Marysville Basketball: Tinklenberg, Collins and the Next Generation
Updated: 2 days ago
Marysville boys basketball has an ambitious next chapter in front of it: develop the young talent coming through the program, keep building the standard and put another district championship within reach. There is real reason to follow the work. Coach Mark Tinklenberg, Coach Jamey Collins and the staff bring experience to a program with conference championships, accomplished players and a community ready to support the next group.
This is a follow-up to Wolfe Sports' November 2025 feature, “An Experienced Coaching Staff That Believes in Marysville High School Basketball.” That article focused on the people investing in the program. The next part of the story is how that investment meets a new generation of Monarchs. From our perspective, the combination is worth getting behind.
Illustrative artwork created for Wolfe Sports. Original player photos and game footage remain in the article.
Coach Tinklenberg: a standard the next group can build on
Tinklenberg has already helped Marysville produce a meaningful league milestone. Published March 2024 reporting identified him as the OCC-Cardinal Coach of the Year after the Monarchs earned their first league championship in four years. It was an achievement built in a demanding conference, and it belongs in the foundation of the program's current direction.
That same coverage described a Marysville team that kept competing into the closing minutes of its tournament game against Westerville South. CJ Collins scored 14 points, including three fourth-quarter three-pointers as the Monarchs made a late push. Jason Moore and Andrew Rabe added 12 apiece, with Ryker Bowden, Zach Barlow, Merrick Reynolds and Cole Brewer also contributing. Those names help show the breadth of the group that represented Marysville in that chapter.
For Wolfe Sports, Coach Tink's value is in the continued investment: teaching through different roster cycles, creating expectations and helping players understand what the next level of responsibility requires. A young team benefits from a coach who can give development a direction. The goal is to make the program stronger from one class to the next.
Coach Collins: experience that belongs in a championship pursuit
Jamey Collins brings substantial tournament experience to that work. His long run leading Dublin Coffman's boys program lasted 21 seasons. January 2022 reporting credited him with four district championships at that point in his career, along with a significant history of Division I recruits. Those are real experiences a staff can draw on when preparing players for the demands of the OCC and the tournament.
The value is not simply having a successful résumé in the gym. It is having someone who understands preparation, adjustments and the pressure of meaningful possessions. Collins has coached accomplished players and teams through those situations. Working alongside Tinklenberg, he adds another experienced voice to the daily work of bringing Marysville's next group forward.
We like that pairing. A program chasing a district title benefits from people who respect the process and understand how difficult the final steps can be. Young players need enthusiasm, and they also need detailed teaching. There is good reason to appreciate a staff with that combination available to it.
The staff's work reaches beyond varsity game night
Our earlier coaching feature also recognized Branden Rushton, Evan Will, Josh Smith, Dylan Van Vlerah and Jack Christian alongside Tinklenberg and Collins. That is the staff foundation described in that coverage; it should not be read as a newly confirmed, complete 2026–27 staffing directory. The wider point remains: developing a program takes contributions across levels, practices and seasons.
Christian's new JV basketball opportunity, shared with Wolfe Sports for our recent feature, fits that development story particularly well. A former Marysville record-setting scorer can help young players connect individual skills with team responsibilities. JV basketball is an important bridge. It gives players a place to learn, compete and prepare to contribute when the varsity opportunity arrives.
The staff foundation: Marysville’s 2025–26 breakdown
Last year’s staff information supplied to Wolfe Sports gives the newer program story more depth. The tenures below describe 2025–26; they are historical context, rather than an assumed complete 2026–27 staff directory.
Mark Tinklenberg — head coach, fifth season in the 2025–26 breakdown. His OCC-Cardinal Coach of the Year recognition and Marysville’s league championship are documented in March 2024 reporting.
Jamey Collins — assistant, second Marysville season in that breakdown. Our earlier information described approximately 15 years working with Tinklenberg. Collins’ Dublin Coffman background includes four district championships, documented by 270 Hoops in January 2022. Last year’s feature used the spelling Jamie; public team listings use Jamey.
Branden Rushton — assistant, second season in the 2025–26 breakdown.
Evan Will — assistant, fifth season in the 2025–26 breakdown.
Josh Smith — assistant, fifth season in the 2025–26 breakdown.
Dylan Van Vlerah — assistant, fifth season in the 2025–26 breakdown.
Jack Christian — assistant, first season in the 2025–26 breakdown; a former Marysville 1,000-point scorer and a member of the Class of 2021. His later JV coaching opportunity is covered in our separate feature.
That combination connects established coaching experience with an alumnus who played in the program. It also places the returning-player discussion in its proper setting: development across practices, junior varsity and varsity, with current assignments confirmed by the school.
Marysville athletics: location and contact
Marysville High School: 800 Amrine Mill Road, Marysville, Ohio 43040. High school athletic director Eric Music: 937-578-6210.
A talented young group with room to grow together
Kellan Carter is one of the clearest returning-player storylines. The Class of 2029 player gained varsity experience as a freshman, and the published April 2026 All-OCC selections list him as an OCC-Cardinal special-mention selection. Early recognition gives him a strong starting point for his sophomore chapter without removing the work still ahead.
Wolfe Sports' coverage documented 16 points against Hilliard Bradley in January 2026 and 18 against Hilliard Darby in Marysville's 65–64 win. Those are dated examples from his freshman season, not projections for the coming year. They show that he has already had opportunities to produce against high school competition. The next step is to keep turning that experience into reliable team contributions.
The young-player conversation goes well beyond one name. Myles Forrester, Hudson King and AJ Shroyer are among the Class of 2029 players already featured in Wolfe Sports coverage. Our local development watch also includes Sullivan Stackhouse, David Lian, Cole Schott, Javy Lopez and Adam Idrissi. These are players we are interested in following, rather than an announced varsity lineup or a guarantee of minutes.
That is part of what makes this stage exciting. A group with shared experience has a chance to keep learning the game together while individual players find their roles. Talent becomes more valuable when it fits a team: defending a possession, making the extra pass, rebounding outside your area and responding well when the game gets difficult.
Marysville's broader player pipeline has also included names such as Henry Brown and Dayton Storr in our coverage. The program's next chapter should leave room for returning players, developing players and athletes who earn their way into a larger opportunity. A strong team needs more than a few recognizable names. It needs a group willing to make the whole thing work.
Conference titles and accomplished players have built a foundation
The 2024 league title was not Marysville's first experience of OCC success. Reporting on Jack Christian's career documented the 2019–20 OCC-Central championship. Christian's record-setting scoring career, Moore's continued college basketball path and the contributions of players such as CJ Collins and Brewer give today's Monarchs meaningful examples to learn from.
The graduating Class of 2026 deserves its place in that story. Wolfe Sports followed Cole Brewer, Brennan Adkins, Harrison Reppart, Drew Chaffin, Dawson Taylor, Owen Graves, Levi Crouso and Ben Coil across their high school coverage. Their chapter is part of what the younger players inherit: film to study, examples of preparation and a reminder that each group contributes something to the program.
The district championship goal gives the work a direction
Marysville's historic 1956 boys district championship remains an important part of the program's story. The aim of bringing another district trophy home is a worthy one. It gives the community something to rally around and the players a challenge bigger than individual attention.
The path is demanding. OCC competition can test a team throughout the season, and tournament basketball demands that players execute when possessions become more valuable. That makes the daily details matter: communication on defense, protecting the ball, finishing possessions with rebounds, creating useful shots and staying connected through a difficult stretch.
None of those habits appear simply because a group is talented. They have to be taught and practiced. That is where an experienced staff and a motivated young roster can help each other. The coaches provide direction; the players bring the willingness to respond. Over time, that partnership can put a team in position to pursue the goal.
Why this next chapter deserves support
There is a lot to like about the direction available to Marysville basketball. Tinklenberg has helped deliver an OCC title. Collins adds years of high-level coaching experience. The staff foundation has people invested in development, and the next generation has players with a reason to be excited about the work.
Wolfe Sports will continue following that progress with a supportive eye. Good luck to Coach Tink, Coach Collins, the staff and every Monarch preparing for the season. The district-championship pursuit is a shared project. Marysville has history to respect, young talent to develop and people ready to help the next chapter take shape.
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Sources and review
Published October 14, 2026. Historical achievements retain their stated season. Player watchlist reflects Wolfe Sports coverage and local background; upcoming roster roles remain subject to the team's selections. Staff names beyond the verified head coach and assistant references are identified from our prior feature. Cover is original editorial artwork.
