The Charlotte Observer’s 2021-22 regional girls basketball preview

The 14-county area outside Charlotte produced a pair of state championship girls’ basketball teams last season, with Shelby (2A) and Jesse Carson (3A) riding undefeated campaigns.

Shelby seems loaded for a repeat, and Jesse Carson has enough returning players to do the same.

But the area has a number of other teams capable of making a run to the finals in Raleigh.

Here is a look at girls’ basketball in that crescent of counties around Charlotte:

Alexander; Anson; Ashe; Burke; Caldwell; Catawba; Cleveland; Gaston; Lincoln; Richmond; Rowan; Rutherford; Stanly; and Watauga.

TEAMS TO WATCH

Alexander Central: Chesney Stikeleather is one of the state’s top softball players, but she’s a very good basketball player (11.1 points, 6.1 reboounds) and good enough to make the Cougars a 4A force.

Ashbrook: The Green Wave should battle Crest and Kings Mountain for the Big South 3A title this season. A pair of juniors, Kennette Bess (15.9 points a game) and Aaliyah El (13.2 points, 6.4 rebounds), will provide the foundation. Ashbrook was 13-2 last season.

Bessemer City: Junior guard Janiya Adams is back from a Yellow Jacket team that finished 8-5 and could be a force in the 1A ranks this season.

Bunker Hill: The Bears were 12-1 last season and have seven players back, led by Faith Isenhour, a 5-10 junior who is a two-time all-conference and all-county selection. She is joined by 6-0 sophomore Damireona Burch (11 points, 9 rebounds per game) and 5-4 guard Olivia Ellis, who shot 43 percent from 3-point range last season.

Freedom: The Patriots are a perennial power and are coming off an 11-1 season that ended with a third-round playoff loss to Hickory. The return of Christena Rhone, an all-state contender, and newcomers like 6-0 forward Zakiah King will make Freedom a serious 3A power.

Jesse Carson: Some of the leaders from the 3A state championship team are gone, but never count out the Brooke Stouder-coached Cougars. Mary Spry, a 6-0 senior and the No. 2 scorer off that 19-0 team, is back. Also returning is shooting guard Hannah Isley, who averaged 10.1 points and 3.1 steals.

Lincoln Charter: Lauren Horton, a 5-8 senior forward, averaged 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds on an 8-5 team last season. Add in newcomers like Madison Lusk (:5-6 junior guard) and Grace Rinaldo (6-0 junior forward), and you have a 1A power in the making.

Mountain Island Charter: The Raptors are coming off a 9-3 season and have plenty of returning talent, including 5-8 guard Kay Decker, the No. 2 scorer and the playmaker off that team.

Newton-Conover: The Red Devils, like Bunker Hill, are a 2A threat from Catawba County. They’re coming off a 15-1 season and will be led by junior Cassidy Geddes, who averaged 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 steals a game in the 2020-21 campaign.

North Rowan: Three double-figures scorers return, led by 5-8 forward Hannah Freeman (14.7 points, 8.8 rebounds). You can figure that the Cavaliers will be a 1A power and a team to be reckoned with in the Central Carolina 1A-2A.

Shelby: The Golden Lions were 19-0, beating Farmville Central 77-62 for the 2A title. And the leading players off that team are all back. Shelby should be an absolute powerhouse, with 5-4 point guard Maraja Pass (21.4 points a game) and sisters Ally and Kate Hollifield. Ally, a junior, averaged 18.7 points and 5.0 rebounds. Kate, a senior, averaged 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 steals. Good luck, if Shelby is on your schedule this winter.

South Caldwell: With a player like 5-11 wing Olivia Miller in the lineup, South Caldwell is poised to make a run in 4A. Joining Miller is Katlyn Wynn, a senior who averaged 10.2 points and 7.7 rebounds a game last season.

Thomas Jefferson Academy: The Gryphons were 8-4 last season and have the talent to make a run in the 1A postseason. Leading the way is 5-10 senior center Margaret Schweppe, who averaged 15.4 points a game.

Watauga: The Pioneers were 1-11 last season but poised for a big jump. Brelyn Sturgill, a 5-8 senior forward, averaged 11.0 rebounds a game. Freshman point guard Kate Sears is a name to remember, and 5-9 junior forward Caroline Farthing (also a volleyball standout) will give Sturgill support.

West Stanly: The Colts were 9-3 last season and will contend in 2A behind Maryn Mauldin, a 5-11 senior who is a two-sport (basketball and tennis) standout.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Janiya Adams (Bessemer City): This 5-5 junior set a number of school scoring records last season and averaged 23.4 points a contest.

Lauren Horton (Lincoln Charter): a 5-8 senior, Horton nearly averaged a double-double last season (19.8 points, more than 9 rebounds).

Faith Isenhour (Bunker Hill): Isenhour, a 5-10 junior, is a two-time all-conference and all-

county player. She averaged 14.5 points a game in the 2020-21 campaign.

Olivia Miller (South Caldwell): A 5-11 senior wing, Miller averaged 15.4 points last season for the Spartans and is an excellent playmaker.

Maraja Pass (Shelby): It’s tough to pick one standout off the extremely talented Shelby team, but we’ll go with Pass. A 5-4 junior point guard who is being heavily recruited by colleges, she averaged 21.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 4.8 steals a game.

Christena Rhone (Freedom): A 5-7 senior guard, Rhone is an all-around talent who averaged 10.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists last season.

Alexis Wolgemuth (Fred T. Foard): This senior forward carried a 22.1-point scoring average last season and is an excellent all-around athlete – a four-time state tennis champion.

PLAYERS ON THE RISE

Gabby Bryant, Lea Boyens (Hickory): A pair of freshmen who could help the Red Tornadoes repeat the success of their 11-3 campaign in 2020-21.

Damireona Burch (Bunker Hill): Watch out for this 6-0 sophomore forward, who averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds a game as a freshman.

Zakiah King (Freedom): Another talented player enters the Patriot pipeline. King is a 6-0 sophomore forward.

Kendall Manning (Forestview): As a freshman, she averaged more than 8 points a game and is a talented rebounder.

Grace Rinaldo (Lincoln Charter): A 6-0 junior forward with scoring and rebounding skills.

Kai Spencer (Albemarle): A 5-9 sophomore guard, she’s a big part of the rebuilding process for the Bulldogs.

JUST NOTING

▪ Looking for a High Country surprise? Ashe County could challenge Freedom, Alexander Central and South Caldwell in the Northwestern 3A-4A Conference. The Huskies will have an experienced, senior-laden lineup this season.

▪ Hibriten has a husband-wife coaching team. Maury Patterson is head coach, and Jenni Patterson is the assistant.

▪ North Gaston and Albemarle are two teams that could be on the rise. North Gaston has its No. 2, 3 and 4 scorers returning for new head coach Robert Hollis. Albemarle will be loaded with freshmen and sophomores under head coach Eric Davis.

CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS

Northwestern 3A-4A

1. Freedom; 2. Ashe County; 3. Alexander Central; 4. South Caldwell; 5. Watauga; 6. Hibriten; 7. St. Stephens

Sandhills 3A-4A

1. Pinecrest; 2. Union Pines; 3. Richmond Senior; 4. Hoke County; 5. Scotland County; 6. Southern Lee; 7. Lee County

Big South 3A

1. Ashbrook; 2. Kings Mountain; 3. North Gaston; 4. Crest; 5. Forestview; 6. Stuart Cramer; 7. Hunter Huss; 8. South Point

Western Foothills 3A

1. Hickory; 2. East Lincoln; 3. North Iredell; 4. Fred T. Foard; 5. Statesville; 6. North Lincoln; 7. St. Stephens; 8. West Iredell

Rocky River 2A-3A

1. Forest Hills; 2. Parkwood; 3. West Stanly; 4. Central Academy; 5. Anson County; 6. Monroe

Catawba Valley 2A

1. Bunker Hill; 2. Newton-Conover; 3. Bandys; 4. Maiden; 5. West Lincoln; 6. East Burke; 7. Lincolnton; 8. West Caldwell

Mountain Foothills 2A

1. R-S Central; 2. Patton; 3. East Rutherford; 4. Polk County; 5. Hendersonville; 6. Brevard; 7. Chase

Catawba Shores 1A-2A

1. Community School of Davidson; 2. Lincoln Charter; 3. Pine Lake Prep; 4. Mountain Island Charter; 5. Christ the King; 6. Langtree Charter

Southwestern 1A-2A

1. Shelby; 2. Burns; 3. East Gaston; 4. Bessemer City; 5. Thomas Jefferson Academy; 6. Cherryville; 7. Highland Tech

Western Highlands 1A-2A

1. Mountain Heritage; 2. Mitchell County; 3. C.D. Owen; 4. Draughn; 5. Madison County; 6. Avery County; 7. Rosman

Yadkin Valley 1A-2A

1. Jay M. Robinson; 2. North Stanly; 3. Mount Pleasant; 4. Union Academy; 5. South Stanly; 6. Gray Stone Day; 7. Albemarle

Metrolina Athletic Conference

1. Concord Academy; 2. Metrolina Christian; 3. Gaston Day; 4. Hickory Grove Christian; 5. Westminster Catawba; 6. SouthLake Christian; 7. Northside Christian; 8. Gaston Christian

Foothills Athletic

1. Davidson Day; 2. Statesville Christian; 3. University Christian; 4. Hickory Christian

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

This story was originally published November 6, 2021 at 12:05 PM.