Under the Radar: Arizona 5A Central Region
With the tip-off of the 2021-2022 high school basketball season happening closer and closer each week, it is important to check out some of the top players in each region of the state that may be flying a little Under the Radar. Each of the athletes mentioned plays tough and has earned a spot on this list to be recognized.
Mia Martinez – Junior – 5’6″ – Willow Canyon High School
Mia was a sophomore last season for the Willow Canyon Lady Wildcats that helped generate a lot of high energy and points for her team. As an underclassman, she averaged 8.3 points per game, 3.7 assists and rebounds per game, followed by 6.1 steals per game. This stat line is pretty impressive for anyone, not to mention it comes from one of the youngins on the team. Martinez was awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game award four times throughout the season for her outstanding performances against Camelback, North Canyon, Agua Fria, and Washington. #10 is an all-around solid player but her quick feet and hands that led to her 91 steals for the season are what sets her apart from the rest.
Makayla Ramirez – Senior – 5’6″ – Willow Canyon High School
Another Lady Wildcat that deserves some attention is #23, Makayla Ramirez. She averaged 6.8 points per game, 5.3 assists per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 5.3 steals per game. There is no doubt that Ramirez is a tough five-foot-six scrappy guard that is not afraid to pick your pocket when it is least expected. Her 82 total points helped lead her team to a successful overall record of 13-2 and an 8-0 conference record for the 2020-2021 basketball season. This will be one of the top teams to beat again this upcoming year.
Chole Lobmeyer – Senior – 6’2″ – Willow Canyon High School
The last Willow Canyon Lady Wildcat that caught my attention is the six-foot-two center, Chloe Lobmeyer. The junior made the most impact last season when scoring and rebounding the basketball. Although she did average 2.0 blocks per game and 2.2 steals per game, the dagger came from her 6.4 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. With a total of 141 rebounds over the course of the 2020-2021 high school basketball season, that is where Chloe did the most of her damage. Not only did she dominate the defensive boards, but she had the majority of her rebounds on the offensive end, (80 offensive, 61 defensive). I am expecting to see a big year from the senior this season!
Paige Jennings – Senior – 5’5″ – North Canyon High School
#25 Paige Jennings of the North Canyon Lady Rattlers will be coming into this season as a five-foot-five small forward/power forward for the last time as a senior. After playing on varsity since her sophomore year, Jennings was able to get a good feel for the game and the pace leading to a successful junior year. She averaged 5.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game that lead to a couple of big-time stats in games throughout the season. In back-to-back-to-back games early in 2021, Paige had 16-14-16 total rebounds across the three games. She is not afraid to block somebody out down low and use her body to make sure the ball ends up in her hands.
Mae Dieguez – Senior – 5’3″ – North Canyon High School
Dieguez is another athlete for the North Canyon Lady Rattlers that stood out to me throughout the 2020-2021 basketball season. This five-foot-three combo guard averaged 4.8 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game over the course of 16 games played. Even though the Lady Rattlers finished off the year with an overall record of 8-11, Mae did help her team out with a few double digit scoring games towards the end of the season. I hope to see a solid year from this squad coming up pretty soon.