Eastern District Week 1 – Top Underclass Debuts
I had the pleasure of taking in three games the opening week. There were a number of underclassmen making a big impact early for their respective teams. Some were sophomores, but even a few freshmen came up huge in their…
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Continue ReadingI had the pleasure of taking in three games the opening week. There were a number of underclassmen making a big impact early for their respective teams.
Some were sophomores, but even a few freshmen came up huge in their first varsity contents.
I’ll recap the week as a whole and some of the top performances in a separate recap, but these “newbies” definitely stood out Week 1
Brylee May, 5-10, 2024, Shenandoah
The Zeps start two freshmen and a sophomore and at one point had four 9th graders on the floor. The future looks bright, but it’s not doing too bad right now. In her varsity debut, May totaled 18 points and eight rebounds.
That’s not bad for an outfit that missed two full weeks of practice during a team-wide quarantine. May showed a soft touch around the rim and an ability to convert second-chance opportunities. She tired a bit, as did her teammates, as the game wore on but the Zeps have lost conditioning to make up for.
Sydney Reynolds, 5-9, 2023, Reedsville Eastern
Reynolds is no stranger to the court, securing a third-team all-SE district as a freshman. She picked up where she left off by scoring 17 pounds and adding 12 rebounds to lead the Eagles from behind in a 64-58 win against Shenandoah.
The Eagles’ coach challenged his players after getting hammered on the glass in the first quarter. They responded; Reynolds in particular. She limited the Zeps’ second-chance opportunities to nil in the second quarter and beyond by getting position and using her athleticism to outleap Shenandoah posts for rebounds. Offensively, Reynolds worked the up-and-under to near perfection in nearing a 20-point effort.
Erica Durst, 5-9, 2023, Reedsville Eastern
Durst came off the bench for Eastern in its opener but rarely returned to it in scoring 19 points. A guard playing underneath for size purposes, Durst is quick off the dribble and able to beat defenders to the basket. Still coming into her own and made a few mistakes with the ball, but the ability is there. Her 19 points can attest to that.
When Eastern needed someone to step up and make a play both offensive, and defensively, in the fourth quarter, Durst was there to answer the call.
Halle Markovich, 6-1, 2023, Barnesville
Markovich started most of her freshman season and is Barnesville’s second-leading returning scorer. Markovich was used more of a guard with size last season as the Shamrocks needed the ball-handling help. More experience in that department this season has allowed Markovich to move down low, where her quickness against slower defenders allows her to flourish.
In a season-opener against Buckeye Trail, despite battling foul trouble, Markovich totaled 15 points and nearly hit for a double-double in rebounds. Another key is Markovich’s ability to defend in the paint and block or redirect shots.