Season Recap: Tri-Valley League (5A/4A)

The 2019-20 season is officially over, leaving us with a void that has been difficult to fill. Even though there is still a sense of unfinished business regarding state champions, each conference was able to end yet another chapter in their basketball history successfully. Here is a recap of what went down within the Tri-Valley League. <h3><span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Who won the league in ’19-20?</strong></span></h3> Ironically, this winter ended with there being a three-way split for the Tri-Valley League. Holy Family (21-6) has laid claim to at least a part of each conference title over the five years of the league’s existence. Berthoud (24-3) and Erie (23-3) found themselves sitting on top alongside Holy Family after all three teams split their two-game series, finishing with a flush 14-2 league record. Windsor (13-12) finished with a league record of 10-6, making them the runner up to the Tri-Valley champs. The remaining five teams finished below .500; however, it is difficult to expect anything different in a top-heavy league such as this one. Berthoud and Erie found themselves locked in a fierce battle in the 4A state quarterfinal that ended with Berthoud pulling out a 64-60 win in overtime. Holy Family and Berthoud both made appearances in the semifinal round of the playoffs, where Berthoud fell to Mullen, while Holy Family triumphed over Green Mountain. Holy Family earned their spot in the 4A state final game against Mullen shortly before the unexpected end of the season. <h2><span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Five players who shined this winter</strong></span></h2> [caption id="attachment_112072" align="alignright" width="263"] [player_tooltip player_id="95030" first="Emily" last="Cavey"][/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="95030" first="Emily" last="Cavey"], 2020, 6’0”, SG/PF, Berthoud </strong> Cavey is the only top twenty PGH ranked seniors who has yet to sign with a collegiate program, and she also happens to be the conference player of the year. She finished first in the league in scoring (464 total) and fourth in rebounds (237 total) en route to Berthoud staking partial claim to the conference title. One of Cavey’s more impressive performances of the season happened in late January against Windsor. During that game, she tallied up 28 points while going two for three from three and 10 for 13 at the line. Tack on her 15 rebounds in that game and count that as one of her six double-doubles over the season. She also ended that contest with three assists and a steal. Cavey ended the season with an average of 17.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, three steals, and 2.6 assists per game, keeping her consistently close to her entire career (16.8 pts, 6.9 reb, 2.3 stl, 2.1 ast) average. With numbers like hers, do not expect Cavey to remain unsigned for too much longer. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115775" first="Ashayla" last="Powers"], 2020, 5’11”, C/F, Skyline</strong> Powers lead a very resilient team against a lot of fierce competition, which finished with her frontrunning stat boards and averaging a double-double. Powers led the league in rebounds (237 total) and finished second in scoring, totaling 418 points on the season. She averaged 18.2 points and 10.3 rebounds a game, along with 2.1 steals. Powers only finished two games with a total of fewer than ten points, while shooting 68% from the free-throw line and 45% from the field over the season. The senior has more than proven her value but still has yet to announce a commitment. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="95135" first="Genevieve" last="Gudino"], 2021, 5’8”, G, Erie</strong> Gudino is perhaps one of the more underrated players in the state, but she made sure to leave a strong impression on the conference. The outstanding guard is one of few players who rank among the top five in the conference in at least three categories. With an average of 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 steals, and 3.2 assists per game, it is evident that she played a very significant role in Erie’s deep postseason run. Midway through the season, Gudino broke her nose and never skipped a beat, solidifying her as one of the toughest players on the court. The junior is on pace to tally over 1,200 points, and 300 steals by the time her high school career is complete <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="116779" first="Alyssa" last="Wells"], 2021, 5’10”, SG, Holy Family</strong> Wells’ performance this season ended with her helping her team reach the 4A state final. She finished second in the league in assists, totaling 101 on the season, and her 93 total steals places her one shy away from tying for third in the conference. At the end of the season, she averaged 12.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 steals, and 2.4 rebounds per game. With the season coming to an abrupt end and 4A champion unable to be crowned, expect for Wells and the Tigers to come back next season on a mission to complete unfinished business. [caption id="attachment_112066" align="alignright" width="292"] [player_tooltip player_id="95140" first="Breanna" last="Fowler"][/caption]<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="95140" first="Breanna" last="Fowler"], 2021, 5’8”, PG/SG, Berthoud</strong> Fowler is an absolute baller with a very well rounded skillset. The standout guard finished as the second-leading scorer on her team and fifth in the league. The 18th ranked junior had a stock-raising season that finished a game shy of a shot at a state final. Fowler averaged 14 points, four assists, 3.5 steals, and 3.2 rebounds a game this season. Fowler is a versatile guard who possesses the ability to flip a switch and unapologetically take over an entire game. <h2><span style="color: #3366ff;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Who was voted all-conference in 2019-20?</strong></span></h2> [caption id="attachment_148674" align="alignright" width="254"] [player_tooltip player_id="145397" first="Tyler" last="Whitlock"][/caption]<strong>First team (no second team named)</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="116799" first="Kylie" last="Sanger"], Windsor [player_tooltip player_id="116779" first="Alyssa" last="Wells"], Holy Family [player_tooltip player_id="145397" first="Tyler" last="Whitlock"], Holy Family [player_tooltip player_id="95030" first="Emily" last="Cavey"], Berthoud [player_tooltip player_id="115775" first="Ashayla" last="Powers"], Skyline [player_tooltip player_id="95140" first="Breanna" last="Fowler"], Berthoud [player_tooltip player_id="117710" first="Grace" last="Moyers"], Erie [caption id="attachment_130654" align="alignright" width="271"] [player_tooltip player_id="115775" first="Ashayla" last="Powers"][/caption][player_tooltip player_id="95135" first="Genevieve" last="Gudino"], Erie Jackie Stephenson, Mead [player_tooltip player_id="116819" first="Anna" last="Hefner"], Erie