River Ridge 61, Cherokee 59
Girls Analysis

Player Analysis: No. 4 River Ridge 61, No. 3 Cherokee 59


PRO Movement

2023 5-7 PG Mataya Gayle – River Ridge
Though they nearly blew a 17-point second half lead, River Ridge managed to survive a late Cherokee rally, 61-59. Mataya Gayle was in the middle of everything, the electrifying playmaker doing just enough to drag the Knights to the finish line. Gayle has exploded over the past 12 months and has firmly cemented herself as one of the best point guards in Georgia. She’s electric with the ball, shifting gears with hesitation moves and getting into the lane where she delivers drop-off assists or finishes with a floater. Gayle had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals. She had three coast-to-coast finishes including two timely ones in the fourth quarter to extend the lead. She knocked down a three and scored on a pair of pull-ups and one drive. There aren’t many guards in Georgia that can match Gayle’s athleticism. She uses her speed and quick hands to jump passes and stay in front of ball handlers. Cherokee was able to frustrate her a few times with physical defense however. Keeping her cool in spots like that will be crucial. She can sometimes be baited into pushing off defenders when trying to get free. In crunch time vs. the Cherokee press, I would have liked to see her command the ball more and slow down the tempo. Rushed shots late helped the Warriors back in the game. Nonetheless, Gayle is as good as it gets in Georgia. She is a frontrunner for Class 6A Player of the Year and a must-have for D-I schools.

2025 5-11 F Kayla Cleaveland – River Ridge
After an impressive debut against Kell, Kayla Cleaveland looked great again against Cherokee. Cleaveland looks like she could seriously develop into a D-I level prospect. At 5-foot-11, she has the strength to bang inside, score around the rim and rebound, but what elevates her to another level is her outside shooting. The lefty buried three threes en route to 15 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. With the addition of Cleaveland, River Ridge is now deep offensively at all positions. She will play an enormous role for the Knights over her four years. Buy stock now in the versatile freshman.

2025 5-6 PG Sophia Pearl – River Ridge
Part of a 9-three barrage, Sophia Pearl cashed in on three deep balls. Pearl never hesitates to fire when she has an inch of space. She has such a quick trigger and excels at getting to the three-point line in transition and spotting up. Sophia’s ability to make plays off the dribble really gives her a special added dimension. She is able to probe the defense and kick out to open teammates. Pearl finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. As the vast majority of the roster did, Sophia looked vulnerable against Cherokee’s desperately aggressive press, but she held her own and helped break the pressure with Mataya Gayle. I expect her to become more comfortable in situations like that as her career goes on.

2024 6-0 F Allie Sweet – River Ridge
One of the best double-double machines in Georgia, Allie Sweet did it again with 10 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. Her extreme length and great motor keep her involved on every play. She does a great job of collecting rebounds at their highest point and keeping the ball high on finishes. She benefits greatly from playing with Mataya Gayle, as she is the playmaker’s top option when slashing to the rim and looking for someone to dump off to. Sweet’s effectiveness and consistency are paramount to River Ridge’s success.

2024 6-0 W Toni Warren – Cherokee
Toni Warren has the green light. She absolutely loves her mid-range jumper. Warren is long and has a high release ala Kevin Durant which makes it difficult to defend. She was streaky on Thursday shooting 9-28 on her way to 21 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. Warren doesn’t have an issue isoing and likes to get to her step-back jumper, a shot she connected on four times. I would like to see Warren implement getting to the basket more often instead of settling for 15-18 footers so much. She only made one layup while the rest were jumpers. With the amount of attention she will demand throughout the season, she will have opportunities to serve as a decoy and find the open man, using her height to see overtop the defense. Warren is plenty skilled and has a high ceiling, diversifying her game will be the next step.

2022 5-11 F Skylar Edwards – Cherokee
D-III schools need to check in with Skylar Edwards. She’s an undervalued piece that does the dirty work with her versatility. Edwards can play either forward position and go 3-5 at the high school level. She’s a strong rebounder and a well-rounded defender that has no issue guarding multiple spots. She had 5 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Edwards has tools that translate to the next level.

2022 5-8 G Presli Clark – Cherokee
Slashes to the basket were Presli Clark’s primary source of offense. She finished with 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Clark is a good athlete with quickness. Presli was aggressive getting downhill, converting three drives to the hoop and going 5-6 from the line. She’s a willing defender that often draws the other team’s best player. Clark did a quality job keeping pace with Mataya Gayle.