. I just think all the time we spent together; it clicked pretty quickly for us and we’re really close.”
Federer encapsulates Big Walnut’s unselfish style. Her 250 career assists are a program record, passing 2019 graduate Erin Boehm (205) earlier this season.
“She is just solid all the way across the board,” Largent said. “She already has a (sacrificial) mindset. She will do whatever the team needs at that time to win. She’s not concerned about stats. She’s not concerned about accolades. She wants to win.”
Federer, who also played soccer at Big Walnut, said it’s easy to be unselfish given the amount of talent around her.
Big Walnut sophomore Ryleigh Thrapp finds herself open for the layup against Dublin Scioto Jan. 13 in Sunbury. Photo: Kevin Rouch
“I have a lot of good scorers around me,” she said. “(Coach Largent) has put in a really good offense that allows me to create for my teammates and just set them up to score.”
One of the other things that stood out to coach Largent was how her team learned from each of its losses.
Big Walnut struggled on the boards, giving up 22 offensive rebounds in a 74-66 loss to Indianapolis (IN) Pike Dec. 23 and turned the ball over 23 times in the following game against Cincinnati Princeton (Dec. 27) where the Eagles lost 64-60. Foul trouble was a common theme in all four losses.
But Big Walnut is undefeated in 2026, winning all 12 of its games, including over Lyndhurst Brush (46-33) and Cincinnati Purcell Marian (67-46) on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
“Those are huge lessons for us and our girls (to have learned) against high-level competition,” Largent said. “We were right there with definitely winnable games. Those two stats (turnovers and rebounding) absolutely killed us.
“Against Brush and Purcell Marian, we applied those (lessons) so well. To see the growth – when you have losses like that (and) absorb the lesson, work on it in practice and then execute it – it’s so gratifying as a coach.”
Federer said all the Eagles have done so far is in preparation for one big goal.
“We didn’t really have a goal for wins and losses in the regular season,” she said. “Our schedule was really tough, and I think Carey did a really good job of getting us games that will prepare us for the postseason. But our ultimate goal from the start of the season is to win states.”
Senior Lexi Federer, a Southeastern (FL) University (NAIA) commit, drives to the basket during Big Walnut’s win over visiting Dublin Scioto last Friday. Photo: Kevin Rouch
MORE PHOTOS
Big Walnut senior Alexa Morris shoots beyond the arc for the Golden Eagles last Friday against Dublin Scioto. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Junior guard Jozie Syroka brings the ball downcourt in Big Walnut’s home win against Dublin Scioto Jan. 13. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Big Walnut head coach Carey Largent, a Golden Eagles’ alum, talks to her squad during their home game last Friday against Dublin Scioto. Photo: Kevin Rouch