Contributed by Rob Grubbs (@RCGJr226070)
Photo by CD Photography (@FayetteSports)
Fayette County 58, Sandy Creek 32
Trinity Brown || CD Photography
FAYETTEVILLE, Georgia – Two teams that had impressive finishes to last years’ season faced off in an early inter-county rivalry game. The Sandy Creek Lady Patriots made it to the Class AAAA Final 4 where they would lose to eventual champion Columbus. Graduation was not kind to Coach Janie Hodges and the Lady Patriots as they lost their dynamic backcourt duo of ShanQuaylia Stanton and Kasey Toles from last year’s team. This year’s team will be focused more on a strong inside game from their star post players, Daija Powell and Paris Thompson.
Fayette County Coach John Strickland also lost a key player from last year’s Class AAAAA Sweet 16 team, Darryl Langford who is at the Naval Academy now, but brought back a deep roster with strong senior leadership. In contrast to Sandy Creek, the Lady Tigers bring experience to the backcourt but are young inside. The matchup was a classic opportunity for both teams to see where they are and what needs work. Since this is was a non-region game, one team was going to win while the other was going to learn more about themselves.
Sandy Creek jumped out to an 8-5 first quarter lead with all points scored by Powell. The new guard tandem of Nina Lum and Jania Hodges were constantly feeding the ball down low, and Powell was moving in the paint with ease. As the game progressed, the Lady Tigers continued to rotate players, making wholesale changes at almost every break. Guards Maegan Brantley, Sidney Sims and Trinity Brown were playing fast and they slowly turned the defensive pressure up which wore down the Patriots. After taking a 22-18 lead into the half, the Lady Tigers dominated the third quarter with their full court press and depth to pull away.
Afterwards, Strickland was proud his post players who were getting the first significant playing time of their career. “Naomi Franco and Celine Akande played outstanding against their inside players, who are really good. We know what we have in our frontcourt, we know what to expect from Maegan, Trinity and Sidney, but I was really encouraged with how Naomi and Celine played. If they continue to progress, that will open up more of our offense.”
Strickland also wanted to brag more on his ladies latest academic feats than the game, he said, “This has the potential to be a special group.”
In the end, it was Fayette County 58-32 with Brown and Barkley leading scorers with 15 each. Franco played a solid game in the post, just missing a double-double with 9 points and 9 rebounds. Powell led the Lady Patriots with 15; look for them to improve as the season goes along and their guard play gets more comfortable and confident.
The Class AAAAAA No. 1 ranked Northview Lady Titans hit the road to visit a new-look Woodstock Wolverines team with Jared Hughes at the helm, his first official game on the sidelines after coming over from Rome to replace long-time head coach Julie Crowe. Last season it was the Titans who hosted the Wolverines to open the year with Northview scoring a dominant 57-44 victory. The tables were nearly turned on Tuesday as Woodstock pushed the Titans to the limit before falling 61-51.
Arriving just 15 minutes before game-time after an hour and 45-minute commute, Northview opened up slow with fouls piling up. Starting point guard Asjah Inniss was ushered to the bench with two fouls in just a minute and 50 seconds, immediately testing Northview’s depth.
The Titans managed to push the lead to 10-4, but at the 3:46 mark, it was Maya Richards’ turn to pick up her second foul and head to the bench. With two key cogs on Coach Chris Yarbrough’s bench, the Wolverines made their move. Freshman point guard Kayden Montgomery sparked a 7-0 run to take an 11-10 lead, hustling to earn second-chance points by hitting the glass and deflecting an assist to physical post Ivana George, who scored all six of her points in the first half.
Woodstock had opportunities to take a lead heading into the second quarter but three turnovers in near succession held the score at 13-13 after one. Highly touted freshman combo guard Eden Sample carried the offensive burden in the first quarter with Inniss and Richards sidelined and the Titans already with nine team fouls. The smooth shooter scored six points and netted 12 of her team-high 16 in the first half.
Playing with two fouls, Inniss reentered to start the second quarter and ignited the Titans. A quick steal led to an And-1 and before long Northview found itself leading 22-14 with 5:37 left to play, a 9-1 run.
Coach Hughes’ Wolverines settled down and cut the lead to 27-22, George and Montgomery working an inside-out game. On the other side, Austin continued to pound away inside. She went 5-of-6 from the line and finished the night with 16 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.
Down 10 with seconds remaining, Montgomery banked in a three at the buzzer to keep the Wolverines in striking distance heading into the half down 34-27.
Northview came out of the locker room with something to prove in the second half. Clamping on a diamond press, the Titans ripped off a 13-0 run to put the Wolverines on the ropes, now down 20 at 47-27 less than three minutes into the third.
Just a few more baskets away from Goliath landing the knockout punch to David, the underdogs found their stone in the form of 5-foot-11 sophomore Sophia Singer. After scoring just four points in the first half, the potential laced wing poured in 10 of Woodstock’s 11 points in the frame including back-to-back threes to put the Wolverines’ upset bid back on life support, heading into the fourth quarter down 54-38.
The Singer onslaught continued in the final frame as Woodstock sparked a 7-0 run to bring the score to 54-45. The closest the Wolverines would draw would be at the 4:06 mark after Singer put in two of her game-high 21 points off an offensive rebound to make the score 55-48.
From that point on, the Titans finally got a hold of Singer and contained her to one point the rest of the way and was able to nurse a healthy 8-to-10-point lead to the finish line. Northview scored all their fourth quarter points from the charity stripe, going 7-of-10.
My Take
It wasn’t the prettiest way to start the season – a foul fest – but No. 1 Northview was able to hang on. There looked like upwards of four future D-I players on the court. Ashlee Austin is still the most consistent player for Northview and she will be asked to become even more of a cornerstone now that Shannon Titus is at Mercer. The 2019 6-foot-2 forward crashed the glass hard as always and looked even better on the perimeter than last year, comfortable going between her legs and off the dribble to create for shooters in the corner. In due time, I’d like to see her finish those drives through defenders instead of kicking out, but she did a good job of not forcing any bad shots. As good as Austin was, Asjah Inniss was the energizer bunny and the straw that stirred the drink for Northview. The quick and wiry sophomore looked like the game slowed down for her after she tended to play a little too fast as a freshman. Inniss has great hands on the perimeter and can get to a ton of 50/50 balls. Her 13 points and nine steals were a major difference maker. The Titans didn’t function nearly as well on both sides of the ball while she was in foul trouble. Freshman Eden Sample has a pretty stroke and good body control when she finds herself on the low block. She’s able to finish through contact. She stepped up big time with Inniss on the bench and will be counted on to stretch defenses. She has a bright next four years. An unsung hero was undersized senior post Camil Butler. She saw sporadic minutes last season but had to play a big role right away with Maya Richards on the bench. She finished with five points (5-of-6 FT), three rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks. She was automatic from the foul line and very composed when she found the ball in her hands. Great lift off the bench.
Woodstock is young and a little banged up, especially at the guard position. That did not stop Jared Hughes’ team from competing the entire 32 minutes. Down 20 points to the No. 1 team in the state, the Wolverines could have easily laid over and took a 30-point loss, but instead they battled and found a new go-to girl in Sophia Singer. After seeing Singer last season as a freshman, you could tell there was potential there. The daughter of Western Illinois football hall of fame quarterback Paul Singer, Sophia stands close to 6-foot tall with an agile frame and long wingspan. She long jumps 17.5 and runs the 200M, so the athleticism to go with her height is definitely apparent. She broke out last night and started to let it fly after a timid first half. When aggressive, Singer can score in the paint, mid-range and knock down the corner three. If she can stay aggressive on offense, she could be just what Coach Hughes needs to push the Wolverines back into the playoffs. She also mixed it up on defense, picking up a nice block on Austin inside and spent the fourth quarter defending Inniss up top, showcasing her ability to guard multiple positions. Aside from Singer’s big performance, freshman Kayden Montgomery played a nice floor game. Not blessed with the size or speed of her opposition, Montgomery was deceptively mobile and used her IQ to craft her way into making plays. She drained two threes and dished out five assists in her first varsity start. She will be thrown into the fire as a youngster and should come out better for it once her career is said and done.
No. 6 Mountain View 68, Archer 48: Future Troy Trojan Spencer Rodgers drilled six threes in the first half en route to finishing with a game-high 22 points. Kevin Kayongo scored 12 points and Naheim Allenye added 10 for the Bears.
No. 7 Newton 74, North Oconee 30: Tyrease Brown continued his lights out shooting, pouring in 24 points – 21 in the first half – as the starters played just three quarters. Ashton Hagans finished with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 14 assists and 6 steals. Armani Harris posted 9 points and 8 rebounds while a healthy Dre Butler went for 12 points and 5 rebounds.
No. 8 Duluth 70, South Gwinnett 57: The balanced backcourt of Duluth led the Wildcats to a strong non-region win. Adam Flagler netted 18 points while Lamont Smith scored 13 and Will Huzzie double-doubled with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
No. 9 Meadowcreek 57, Rockdale County 13: The Mustangs absolutely suffocated the Bulldogs in a defensive masterpiece. Jamir Chaplin finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Duquesne-signee Amari Kelly went for 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while twin tower, Detroit-signee Cory Hightower, ended with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Emmanuel Collier scored 8 points and Dequarious Nicholas tallied 5 points and 6 assists.
No. 10 Collins Hill 73, Osborne 59: Northern Illinois-signee Justin Lee had 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Eagles. Chris Parks added 15 points and 9 rebounds. Elijah Wilson chipped in 15 points and Mandarius Dickerson netted 10.
Discovery 70, Central Gwinnett 52: Old Dominion-signee Kalu Ezikpe posted a 15-point 15-rebound double-double. Jaylen Bussey had 15 points and the Titans got 14 from Jaden Walker. Ian Hardy contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Berkmar 76, Forsyth Central 47: Tony Johnson went for 26 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Soumahoro added 12 points and 6 rebounds while Taj Anderson finished with 14 points and 6 assists. William Griffin scored 13 points in the loss.
Woodstock 50, Northview 42: Columbus State-signee Dylin Hardeman scored 23 points to power the Wolverines past Northview after heading into the fourth quarter tied at 34. Joe Jones had 12 for the Titans. Matt Davis had 14 in defeat.
Lakeside-DeKalb 84, McNair 51: Damon Davis scored 19 points and James Hall had 13 as the Vikings marched past the Mustangs.
Roswell 66, South Forsyth 51: Miles Herron netted a game-high 16 points for the Hornets. Taylor Drury scored 11 points and Santhosh Saravanan had 10 in the loss.
East Coweta 69, Union Grove 66: Tied 60-60 late, the upstart Indians found a way past the Wolverines. Wesley Simpson led Union Grove with 16 points in the loss while AJ Dutrevil had 15 and Alan Moss scored 11.
Class AAAAAA
River Ridge 56, Hiram 55: Jameel Ndiaye drained five threes and finished with 19 points as the Knights secured a huge road win for the young team. Chris Williams added 9 points and 5 rebounds. Verzel Randall scored 6 points and blocked 5 shots.
Sprayberry 77, Kell 69: Micah McCuen double-doubled with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Andrew Giles did the same with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Matt Jenkins had 19 points and 4 assists while Jaylon Simpson had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.
Drew 103, North Clayton 65: Will Black and Demetrius Rives poured in 24 points apiece in an eye-opening win over North Clayton. James Brown had 21.
Mundy’s Mill 55, Clarkston 50: The Tigers slipped past the Angoras behind Kirshon Thrash’s 12 points and David Crawford’s 10. Clarkston was led by Anthony Lawrence’s game-high 17 points.
Class AAAAA
No. 9 Lithonia 56, Heritage-Conyers 48: The Bulldogs bounced back from a heartbreaking season opening loss against Greenforest to score an 8-point win over the Patriots. Tasim Sims scored 16 points and had 5 assists in the victory. Ziven Alexander had 8 points and 8 rebounds. Heritage was led by Adrian Boykin’s 10 points.
Fayette County 67, 4ANo. 3 Sandy Creek 65: Jordan Brown hit a game-winner with 8 seconds left to stun the Patriots. Rickey Knight led the Tigers with 20 points. Josh Dupree dumped in 15 points and Terrell Bradley had 14 points and 6 rebounds. Jarred Godfrey powered the Patriots with 22 points while TJ Bickerstaff went for 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Arabia Mountain 71, Hampton 52: Jordan Sterling pumped in 28 points as the Rams advanced to 2-0. TaKari Rogers-Olive added 16 points in support and Cameron Robinson scored 9 points.
Stockbridge 87, Riverside Military 58: Georgia State-signee Kavonte Ivery had 16 points and 12 rebounds while Ola-transfer Terryance Jackson netted a team-high 17. Trillis Brown and Elijah Austell scored 14 apiece while Kaelon Hinton tossed in 10.
Harris County 66, Shaw 63: Lincoln Smith collected 31 points and 12 rebounds for the Raiders in the loss.
Class AAAA
No. 2 St. Pius 67, Blessed Trinity 41: Matt Gonzalo and Troy Stephens scored 13 apiece to lead the Golden Lions in The X-Dome.
Chestatee 85, Pickens 77: Cameron Gwyn erupted for 33 points as the War Eagles soared past the Dragons in a high-scoring affair. Cooper Wilson tacked on 19 points and Daniel Briseno added 12. Pickens received 26 points from Joseph Gossett and 19 from Seth Bishop. Keinyuan Hooks chipped in 14.
West Hall 81, Jackson County 62: Datavian Buffington powered the Spartans with 20 points. Iaises Risher had 20 points in the loss.
Class AAA
Class AA
No. 7 Jeff Davis 66, Telfair County 32: Ja’Queze Kirby, the reigning Class AA Freshman of the Year, posted 23 points, 13 rebounds and 7 blocks. Chandler Davenport scored 15 followed by Tae Thomas’ 13 points. Kirese Manley and Nate King scored 6 apiece.
Washington County 69, Cross Creek 59: Sophomore Jeremiah Gundy had 13 points and 8 rebounds to help the Golden Hawks to victory. Fellow sophomore Jarden Maze added 9 points and 3 assists. Keith Foster had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Ivory Williams and Shemor Robinson scored 7 apiece.
Class A-Private
Savannah Christian 56, Bulloch Academy 37: Justin Anderson had 15 points as Savannah Christian took care of Bulloch Academy. Gavin Jeffries scored 13 and Aly Keys had 8 points and 12 rebounds in the win.
Class A-Public
GISA
Trinity Christian 65, Glenwood 27: Erick Valdez posted 18 points and 8 rebounds followed by Daevon Platt’s 17 points. Jamir Williams had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Braden Burnett chipped in 10 points and 4 rebounds.
GIRLS
Class AAAAAAA
South Forsyth 71, Roswell 62: The War Eagles got a 35-point outburst from Zoe Maisel to get past the Hornets. Sara Idris, a North Florida-signee, had 17 points.
Forsyth Central 44, Berkmar 28: Elizabeth Pruitt scored 14 points and Ansley Carver added 10 in the Bulldog win.
Class AAAAAA
No. 1 Northview 61, Woodstock 51: Northview held a 34-27 halftime lead before ripping off a 13-0 run to open the third quarter to gain a 54-38 lead behind a full court press defense, but sophomore Sophia Singer was up to the task of keeping the Wolverines afloat. Singer scored 10 of Woodstock’s 11 third quarter points and finished with a game-high 21 points and 7 rebounds. Freshman guard Kayden Montgomery added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. The Lady Titans were powered by sophomore point guard Asjah Inniss. The shifty guard had 13 points and 9 steals. Ashlee Austin posted 16 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Freshman Eden Sample netted 16 points in her high school debut and Maya Richards added 7 points and 7 rebounds.
River Ridge 58, Hiram 24: Faith Arthur scored 12 points and Savannah Samuel netted 11 to carry the Knights. Lexi Palmer added on 10 points in the win.
Dunwoody 52, Towers 25: Ariel Lawrence dropped 23 points to power Dunwoody.
Drew 51, North Clayton 38: Imoni Compton scored 16 points and ShaTara Johnson added 15 as Drew took advantage of a rebuilding North Clayton program.
Mundy’s Mill 46, Clarkston 15: Jayla Carter nearly outscored the Angoras with her 13 points in the Tigers’ rout.
Class AAAAA
Fayette County 58, Sandy Creek 32: Maegan Barkley and Trinity Brown both contributed 15 points and 3 rebounds apiece to help the Tigers blow past a rebuilding Sandy Creek team. Sidney Sims had 8 points and 9 rebounds while Naomi Franco went for 9 points and 9 rebounds. Sandy Creek was led by Daija Powell’s 14 points and 8 rebounds. Paris Thompson had 10 points and 3 rebounds in the loss.
Union Grove 50, East Coweta 30: India Smith led the Lady Wolverines with 12 points.
Class AAAA
No. 5 Luella 71, Griffin 48: Keely Brown poured in 21 points while Zaria Bankston finished with 19 points and 5 assists to push the Lions to 2-0.
No. 8 West Hall 56, Jackson County 49: Anna McKendree scored 24 points to open up the season. Jackson County got 13 points from Carlie Anderson.
Pickens 54, Chestatee 49: Coach Brandon Thomas returned to the Pickens sidelines as a winner behind Torie Williams’ 16 points, Mykenzie Weaver’s 14 and Shelby Cook’s 10.
St. Pius 52, Blessed Trinity 24: A balanced attack led the Golden Lions to victory. Emma Drash (11), Nina Burwell (10), Mai Vy Madden (8) and Macey Carson (8) shared the load. Blessed Trinity received 8 points from Jessica Castillo.
Class AAA
Class AA
Hapeville Charter 42, WD Mohammed 29: Freshman Ashley Eberhart made a major impact with a team-high 14 points. Cherry Reeves scored 11 and Ja’dah Thomas added 9.
Class A-Private
No. 9 Pinecrest Academy 66, Tallulah Falls 26: Regina Metz poured in 31 points to pace the Paladins. Molly Dankowski had 15 and JoJo Clark scored 11.
Athens Academy 56, Oglethorpe County 16: Gabby Mastandrea hung 24 points as the Spartans blew out Oglethorpe County. Maddie McCleary finished with 8 points and 6 assists. Kate Williams produced 7 points and Greer Moseley battled for 5 points and 10 rebounds.
2016-17 Record: 5-19 Head Coach: Karen Frady – 1st Season
Coach Frady sharing the challenges of culture change of East Coweta girls program.
Coach Frady will be the Lady Indians’ third head coach in three years. She is an East Coweta alumni with deep ties to the community. She envisions the beginning of a long process, but is excited about the challenge.
“When we first started, the girls did not know how to play man-to-man defense, they are just so used to losing. We are starting the process, we are challenging the girls to get a little better each day. It’s all about learning fundamentals. We need to stress fundamentals all day, every day. We will set some small goals for the season and try to achieve those first. Honestly, I’m not that concerned about wins and losses — my main thing is I want the girls to be better than they were at the start of the season, and it begins with getting the fundamentals down.”
In terms of this current squad, she said “We have six seniors, we have quickness, and the ladies are quick learners. We are going to focus on defense and on slowing the game down. That will be the best way for us to learn and follow the process.”
They are in one of the toughest regions in the state, Region 2, and the lessons are going to be painful, but look for Coach Frady to add some stability and take a few steps forward in the process. Alex Colton, London Fowler, Aja Manning and Haley Davis will be the players Frady will count on.
East Coweta Indians
2016-17 Record: 14-12 Head Coach: Royal Maxwell — 3rd Season
East Coweta boys looking to continue building a tradition.
Assistant Coach Ty Townsend introduced the Indians team leaders; Derrick Emory, Brandon Stroud, Jamir Williams, Rhet Reynolds and Isaiah Richardson. The challenge for the upcoming season is to replace their big man that graduated last season, Elafayette Stone. Coach Townsend said it would be “a next man up mentality. There are a lot of returning players and we expect to be more disciplined. There is not a whole lot of tradition here, but we are looking to continue to build on last year and our expectations are higher this year.”
With the sting of last year’s season ending loss to Campbell in overtime, the players said, “This year, we have broken the season down into chapters, and we intend to read the whole book.”
Look for the Indians to improve on last seasons’ record and be a factor in the region tournament. They have already started an impressive resume with a solid win against a Fayette County team that made the Final Four last year in their opener.
Starr’s Mill Lady Panthers
2016-17 Record: 12-13 Head Coach: Emily Sweeney – 1st Season
Starr’s Mill first year coach Emily Sweeney and junior leader Alyssa Angelo
At Starr’s Mill, the ladies coach from last season, Shane Ratliff, was promoted and assistant Emily Sweeney has stepped into the top spot; it has been a big year from Sweeney who now has the head coaching job and just got married as well. She has implemented a motion offense and is currently working in more press defense looks. With the graduation of their post player from last season, the team will be built around the guard play of Alyssa Angelo and Alice Anne Hudson. Also key will be senior and returning starter Emily Nieuwstraten and freshman Ali Rumpel, in the middle, who adds height.
Angelo and Nieuwstraten have just made the transfer over from softball and have not missed a beat. Sweeney said, “Alyssa is like having a coach on the floor, she keeps everyone where they are supposed to be, and she is tough as nails.”
Their goal is make it back to the state playoffs, which will depend on how quickly the freshman gets up to speed and how the team jells to the new systems.
Starr’s Mill Panthers
2016-17 Record: 18-11 (Sweet 16) Head Coach: Brandon Hutchins — 12th Season Preseason Class AAAAA No. 10
Starr’s Mill Head Coach Brandon Hutchins with Carson Langham, Drew Hudson and Jake Bishop
The Panthers return a large portion of the Sweet 16 team from last year that lost to Miller Grove in the playoffs. With a roster that includes eight seniors, Coach Hutchins says, “This is the best group I have ever been around.”
One omission from the team unfortunately is three-year starter Zach Pina, who transferred before his senior season to arch-rival McIntosh. Hutchins on the loss, “We miss Zach of course, he was a big part of this program, but we have moved on, it is next man up. Fortunately for us, everyone on the roster can handle the ball.” Senior Jake Bishop will take over the point guard duties in the Panther offense.
Starr’s Mill has a lot of height up front in 6-foot-7 Nate Allison, 6-foot-5 Drew Hudson and 6-foot-6 Chase Sands and Coach Hutchins indicted that junior Julian Lynch has opened some eyes in the preseason camp. Senior Drew Hudson said, “We went to a couple of college camps this summer and had success, we are excited.”
If Bishop can run the offense, look for the Panthers to make a state playoff return.
McIntosh Lady Chiefs
2016-17 Record: 20-9 (Sweet 16) Head Coach: Jessica Carlyle — 1st Season
First-Year coach Jessica Carlyle with Juniors Kennedy Miller and Rylee Calhoun
When longtime McIntosh Lady Chief Head Coach David Dowse left after a successful 2016/17 campaign to take the Lumpkin County job, the Chiefs reached out to former Landmark Christian Head Coach Jessica Carlyle. Her first impression of the team was that the core players were serious about basketball. She said “My philosophy is very much different from what the players are used to. We have a very small roster, very short and we are going to play very serious in your face defense.”
Her leaders include Junior Kennedy Miller and Rylee Calhoun. Per Carlyle, “Kennedy is a phenomenal point guard and in the past her role was to distribute the ball, we will be asking her to take on more of the scoring responsibility this year. And Rylee, she seems to always have a basketball in her hand. She has a nice shot as well.”
At the college summer camps, Miller said “They taught us more about being a leader on the floor.”
You can bet that Carlyle’s new emphasis on defense will catch hold of her quick athletic team and they will be right in the middle of the playoff chase again.
McIntosh Chiefs
2016-17 Record: 12-13 Head Coach: Jason Eisele — 16th Season Preseason Class AAAAA No. 7
McIntosh Head Coach Jason Eisele with seniors Zach Pina and Cole Guenther
Head Coach Jason Eisele is the dean of the Coweta/Fayette coaches as he embarks on his 16th season. Of his current edition, he said “We will not impress you off the bus, but our entire roster of 13 players are extremely skilled and we will cause match-up problems because of our speed and depth. We will be very flexible and can play a lot of different groups.”
A roster that includes six seniors includes two potential stars in transfer guard Zach Pina and 6-foot-7 wing player Cole Guenther. Pina is an efficient scorer who can drive to the rim or hit the outside shot. When asked about the whirlwind of his transfer, he said “It just feels good to be wearing green and black.”
Guenther has a deadly outside shot and if he is on, it can be lights out. Eisele said “Cole has worked hard over the summer on his ball handling skills and taking the ball to the rim to compliment his shot.” With the versatility and the leadership of Pina and Guenther, this could turn into a special mix. Eisele summed it by saying “we have a lot of selfless players, and we will play a lot faster than we ever have.”
Spalding Lady Jaguars
2016-17 Record: 22-7 (Elite Eight) Head Coach: Tykira Gilbert — 3rd Season Preseason Class AAAA No. 2
Head Coach Tykira Gilbert with seniors Kiana Banks and Kirah Milner
Head Coach Tykira Gilbert and the defending Region 2-AAAA Lady Jaguars are preparing for a special season. Starting her third year, Coach Gilbert said, “We have completely changed the culture of girls basketball here at Spalding in just three years.” As for this year’s team, Gilbert said “We will play fast, in your face defense, we love to press, that is who we are.” A lot of that speed and athleticism comes from Region 2-AAAA player of the year Kiana Banks, who won the state track championship in the 400 meter and just signed a track scholarship with TCU.
Gilbert will look for leadership from the point guard position from senior Kirah Milner. With a deep and talented roster and the star power of Banks and Milner, look for the Lady Jaguars to make a run at the state championship. When asked about the pressure of the high preseason rankings, Gilbert summed it up perfectly, “They don’t mean anything, it only matters how you finish.” Keep your eye on these ladies this year.
Spalding Jaguars
2016-17 Record: 3-22 Head Coach: Joey Wilder — 1st Season
New Jaguar Head Coach Joey Wilder is no stranger to the court. He has coached at Sandy Creek, Fayette County and Westlake. In 12 years of coaching, he won seven region championships, with one state runner-up and two final fours, and was named the assistant coach of the year. He brings that experience to begin to build the same excitement and energy that Coach Gilbert has with the ladies program.
Even with the poor record from last year, Wilder sees the pieces to begin the process. “We have very talented kids, we are learning and implementing accountability and dealing with our egos, we are slowly growing. But our roster has talent and I have seen improvement in all players. We are going from a slow tempo offense to more movement. We need to learn to trust each other and jell as a team.”
Leading the way will be junior leaders G Josh Reddick and 6-foot-8 center Phillip Richards. There are five seniors on the roster for leadership and a very strong junior class, including some incoming freshman and sophomores who will get some playing time. When just starting out, Wilder said, “It is always good to have a big man like PR.” Look for the Jaguars to be much improved and blow past last year’s win total.
Whitewater Lady Wildcats
2016-17 Record: 13-12 Head Coach: Rashad Muhyee — 5th year
Lady Wildcat Head Coach Muhyee with Courtney Smith, Jada Claude and Maya Bryant
After an injury riddled season last year, the Lady Wildcats are once again healthy and look to get back into the playoff conversation. Coach Muhyee said the team goals this year are to win the region and make it out of the first round. To accomplish, the Lady Wildcats will rely on talented juniors Jada Claude, 6-foot with a strong inside game, Courtney Smith, a scoring guard who is coming back from injury and Maya Bryant who also has the size to play inside.
When asked where they had improved the most during the off season, Smith said, “I have worked really hard on my ball handling,” while Claude said “ball handling, it will open up my scoring and passing lanes. In talking about their toughest opponents ahead, Muhyee said, “We don’t look at our opponents, we look at ourselves, we look at how we can improve and get better, and we feel like if we continue to work and improve then the wins will take care of themselves.”
Whitewater Wildcats
2016-17 Record: 9-15 Head Coach: Fred West — 3rd Season
Whitewater assistant and senior Wildcats
The story of the Wildcats last season was close but not close enough, they played well in a lot of games but couldn’t pull them out in the end. They enjoyed a couple of big wins against region rivals and state qualifiers Starr’s Mill and McIntosh, but the losses mounted as the season went along. They bring back a strong core in guards CJ Jackson, K’won Bush and Josh Lanier. Unfortunately, their leading scorer from last season Josh Graham has transferred to Pebblebrook.
After a successful summer at a Georgia State camp, the Wildcats look to add big man 6-foot-5 Isaiah Claude and guard Julian Johnson to the rotation. Playing with a smaller line up – the Wildcats will look to play a pesky full court defense and a motion offense that will allow their guards to get open looks. Expect to see a lot of energy and movement on the court. The Wildcats should inch their way back closer to .500 for the season and give a lot of teams match-up problems with their 4-guard sets.
Sandy Creek Lady Patriots
2016-17 Record: 24-7 (Final Four) Head Coach: Janie Hodges — 2nd Season
Coach Hodges with Paris Thompson, Daija Powell and Nina Lum
In her first season, Coach Hodges used an excellent senior backcourt to win the Region 5-AAAA Championship and take a run deep into the playoffs that ended against eventual champion Columbus. Graduation hit the Lady Patriots hard and now Coach Hodges is in charge of leading somewhat of a rebuild, but by no means is the cupboard bare.
While last year’s team was centered around the guard play, this team will strong inside. Returning are inside players junior Paris Thompson and sophomore Daija Powell. Both saw extensive playing time in Coach Hodges’ rotation last year and will be counted on to step up the production this season. Powell has an incredible post game and had several high scoring games last year.
The job of running the offense falls on junior Nina Lum who played significant minutes as a reserve last season. Hodges said, “Nina has been in the program for three years, she is experienced, and she is ready to lead the team.”
The key to the season will be how quickly Coach Hodges can work the new players into the rotations. The Lady Patriots already have a game under their belts against state powerhouse Westlake. Hodges said, “I am glad we played them, it showed us where we are and what we need to work on.” In those early season games, you either win or you learn, the Lady Patriots learned they are in transition, but the future is bright. Look for them to make another run to get into the playoffs.
Sandy Creek Patriots
2016-17 Record: 23-8 (Final Four) Head Coach: Jon-Michael Nickerson — 1st Season Preseason Class AAAA No. 3
First-Year head coach Jon-Michael Nickerson with Jarred Godfrey, Xavier Brewer and Chris Porter
The Patriots caught lightning in a bottle late last season and after a disappointing region tournament loss went on a run that took them to the Final Four where they lost to St. Pius. This started a transition within the program as a leadership change brought in Coach Nickerson who brings an impressive college resume. A lot of talent returns with 6-foot-8 wing TJ Bickerstaff, 6-foot-8 stretch forward Xavier Brewer, 6-foot-4 point guard Jarred Godfrey, Chris Porter and spark plug guard Kameron Miller. Coach Nickerson brings a tenacious defensive intensity to the team that was missing in the past.
When asked about the biggest difference between then and now, Miller said, “The practices are more intense and fast paced, there is purpose to everything we do.” Nickerson added, “This was a big change for the players and they bought in, I am proud of where we are, we still have a lot to add in over time, but we are getting there. It takes time to incorporate everything we will do into our game plan, but we are getting there and are ready to play.”
For the players that got a taste of post seasons last year, anything less than a championship with be disappointing. Look for the talented Patriots make a run.
Griffin Bears
2016-17 Record: 6-21 Head Coach: Willie Reese — 2nd Season
Coach Willie Reese with Jacarlin Dennis and Darrell Evans Jr.
Former Georgia Tech star and assistant coach Willie Reese returns to Griffin for his second season with more reason for optimism. Griffin has a rich heritage in all spots and can boast of multiple state championships in basketball. His philosophy is to build and utilize multi-skill players.
Coach Reese said, “For some reason in the city of Griffin, we have a lot of 6’1 to 6’4 young men which is good because it lets us have interchangeable parts. This year, we will play nine or 10 deep, with six of those players returning from playing time last year. We are looking forward to a good season with steady improvement over last year.”
His key returners include two 2nd team all-region players from last year, point guard Jacarlin Dennis and senior guard Darrell Evans Jr. who is a four-year letterman. Coach Reese reminds his players last year when they were up on eventual Class AAAA champion Upson-Lee late in a game by four points only to see it slip away, that the talent is there, they just need to continue to work on the little things and on playing team basketball.
Reese said, “I learned from Coach Cremins and Coach Hewitt at Tech that it was about the little things, working with kids individually to continue to make small steps, that is what we are doing here at Griffin.”
The Bears will continue to improve this year and look to move up in the region standings; look for an upset or two as well.
Fayette County Lady Tigers
2016-17 Record: 21-9 (Sweet 16) Head Coach: John Strickland — 13th Season
Veteran Coach John Strickland with Maegan Barkley and Trinity Brown
Coach Strickland has been the model of success and consistency at Fayette County as head coach for 12 years and last season was no different. Strickland has gotten to the point of his career that others are envious of, it has now a legacy, not only with wins but with relationships. This is highlighted by one of his former players, Tessa Holt who played at Boston College and later coached in college, returning as an assistant for this season. That consistency builds confidence in his players that success is right there in front of them.
Lost from last year’s playoff team was leader Darryl Langford who plays at Navy now, but there is plenty of talent returning and the seniors on the roster have played together since middle school. They include guards Maegan Barkley, Trinity Brown and Rikkelle Miller. There is also height in 6-foot-2 sophomore Naomi Franco and freshman 6-foot-1 Celine Akande, both whom add a post presence. When you factor in junior guard Sidney Sims, the Tigers have a deep roster with multiple rotation possibilities.
Coach Strickland said, “To win in girls basketball, you have to make free throws and layups, it’s that simple. We know that and understand that, this team could be really good this year, we have a lot of leaders.”
The Lady Tigers will challenge for the region title and be right in the middle of the playoffs again.
Northgate Vikings
2016-17 Record: 7-18 Head Coach: Maurice Smith — 5th season
Coach Smith will lean on a bevy of seniors this season
The Vikings play in one of the toughest regions in the state, where last year both boys and the girls state champions came from, Region 5-AAAAAA. Under Coach Smith – the Vikes have improved their win total over the past three seasons and look to continue that trend this year and attempt to get over the hump and make some noise in the region tournament.
Coach Smith said, “We already know we can win, we just need to start winning those small battles within the game itself. This year’s roster is deep with 12 who will see playing time, including seven seniors. Leaders on the team include 6-foot-2 Jermarki Cunningham, 6-foot-5 Cam Ellis, 6-foot Perez McLaughlin and 6-fot-2 Devontae Johnson.”
The schedule is tough, Smith said, “from a region standpoint, there are no breaks, every game will be a battle. Our goal is to continue to prove and win two games in the region tournament. I know these guys have it in them. We are 12 deep and all of our players are similar, we have the depth to press and play fast. We don’t have a particular game circled on the schedule, we will just take them one game at a time and see where we end up.”
Look for the Vikings to ride the wave of their seniors and continue the trend of improving their win totals each season.
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Fayette County boys
Our Lady of Mercy boys
Our Lady of Mercy girls
Griffin girls
Northgate girls
Thursday night provided us with some interesting preseason scrimmage results, with a handful of teams challenging themselves before the regular season opens this Saturday. Multiple Top 10 teams locked horns to see where they measure up heading into the season including 7A No. 4 Grayson at A-Private No. 1 St. Francis, 5A No. 4 Miller Grove at 7A No. 3 Wheeler, A-Private No. 3 ELCA at 7A No. 7 Newton and many more.
