“Mountain Magic” – East Burke Outlasts McDowell 45-35.
The mountains of North Carolina are known for a lot of things: The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, Harrah’s Resort in Cherokee and the roaring waters of Blowing Rock. However, if Wednesday afternoon was any indication, the mountains of Western North…
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Continue ReadingThe mountains of North Carolina are known for a lot of things: The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, Harrah’s Resort in Cherokee and the roaring waters of Blowing Rock. However, if Wednesday afternoon was any indication, the mountains of Western North Carolina may soon be known for girls hoops. There is a lot of talent in those hills and that was on full display in East Burke’s 45-35 victory over McDowell in Marion yesterday. 10 highlights from my afternoon in Marion:
- Graleigh Hildebran, the 5’7″ Senior Wing is a great distance shooter who can also put the ball on the floor. She hit the first 3 points of the game, hit a huge three to put East Burke up 25-24, and showed a versatile floor game that was a big factor in the East Burke victory.
- Aubrie Snyder, a 6’0″ Freshman Post player was the first player off the bench for Crystal Bartlett’s East Burke Cavaliers. Snyder obviously has great size and showed aggressiveness and a basketball IQ that makes her a player to watch in the Class of 2023. Snyder and her 6’0″ classmate and fellow freshman P Aubree Griggs figure to be twin towers in Northwestern Foothills 2A competition for years to come.
- 5’10” Senior Forward Makenna Parkins is a tremendous athlete and a good basketball player but she has to stay on the floor if McDowell is going to have consistent success this season. Parkins is a big-time athlete as is evidenced by her prowess on the volleyball court. She led McDowell in this game with 9 points, but when she got 2 quick fouls, it put McDowell at a distinct disadvantage. I love the aggressiveness, but she must do a better job of avoiding foul trouble.
- Naliyah Boyce has nice feet and will be a big to reckon with the remainder of this year and next. Boyce, a 6’0″ Junior had 6 points but played a great all-around floor game. She made several nice passes and functioned deftly out of the high post. Her game is unfinished but I look forward to watching her develop as the season progresses.
- Senior PG Gracie Ruff provided a steady hand at the point for the victorious Cavaliers. The 5’3″ spitfire’s leadership and timely makes (a three to put EB up 17-13 and two free throws that 2 free throws to make it 41-33 that helped seal the victory) were a key to the EB win.
- Junior G Maya Chrisco took over the game for East Burke. McDowell led 29-24 when Chrisco hit 5 straight to tie the game for East Burke.She later made a 3 and three free throws to give EB an insurmountable lead. She was the best player on the court when it counted most.
- Leila Bragg didn’t start but she was the most effective McDowell player during the game. Immediately upon entering the game, she changed the game and got the Titans going. She hit five quick points and seemed to get Alana Torres involved (she hit a 3 from Bragg that cut the EB lead to 14-13. Bragg, a 5’3″ Senior made a definite push for more quality time in the lineup.
- East Burke’s 5’10” Senior post Riley Haas is a tremendous post defender. With active hands and good feet, Haas did a great job of defending the McDowell bigs. That defense combined with a soft touch from the mid range makes her a key cog in the Cavalier machine.
- Coach Jennifer Kinninger is a great coach. Arguably at a talent disadvantage, Coach Kinninger’s team was very disciplined and ran some beautiful offensive sets. She put her players in optimal position to succeed. The only flaw I saw with her coaching in this game was probably not giving enough floor time to her senior guard Bragg.
- There is something quite refreshing about getting out of the city and going to see a competitive ballgame up in the mountains. Marion is about 35 miles east of Asheville. The drive from Charlotte is absolutely gorgeous. Once I got to Marion, I enter a gym that looks like it could have been the setting for “Hoosiers”. It was quite a contrast from the beautiful, modern courts I’ve visited at Hough or Providence Day. The gym was old, but neat and with a ton of character. It was an absolutely awesome setting for small-town high school athletics. I look forward to finding more gems in Western North Carolina later this season (before the bad weather starts …. lol).