District tournaments around the Ozarks will kick off on Saturday and there’s no shortage of championship contenders, standout players and storylines. To put it nicely, we own small-class basketball in the state of Missouri.
This is your guide to knowing everything possible about local girls basketball and why the next several weeks will prove to be some of the most exciting in recent memory. So, without further ado, here is your 2016 High School Girls Basketball Bible.
*Notes*
Favorite – Team I think is most likely to win
Challenger – Team I think is best equipped to upset favorite.
Darkhorse – 3-seed or lower capable of making a run.
Major Key alert – Player that can help propel team to district title run.
Steph Curry alert – Remember when Steph Curry was at Davidson back in 2008 and scored 103 points in three games against Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin to get his team into the Elite Eight? Well, players that receive this distinction are underrated players capable of leading teams to runs that outperform their seed.
Popcorn alert – Their team may not win a state title, but these are some of the most entertaining players in the area.
Class 2
The Ozarks is to Class 2 basketball what LeBron James is to the city of Cleveland ; everything. I legitimately believe we could have a 16-team tournament, taking the best eight Class 2 teams from the state and the best eight class teams from the Ozarks and the quarterfinals would be all local teams. No disrespect, but we just do it better than everyone else. I’ll go one step farther. Stoutland, Hartville, Norwood, Fordland, Spokane and Morrisville are all setup to play each other in 2/3 semifinals should seeds hold, meaning at least three of them won’t even have a chance to play for a district title. But, throw them in another part of the state and they’re a Final Four team. As it stands, the Ozarks will have at least one team in Columbia, but will likely advance two teams to the Final Four that will meet up in the semifinals. The winner will be the Class 2 state champion.
District 2
Alton, Thayer and Van Buren are the locals here and this district sends teams through the Bootheel for a spot in the Final Four. Unfortunately, they share a district with Neelyville. The Lady Tigers have won four straight district championships only to lose in the quarterfinals each time. Neelyville beat Alton by four and 14, Van Buren by 26, but didn’t play Thayer. For a frame of reference, Neelyville beat Springfield Catholic 57-49. They aren’t untouchable, but Alton and Thayer will have to bring it to beat them.
Van Buren and Thayer matchup in the 4/5 matchup with the winner getting Neelyville. Van Buren’s 17 wins are the second most in the district, but three losses to Alton and a few other questionable Ls lowered their seed. With that being said, wins over MV-BT/Liberty, Thayer, Bunker and Eminence show what kind of talent they have… Thayer has been extremely competitive all season long and has some quality losses which suggest that pulling off a few upsets isn’t far-fetched at all… Alton is the No. 2 seed and most likely to make a run. The narrow loss to Neelyville, as well as wins over Hartville and Willow Springs are proof of that. The one red flag is the fact that although Alton beat No. 3 Greenville in December, the favor was returned in late January, 55-54.
Steph Curry Alert: Hailee Erickson, Alton – Unfortunately we don’t see much of her in Springfield, but the 5-foot-4 junior is one of the more explosive guards in the Ozarks. In just three years she’s scored almost 1,100 points and counting, 511 of that has come this year thanks to 22.2 PPG. She can also facilitate (4.3 APG) and has a nose for the basketball (1.8 SPG), but it’s her raw ability to score that make her and Alton dangerous. She shoots the lights out (47% FG, 41% from 3, 89% from the line) and she’s not shy about letting it fly (65 made 3s). She’s gone for 24 or more on nine occasions and Alton is 8-1 when that happens… She also has the perfect complement in 6-foot senior Haley Kernodle. She’s the ultimate rim protector (2.8 BPG) and owns the glass, especially offensively (8.4 RPG). The Comets are much better when Kernodle is not in foul trouble and owning the paint.
District 9
Plato won the last two Class 3 – District 9 titles and before that Crocker went back-to-back, including the 2012-13 season that ended with the controversial loss to Crane in the quarterfinals. The winner of this district will have the toughest road to Columbia in all of Class 2, likely having to beat state-ranked teams in the district championship, sectional and quarterfinal. Six of the eight teams are above .500 all six are capable of winning the district.
Favorite: Crocker – The Lady Lions are eager to get back into the playoffs after getting turbo clocked in last year’s district championship. Crocker went undefeated against district opponents, including a 74-69 overtime win over Stoutland and a 68-44 drubbing of Hartville. The Lady Lions are another team that can light up a scoreboard, scoring 60-plus 11 different times this year. Nancy Ward also has the best backcourt in the district with Lindenwood signee Lindsay Medlin and Lincoln signee Kelsi York. Medlin seriously does everything and is one of the more athletic guards you’ll see in Class 2, while York has an absolute burner and isn’t afraid to take big shots.
Challenger: Hartville – Hartville was below .500 last year and got bounced in the first round of districts by Stoutland, but that has changed with the arrival of freshman guard Sadie Chisum. She has led the Lady Eagles to a 20-win season, including wins over Rogersville, Plato, Norwood and Houston. It is all about pace for Hartville, who looks to run when the opportunity presents itself, but is generally more deliberate than Crocker or Stoutland. It will be a battle of wills and if the Lady Eagles win that then they might walk away with a district championship.
Major Key Alert: Alexa Willard, Stoutland – Last year anemia really robbed the Ozarks from getting to see Willard at her best. This year she is making up for lost time. The Missouri State signee is the only girl in the Ozarks to shooting 50/40/90 and average at least 20 PPG. The scary part is she’s actually averaging 31.7 PPG and shooting 59/53/90. The 6-foot-1 wing has dropped 729 total points and counting. She is also averaging 11.7 RPG, handing out 3.2 APG and snatching 3.4 SPG. She’s the best scorer in the Ozarks and is capable of going off and leading Stoutland to a district title.
Steph Curry Alert: Plato Guards – After winning back-to-back district championships, Rich Mueller had to wave goodbye to seniors Lexi McNiel and Kaylea Kimrey; the two combined for more than 3,500 points and back-to-back 20-win seasons. While both have moved on to the next level, they left behind a new culture that is still benefitting Plato. Not many players in the program know what it’s like to not win a district title. Junior point guard Kendall Hall (11 PPG, 4 APG, 3 SPG), as well as sophomores Janet Garrett (17 PPG, 5 RPG) and Madi Mueller (7 PPG, 6 RPG), have done a tremendous job of keeping the Lady Eagles relevant, including wins over MV-BT/Liberty and California, as well as close losses to Houston, Salem and Crocker.
District 10
This is another one of those extremely top heavy districts. Gainesville is the top seed and one of the best teams in Missouri regardless of class, but Norwood and Fordland are there and lurking. Gainesville beat both of them in the regular season which could be a gift and a curse; basketball is a tough sport to beat a good team multiple times in. Two games against Norwood and one against Fordland, as well as having the chance to scout them two more times will only make the Norwood/Fordland winner that much more dangerous.
Favorite: Gainesville – Gainesville has proven to be the best challenger to Crane to this point. The Lady Bulldogs have lost a total of four games in the last two seasons, three to Crane and one to Skyline. This year’s loss to Crane came in an absolute war, 57-53, and was more of a positive than a negative; it proved that Gainesville was physically capable of beating Crane. The Lady Bulldogs also own wins over Salem, Norwood (2), Skyline and Hartville, all of which have been state-ranked this season. Gainesville also beat Fordland and even more disturbing, every single one of Gainesville’s wins have come by double digits. They won’t be overwhelmed by the stage, because they’ve basically seen it all at this point. It is more about them finishing unfinished business. It is also worth mentioning that this team puts absolute shackles on opponents; few do as good of a job defensively at taking you out of what you want to do. They held Skyline to six points in the first half and the only team to score more than 50 points against them all season is Crane. Salem’s Payton Curley is one of the best guards in the area, scoring 20-plus in 12 of 23 games, and Gainesville held her to 13 points, her second lowest output of the season. If someone is to upset Gainesville they’ll have to shoot the lights out.
Challenger: Norwood – Crazy stat of the day; only teams that have been state-ranked have beaten Norwood. Hartville and Gainesville each beat the Lady Pirates twice and Houston also pulled out a win, but outside of those five games they were nails. Norwood has wins over Alton, Fordland and Houston. The loss to Houston was by nine, one of the Hartville losses was by seven and the first Gainesville game was a 13-point loss, the Lady Bulldogs closest game of the season to that point. They are more than capable of doing some damage and Shannon Crain has something at his disposal that few others have in 5-foot-11 senior Cherokee McGraw (10 PPG, 8 RPG) and 5-foot-9 junior Jenna Ogletree (14 PPG, 7.7 RPG). Both are extremely tough to stop in the paint and Ogletree’s ability to step out gives them the high-low option. Junior guard Emily Chadwell (11.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.4 SPG) gets it all going for Norwood and should be near full strength following an ankle injury. Games in the playoffs generally slowdown and are played more in the halfcourt, which is exactly what Norwood wants.
Major Key Alert: Gainesville’s Bigs – I love what Madison Strong does for this team (19.3 PPG, 3.5 APG, 3.3 RPG and 3.1 SPG) and her stats come with limited playing time due to lopsided wins; she’s one of the best in the area. But, what makes the Lady Bulldogs so much better this year is her supporting cast, specifically in the paint. Senior Scout Jeckstadt, sophomore Annie Noah and junior Michia Jenkins are all very different players, but feed off each other extremely well. All of them are hybrid posts, meaning they can step out on the perimeter. Jeckstadt (11 PPG, 5.3 RPG) is athletic and can turn and face, attacking with a jumper or off the dribble, Noah (7.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4 APG) is one of the most skilled bigs in the area and at 5-foot-11 can do it all. I love her true post skills, but she’s also an excellent passer. Jenkins (6.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG; 34% from 3) comes from a basketball crazy bloodline and she’s the best at stretching the floor. Having this trio complements the Strong, Abby Britt and Destiny Scot in the backcourt perfectly; few teams can beat you in as many ways offensively as Gainesville.
Steph Curry Alert: Ali & Sophie Sparks, Fordland – The Sparks sisters get to carry out every siblings dream by playing together and they are like peas in a pod. Senior Ali (19.1 PPG, 6 RPG, 1.8 SPG) is one of the most explosive scorers in the Ozarks and is Fordland’s all-time leader in that category. Little sister Sophie is just a freshman, but will be one of the best point guards in the area in the very near future. She leads Fordland in assists (5.3 APG) and steals (3.5 SPG), while still scoring 11.2 PPG. She’s tremendous with the ball in her hands, especially when she’s attacking to create for herself and others. Good guard play wins games at the high school level and the Lady Eagles have arguably two of the best.
District 11
There is good news and bad news here. The good news is that seven of the eight teams are over .500; the only girls district to have that kind of success and parity. The bad news is that Crane is the No. 1 seed and they’ve won four out of the last five district titles. The last team not named Crane to win this district was Marionville and they ended up going to the Final Four that year.
Favorite: Crane – I’m not sure that favorite is a strong enough word to describe what Crane is. The last time they lost a game to anyone in the district was 2012 when Marionville pulled out a win in the semifinals of the Ash Grove Tournament. Three months later Crane beat them by 29 in the district championship. The Lady Pirates are disgustingly good. They currently own wins over Class 5 No. 1 Republic, Class 5 No. 2 Kickapoo, Class 3 No. 3 Strafford, Class 3 No. 9 St. James and Class 2 No. 2 Gainesville. Crane has also beat Valley Springs (Ark.) who is 29-4 in Arkansas and one of the favorites to win state in 3A. If there was an all-classes state championship Crane would be the No. 1 seed. They are also one of few teams in the area that can beat you every way imaginable and that versatility, being able to play in any type of game in terms of pace, is part of their greatness.
Major Key Alert: Madison Fulp, Crane – Crane has four senior guards that are nails in Lexie Vaught (16 PPG, 7 RPG, 6.5 SPG, 5 APG) Kylee Moore (12.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3 SPG), Justeen Mahan (10 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, 3.2 APG) and Shelby Roder (4.6 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.1 SPG); they absolutely relentless on both ends of the floor. The most important thing is that all four have plus assists/turnover ratios while still being able to score But, without Emma Lander, Fulp’s play in the paint becomes imperative. Her game is very Lander-like in that she has a nice touch and is money from mid-range. She’s not quite as athletic, which is to be expected considering Lander is one of the best in the state. The 5-foot-9 junior had 14 points and nine rebounds against Gainesville and was the difference in the game. When she’s active on the glass and has that jumper going Crane is untouchable in Class 2.
Darkhorse: Spokane – Doug Hepler is no stranger to winning and that has showed in his return to high school basketball, guiding Spokane to a 20-win season in his first year. The crazy part is how quality all of Spokane’s losses are (Marshfield, Ozark, Crane, Clever, Strafford, Ash Grove). If Crane wasn’t in the picture this would be a team that could challenge for a Final Four run. The good news is Helper will return both standout guards in sophomore Casey Wallace (15.2 PPG) and junior Meghan Robertson (10.6 PPG, 7 RPG, 4 APG).
Popcorn Alert: Kaitlyn Painter & Tabitha Francka – There aren’t may duos that are as productive as these two. Both seniors, Painter is the muscle and Francka is the finesse. The 6-foot post is averaging 25 PPG and 10 RPG and has had some monster games, including 44 points against Dadeville and 37 points against Ash Grove, both wins, and 33 points in a loss to Fordland. Francka is the straw that stirs the drink. She’s averaging 14 PPG, 6 RPG and 5 APG for Mike McHolland. This team beat Hartville and Ash Grove, while splitting with Walnut Grove. These two are capable of lighting it up.
District 12
Pierce City has owned this district as of late with three straight titles and while the Lady Eagles are in the mix, this looks like the year the streak could be broken. Miller is the top seed with Purdy grabbing the No. 2 spot. The odds aren’t very high for someone outside of these three to win the district title based on regular season results.
Favorite: Miller – Justin Gerald has done a tremendous job with this team. The Lady Cardinals already own a pair of wins over Purdy (61-40 & 52-42) and also beat Walnut Grove. But it’s Miller’s losses that make me think this group is capable of a run. Miller gave Jasper its best game of the season (68-58) and also hung with Strafford, Spokane and Ash Grove. Miller also has the fortune of having 6-foot-1 C of O commit Jessica Estes and her 13.7 PPG, 10 RPG and 2.9 BPG and 5-foot-8 junior combo guard Abby Gann, who does a little bit of everything for the Lady Cardinals.
Challenger: Purdy – Coming into the season I thought this would be a team that could potentially give Crane some problems and after a 6-5 start Purdy has put it together with 13 straight wins. Purdy has wins over Walnut Grove and East Newton, as well as narrow losses to Miller, Strafford and Jasper. When they are able to get out in transition they are trouble. Losing twice to Miller might be a positive because of how difficult it is to beat a good team multiple times; maybe the third time will be the charm. The scary part is they only have one senior.
Major Key Alert: Des Ennes & Laynie Skiles, Purdy – Rarely will you see two bigs that do as much for their team as these two do; they are 1-2 in nearly every major stat category. Ennes, a 5-foot-8 senior, is a double-double machine. She’s averaging 13.9 PPG and 10.9 RPG, to go along with a team-high 4.1 SPG and is also handing out 3.7 APG. She has 14 double-doubles this season and has flirted with a triple-double on multiple occasions. Her partner in crime is an even scarier package. At 5-foot-11 Skiles has post size with a guard skillset. She leads the team in scoring (14.9 PPG) and assists (4.3 APG), to go along with 6.4 RPG and 2.8 SPG. She’s had six 10-7-5 games this year and Purdy won all six games. Foul trouble limited her in both matchups with Miller and it will be imperative for her to stay on the court and aggressive for Purdy to knock off Miller.
District 13
This is a district that got reshuffled in the last cycle, moving Skyline out and adding SRVC teams Jasper and Lockwood. Jasper benefitted last year, winning the district title with ease and on paper that seems to be the case against this year; the Lady Eagles have won lost and it came to state-ranked Carl Junction in early December. But, five of the eight teams in this district have at least 16 wins so it may not be a cakewalk for Jasper. Ulitmately I believe it comes down to Jasper and Lockwood.
Why Jasper wins – There’s not much to dislike like about Jasper. In the last two seasons the Lady Eagles have dropped a total of three games; one to Skyline, one to Marionville and one to Carl Junction. This year I think they’ve been largely disrespected considering their resume. The Carl Junction loss shouldn’t have kept them from the rankings until February. Jasper owns wins over Purdy, Miller, Carthage and Lockwood. They even beat 16-win Rich Hill by 32 earlier this season. The biggest positive for Jasper is the fact that 22-2 Adrian, the No. 2 seed in the district, lost regular season games to El Dorado Springs and Drexel. Neither are necessarily bad losses, but neither team is quite at the level that Jasper is. They are insanely balanced with five players scoring at least 8 PPG, which is part of the reason Jasper has scored at least 70 points on 10 different occasions this year. Lexie Royster leads the way (16.5 PPG, 5.7 SPG), but Anne-Marie Anibal (12.5 PPG, 2.4 SPG), Morgan Winchester (11.3 PPG, 2.4 SPG), Brianna Cawyer (9.2 PPG, 3.4 SPG) and Elizabeth Maneval (7.9 PPG, 2.6 SPG) all play major roles. It’s tough for most Class 2 teams to matchup their balance and handle the pressure of a team averaging more than 17 steals a night. Jasper blasted Lockwood in the first meeting between the two, but Friday’s matchup to decide the SRVC title will be much more telling. This is quietely a team that could potentially give Crane some problems down the road.
Why Lockwood Wins – The Lady Tigers have been red-hot as of late, winning 12 of 14 entering Friday’s showdown with Jasper. Lockwood beat a really good Miller team 10 days ago and even beat Rich Hill early in the season before they hit their stride. The talent is certainly there for them to make a run. Lockwood also has the best scoring guard in the district in sophomore Rylee Neill. She’s much more than just a pure scorer (5.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 SPG), but her ability to score the basketball is major and she understands showing up in big games. She scored 22 against Rich Hill, 31 against El Dorado Springs, 35 against Diamond and 32 against Miller; Lockwood is 6-2 when she score 24 or more. She’s nearly over 1,000 points in just two seasons, but this season she’s added the ability to get to the foul line which has made her a more complete scorer. Along with an improving supporting cast in Moriah Coose (10 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.5 BPG) and Olivia Nentrup (7.8 PPG, 3 RPG), Lockwood is good enough to make a district run.
District 14
I’m not going to insult your intelligence here; Skyline is probably going to win this district. In fact, I probably have a better chance of getting a sunburn than Skyline does of getting upset. The Lady Tigers have won district championships in six of the last eight seasons and each of these girls has grown up around this program winning. It is similar to the Webb City Football mindset in the sense that Skyline kids just expect to win every game regardless of the opponent or situation. Going to three straight Final Fours certainly helps, as does returning several key pieces from that team. Kaylee Damitz (14.7 PPG, 3.2 SPG) and Mckinsey Mountain (13.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG) are two of the best at what they do and overall Skyline is just relentless defensively. Kevin Cheek will go down as one of the best coaches to ever do it in Missouri and wins over Fair Grove (2), Stockton, Mount Vernon, Bolivar, Osage and California suggest that this team is ready to make another trip to Columbia. The Lady Tigers have also held 15 of 25 opponents to 40 points or less. The biggest question mark is can Skyline consistently score enough points to beat good teams. It’s no secret that they don’t shoot it well, but it’s also not like they don’t have capable shooters. Damitz and Mountain can score, they just need someone to help them out by stretching the floor and the combination of Lauren Wouters and Chloe Cole can make that happen. How well Skyline shoots it will be the difference between being in Florida and being in Columbia for spring break.
Steph Curry Alert: Jamie Windholz, Crest Ridge – She’s the one player that will have the chance to break Skyline’s heart. Cheek is notorious for locking down really good guards, but Windholz has been pretty salty this year. She’s averaging 20 PPG and is shooting 43% from deep. Last year Skyline held her to 11 points and forced her into more turnovers (10) than shot attempts (7).
