Preseason Teams to Watch: The Hometown Heroes

<strong>Preseason Teams to Watch: The Hometown Heroes</strong> The smaller the school, the bigger the impact student-athletes make on their community. Here are some teams to watch from the lower classifications that have a chance to piece together memorable seasons. <strong>Stephens County </strong><em>Notable Players 2021: #94 [player_tooltip player_id="191044" first="Ranajah" last="Verdell"], Tynajiah Eades, Kiarra Howard, Bre Taylor, Lindsay Moore</em> With everyone back from last year’s 21-win team, their best mark since 2006-07, Stephens County will be a force in an ever-competitive Class 3A. 5-foot-11 Ranajah “Root” Verdell has become a trending prospect among non-D-I schools. She provides length, versatility and most importantly, productivity as a stretchy four. KiKi Howard is an athletic guard committed to Piedmont while Nana Eades has received an offer as well and is one of the team’s top scorers. Bre Taylor is back from a knee injury and Lindsay Moore, an Agnes Scott-commit, is a floor spacer from beyond the arc. <strong>Coahulla Creek </strong><em>Notable Players 2021: #121 [player_tooltip player_id="204678" first="Katelyn" last="Richards"], #123 [player_tooltip player_id="204881" first="Kenley" last="Woods"], Ema Turner</em> Shorter-commit [player_tooltip player_id="204678" first="Katelyn" last="Richards"] is a bulldozer inside that averaged a double-double a season ago. Her physicality and back-to-the-basket presence pose countless issues inside for opponents. [player_tooltip player_id="204881" first="Kenley" last="Woods"] is one of the best passers in Georgia, regardless of classification. She drops in dimes to teammates and helps the Colts get out and run in the open floor. The third head of the Coahulla Creek offense is Ema Turner. She’s a gritty guard that can burn teams when left open from deep. The Colts are in a tough region, but they have the nucleus needed to take a deep playoff run. <strong>Early County </strong><em>Notable Players 2021: #5 [player_tooltip player_id="118099" first="Makayla" last="Timpson"] 2022: #61 [player_tooltip player_id="210304" first="Jordan" last="Eafford"]</em> At 6-foot-3 and headed to Florida State, [player_tooltip player_id="118099" first="Makayla" last="Timpson"] is likely the best player in school history down in Blakely. She’s a consistent triple-double threat with her efficient scoring inside, rebounding and tenacious shot blocking. Timpson is nearly unstoppable, especially at the 2A level. Her touch around the basket is supreme. Joining her is well-rounded guard [player_tooltip player_id="210304" first="Jordan" last="Eafford"]. She stuffs the stat sheet with her rebounding, passing and defensive instincts. Eafford is a solid scorer and should be on D-II radars for now. <strong>Fannin County </strong><em>Notable Players 2022: #43 [player_tooltip player_id="210305" first="Becca" last="Ledford"] 2024: Courtney Davis</em> [player_tooltip player_id="210305" first="Becca" last="Ledford"] stepped up big time down the stretch last season and now she returns as the primary option for Coach Ryan Chastain. Ledford is a sharp athlete that can handle the ball and slash to the basket. She gets after it defensively and can pressure ball handlers. Natalie Thomas is a lethal three-point shooter and Abby Ledford is experienced in the backcourt. Look for freshman Courtney Davis to earn minutes right away. She’s undersized at 5-foot-2, but has a great feel for the game and can score in a variety of ways. <strong>Lumpkin County </strong><em>Notable Players</em><strong> </strong><em>2021: #66 [player_tooltip player_id="148896" first="Isabel" last="Davenport"] 2023: #36 [player_tooltip player_id="186263" first="Kate" last="Jackson"], #57 [player_tooltip player_id="213347" first="Lexi" last="Pierce"] 2024: Averie Jones</em> A torn ACL to double-double machine [player_tooltip player_id="186263" first="Kate" last="Jackson"] in the Summer hurts Lumpkin County’s chances at a state title run, but the Indians still have a great core and will likely focus more heavily on their experienced backcourt. North Georgia-commit [player_tooltip player_id="148896" first="Isabel" last="Davenport"] is one of the best guards north of Atlanta. She plays with a fearless style and has deep range off the dribble. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="213347" first="Lexi" last="Pierce"] brings a pitbull mentality on defense and does the little things needed to win. Freshman Averie Jones will be a massive shot in the arm. She scores at all three levels and has great hands on defense. She should see huge minutes from Day 1 and will likely lead Lumpkin in scoring on occasions.