Coalfields 2022 — Players to Watch

The Coalfields is a small geographical area in West Virginia consisting of Boone, Logan and Mingo Counties in the southern part of the state. The high schools from that area have produced some great athletes over the years and that is certainly the case in girls basketball as well. The 2022 class is especially equipped with several players that have the potential to continue to mature into Division I, Division II, Division III or NAIA players. Here is a look at seven of them. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153372" first="Peyton" last="Ilderton"] -- Logan -- G</strong> Any talk of girls basketball in the Coalfields has to start with Ilderton who has Division I potential. Ilderton spent the first two years of her high school career as a point guard, with the bulk of scoring and distribution responsibilities riding on her shoulders. She averaged more than 20 points per game a year ago, while being the unquestioned focus of every opposing defensive game plan. This year she will be helped by fellow point guard [player_tooltip player_id="153396" first="Abbie" last="Myers"] (more on her below) and shooter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153357" first="Jill" last="Tothe"] (2021)</strong> is also back to help stretch defenses. Ilderton is a true combo guard, able to accel at either the one or the two and still has two more seasons to develop. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153393" first="Hollie" last="Blair"] -- Chapmanville -- C </strong> Blair came into her own as the season went on a year ago. The 6-footer hit double figures in scoring just once in her first eight games, but got there 13 times in the team’s final 15 contests. During her sophomore season, Blair was surrounded by four seniors, meaning this time around, the show is going to be hers. Physically, it’s all there as Blair has the height and the strength to play in the post somewhere on the next level. As a junior, she will have to adjust to a significantly increased level of responsibility in terms of leadership and production. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153397" first="Scarlett" last="Thomason"] -- Mingo Central -- SG</strong> Thomason is as good a shooter as can be found anywhere in the state and that alone makes her a coveted weapon. In a Miners win over Tug Valley a year ago, Thomason hit 13 3-pointers, narrowly missing a state record. At 5-9, she has good size for a guard as well. But with the graduation of <strong>Xziah Rhodes (2020)</strong>, Thomason will likely have to assume some if not all of the ballhandling load, meaning her game will have to improve and adapt in terms of driving to the rim and creating her own shot. If Thomason is able to do so, she should be a force over the next couple of seasons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153382" first="Kaylea" last="Baisden"] -- Tug Valley -- G</strong> Baisden was one of the area’s leading scorers as a sophomore a year ago, averaging 19.8 points per game for an upstart Panthers team. Unfortunately for Tug Valley, it found itself in the same region as St. Joseph and Parkersburg Catholic, the top two teams in Class A over the past two seasons. Reclassification will take care of that next year and the Panthers -- and in particularly Baisden -- will have an opportunity to continue to make a name for themselves on the statewide level. Baisden has the ability to explode offensively and she’s already a leader for a young group of Panthers that could make some serious noise next season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153396" first="Abbie" last="Myers"] -- Logan -- PG</strong> On the short list of players I’m most anticipating seeing next season, Myers should finally have her spot as a regular starter on a varsity squad. Flashing big time potential as a freshman, Myers came off the bench for Chapmanville behind a starting lineup filled with mostly upperclassmen. She left Chapmanville just a couple of games into last season and after sitting out the rest of the year due to transfer rules, she’ll be ready to go for the Wildcats next year. Myers has plus ballhandling ability and for her size (5-4), is comfortable attacking the rim, maneuvering well amongst the trees in the lane. Her presence could mean big things for herself, Ilderton and Logan in general. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="154948" first="Hailea" last="Skeens"] -- Sherman -- G</strong> Skeens was a big-time scorer (16.1 points per game) on a team with relatively little success as the Tide went just 9-14. Skeens along with rising senior teammate Caraline Nelson (2021), who averaged 16.3 points per game, create a nice one-two punch in terms of scoring, but the two didn’t get much help offensively. The Tide will likely have to put together a few more wins in order for Nelson or Skeens to garner statewide attention, but Sherman is likely another school that reclassification will benefit and with both of its big scorers returning next season, look for Skeens to be a name that could be on the rise over the next two years.