Carpet Capital Christmas Classic
Girls Analysis

Carpet Capital Christmas Classic Top Performers

2021 5-10 W Alexa Geary – Sonoraville
The Georgia College-signee showcased her entire offensive arsenal in an explosive 26-point outburst. Sonoraville dispatched of host Christian Heritage 68-44 behind Geary’s big game. She added 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal as well. The Lions had no answer for Geary’s three-level scoring. She drove hard to the basket and was a foul magnet going 9-12 from the line. Geary was able to force the issue and eurostep in traffic to avoid any shot blockers. She was a threat to go coast-to-coast on rebounds and take the ball all the way to the basket. Sonoraville moved the ball very well on offense, often ending with Geary sinking a three. She nailed 3 threes and shot with confidence. Though they haven’t made it over the hump, Sonoraville is no stranger to deep state playoff runs. The Phoenix have advanced to the Final Four and the Elite Eight the past two seasons, both times losing to Johnson-Savannah. Geary’s dynamic play along with a solid supporting cast makes Sonoraville as dangerous as ever in a deep Class 3A.

2021 5-4 PG Faith Humphrey – Christian Heritage
I was extremely impressed with how Faith Humphrey played on Tuesday. The undersized guard is an extension of her coach. She is a vocal leader on both ends of the floor, barking out orders on offense and making sure everyone is position defensively.  Humphrey plays with great energy. She’s all over the floor and plays bigger than her height. Faith has a pretty shot that can stretch defenses and is a tough-nosed driver that knows how to draw contact. She went 5-6 from the line and was able to finish against length. Her best move was when she spun off a defender and immediately hit a floater over the defense.  She uses ball fakes and a sharp handle to break loose of the defense. Faith filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Humphrey is a very good option at the smaller levels. Her IQ and competitiveness along with her crafty skill can take her a long way. She currently holds offers from Agnes Scott and Berry College. I think local D-II schools should at least have her on their recruiting boards.

2021 5-6 PG Kenley Woods – Coahulla Creek
The fact that Kenley Woods doesn’t have anything going on with her recruitment is an indictment on college coaches. Woods is a true point guard in every sense of the word. She is an elite passer at the high school level and sees plays develop before they happen. Woods has the skills to be a popular D-II prospect. In a Top 10 showdown vs. No. 9 Gilmer, Woods put together the most complete game I’ve ever seen from her. She hit threes off the dribble, attacked the basket and got to the line (4-7 FT), defended and rebounded at a high level. Woods tallied 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Her play oozes with confidence. Sometimes she can get a little overzealous and make a poor decision here or there, but her overall contribution to the Colts is so valuable that scattered mistakes aren’t a huge issue. D-III programs should be begging her to play while D-II’s should be tracking her very closely. With no current offers, Woods could be one of the best late pickups in Georgia.

2021 5-4 PG Ema Turner – Coahulla Creek
The second prong of Coahulla Creek’s talented veteran backcourt is Ema Turner, a blinding point guard that pushes the tempo extremely well. Turner was a blur in the open court on Tuesday, setting the pace and getting the Colts off and running in transition. Turner came out aggressive, calling her own number early and scoring on hard takes to the basket. As the game progressed, she settled in as a playmaker. Turner made some tough passes to set up her teammates and helped break Gilmer’s press when the game got hectic. She finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. The backcourt of Kenley Woods and Ema Turner can match almost anyone in Class 3A. I would have liked to see them take a stranglehold of the game in the fourth quarter while Gilmer was making their 16-3 run, but when the game was on the line, it was Turner who stepped up. She got a steal and layup to push the lead to five points with 32 seconds left and later hit a free throw with under 8 seconds remaining to help secure the wild 61-58 victory. Add in 6-foot-1 Shorter-signee Katelyn Richards along with terrific play from floor spacer Jillian Poe and energetic wing Brinkley Kate Reed and the Colts have more than enough to make a deep playoff run and contend for their first ever state title.

2022 6-1 F Elly Callihan – Gilmer
Elly Callihan was a one-man wrecking crew until her teammates picked up the slack in the fourth quarter. Without Callihan, Gilmer loses in blowout fashion. She dumped in 30 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and 1 block. The volleyball standout is long and agile. She had good feet and a soft touch inside. Callihan cleans up misses with her length and can rebound without going over the back. Elly can attack off the dribble on straight line drives and is capable of finishing through contact. She scored a bulk of her points on put-backs and dump-off passes. Callihan didn’t really show a lot of true back-to-the-basket post moves. Her most consistent offense came on some one-dribble step throughs. Late in the fourth quarter she stepped outside and stroked a corner three. She has some upside from the perimeter and could eventually be a stretch-four that creates mismatches with her length and quickness. Callihan has a lot of physical tools to work with. With some added low post work and some more reps on the wing, Callihan could develop into a really good prospect. Only a junior, Elly has a chance to solidify herself as the top forward in North Georgia come senior season.