Under the Radar: Arizona 5A Northeast Valley 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 hard and has earned a spot on this list to be recognized. Here is a handful from the Class AAAAA Northeast Valley Region. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="138096" first="Kaitlyn" last="Elsholz"] - Junior - 5’10" - Cactus Shadows High School </strong> As an underclassman last season, Kaitlyn put on a show for the Cactus Shadows Lady Falcons averaging 9.0 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and 3.6 assists per game. She plays with confidence and helped lead her and her teammates to a successful overall record of 15-4 while going 10-0 in conference play. Elsholz was awarded MaxPreps Player of the Game four different times throughout the 2020-2021 basketball season for her outstanding performances against Willow Canyon, Sunrise Mountain, Arcadia, and Horizon. With the ability to score 162 points as a sophomore, there should be a lot of attention on #11 these next couple of years. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208255" first="Abby" last="Moore"] - Junior - 5’3" - Desert Mountain High School </strong> Moore was the point guard for the Desert Mountain Lady Wolves last season as a sophomore and helped out her teammates when they were faced with adversity. Even though the season may not have ended the way they hoped, Abby managed to average 8.2 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and 3.3 assists per game finishing with 106 points total. Do not let #15 get hot from the three-point line or there is no doubt in my mind that she will make you pay for it. A little under half of her total points for the season were racked up from behind the arc... so don’t let her get comfortable. <strong>Katherine Ducharme - Senior - 6’0" - Arcadia High School  </strong> Returning for her final year of high school eligibility for the Arcadia Lady Titans, #40 Ducharme will be back to defend her outstanding stats from the 2020-2021 season. Throughout her junior year, she averaged 7.9 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game leading to a total of 146 points and 215 rebounds. She was and will continue to be a huge asset for her team on both ends of the floor. Although the majority of her rebounds came from the defensive side, Katherine was still able to bring down 57 offensive rebounds during the year. The six-foot-tall center also secured 6 double-doubles last season, all of them being achieved with points and rebounds...her specialty. <strong>Samantha Sebastiani - Junior - 5’7" - Horizon High School </strong> Sebastiani is a five-foot-seven incoming junior for the Horizon Lady Huskies that has played up for her high school on their varsity team since freshman year. With the experience of playing at a high level while still at such a young age, Samantha has gained wisdom that she may not even realize she has yet. Last season she averaged 5.9 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game for her team and even though she may not have been the leading scorer, she was a huge help on the floor throughout her minutes. She is an all-around team player with a good head on her shoulders. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="214598" first="Kamea" last="Letcher"] - Senior - 5’9" - Desert Mountain High School </strong> Captain for the Desert Mountain Lady Wolves last year, [player_tooltip player_id="214598" first="Kamea" last="Letcher"] only played during the second half of the season but still displayed a lot of leadership ability while on the floor. In just eight games, Kamea averaged 10.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game during the 2020-2021 basketball season. She was recognized a couple of times by MaxPreps being awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game for her outstanding performances against Sunrise Mountain and Arcadia. I am hoping to see a completely healthy Letcher one last time for her senior year.