Your 2015- 2016 All- County girls team
Your 2015- 2016 All- County girls team
On Tuesday, I named my 2015-2016 All-County boys basketball team, so today is Ladies Night.
This was a challenging team to put together. For starters, I had to make a key decision on a girl that played 12 games on her varsity team this season, but was more than deserving of a spot. I also had to decide how big I wanted this squad to be. This was a year of excellent post ladies in Crittenden County, and that can be a huge advantage if you choose to go that way.
Overall, this was the best season for girls basketball since I’ve covered the teams, capped off by Earle’s first girls title in school history. Marion added a state tournament win, as well as a nearmiss against Russellville.
The talent pool was also deep, as you’ll soon witness.
2015-2016 All-County first team Sable Greer, West Memphis Roshala Scott, Earle LaShala Saine, West Memphis Jakyya Clay, Marion Kennedi Boykins, Marion Takila Baker, Earle Scott is a special player.
If you haven’t seen her in action yet, then you need to.
I struggled with her inclusion because she played her entire freshman season on Earle’s 24-1 junior high district title team and only joined the high school team for the stretch run and into the state tournament.
So, from a traditional perspective, she shouldn’t compete for a spot on an all-varsity team.
However, she was also the Class 2A tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and helped Earle win state. Freshman or not, she has to be on this team. Greer had some truly outstanding games for the Lady Blue Devils this year, most impressive of which was probably her 31-point explosion against North Little Rock on the road. Seeing as how the Lady Charging Wildcats ended up winning the Class 7A state title, that’s a pretty good resume game to hang your hat on. Joining Greer on the first team is her real-life teammate, LaShala Saine.
Saine’s biggest struggled seemed to be consistency during her career in West Memphis. Still, you can’t deny her ability to defend and score around the basket. She will continue her career at Missouri State in the fall.
What a season for Clay this year. The junior postwoman did it all at times for Marion, whether it be scoring, passing, rebounding, defending or whatever else Shunda Johnson asked her to do. She was at her best after February 1, which is also when the Lady Pats seemed to take off and become a much more dangerous team. I’m looking forward to seeing Clay as a senior.
Another factor in Marion’s rise was Boykins looking to score more than she ever had before.
In her first two seasons with the varsity, she was a true point guard who looked to make everyone else better. She still had that ability, but became the Lady Pats’ go-go girl late in the season, and that wasn’t a bad thing.
Baker’s career at Earle ended the way that it should have: With her playing a big role on the Lady Bulldogs’ first title team.
As a sophomore, she was probably one of Earle’s better players in Corey Garrett’s first season as head coach. Her junior season was derailed by a series of injuries and the Lady Bulldogs never took off the way that many expected them to.
As a senior? Baker was a steadying force that averaged a double-double from the district tournament and on.
2015-2016 All-County second team Amesha Brown, West Memphis Ebony Day, Marion Andrea Allen, Earle Bailey Felts, West Memphis Christian Lauren Pike, West Memphis Christian Tei Boston, Marion Brown brought toughness to West Memphis during her career. She loved to set picks and hit the boards. She’s a typical player that transcended her stats.
Day slumped near the end of the non-conference schedule and into the front-end of the league slate, but finished strong for Marion. She was a monster on the glass, and posted six double-doubles for the Lady Pats, and just missed a triple-double in February against Mountain Home, finishing with nine points, 11 rebounds and 11 blocks.
Allen is another part of the Earle senior class with Baker that deserved to go out on top. The exciting guard turned games into lay-up lines often and was a team leader on the floor.
Felts and Pike saw their careers at West Memphis Christian end in January, and each left their mark on the team. Each were four-year players, and each displayed a good amount of versatility on the court.
The last spot was difficult. I went with Boston because of her shooting ability and rebounding talent. She played a crucial role on Marion’s team because she may have been the Lady Pats’ most reliable long-range shooter as the year went on.
Honorable mentions Tyquesha Selvy, Marion LaDeryca Childs, Earle Marie Hunter, Marion The three guards were quite good and had seasons to be proud of, they just simply couldn’t crack the top 12. Selvy and Hunter will be back for Marion next season, which is plenty for the Lady Pats to look forward to.
Childs will also be back for Earle after an excellent tournament run. Her trio of three-pointers in the state title game against Hector was one of the best random moments of the season.
Chuck’’s Corrnerr
By Chuck Liiviingstton
