Joe’s Take: Ripley’s Nichols shows big heart in sectional win

The Ripley Vikings opened sectional play Tuesday night and there was magic in the air. Well, not at first. Tightness and apprehension dominated the scene – fireworks were the last thing on anyone’s mind, or were they? Someone clearly had forgotten to tell [player_tooltip player_id="375427" first="Sophie" last="Nichols"] about the mood. The girl whose heart shines through in everything happily danced around the court. She was getting ready to shine through once again. <img class="size-medium wp-image-381895 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/Sophi-Nichols-202x300.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="300" />As the game got started, well then, the fireworks went off. “I really wanted the win bad,” she said. It showed. Upon the waving of the wand, everything turned into a fairy tale for the second-year Viking. Nothing affected her. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. On a night second-leading scorer McKennan Hall and 3-point big bomber Erin Ryan struggled, Nichols soared. She scored. She howled. She stole. She led. No Winfield General kept her down. Not one player stopped her momentum. Not one rained on her parade. Oh, they tried. They tried a lot. They threw everything at her. Zone, man-to-man, rough defense, none of it affected her. Quite simply, this was a one-sophomore show. It was a career night. ‘It was a phenomenal performance. I wondered a little about her defense in the fourth quarter, but she came up huge. Her length was disruptive on the floor,” Ripley head coach John Kennedy said. Did she ever. If the Vikings end up moving on to the state tournament in Charleston, this performance will be talked about for years to come – it was that important. Winfield, an established player in W.Va. girls’ basketball, sent the Vikings home one year ago in the same game. By doing so, they denied them a chance to inch closer to a number on the Vikes’ girls’ basketball banner. But not on this night. This night was all about celebration and a court rush years in the making. And of course, it was about Nichols. How could it not be? She poured in 34 points during a yeoman’s effort worthy of being called one of the best performances of the season. She announced herself to the rest of the state. She let it be known that the double teams were wearing thin. She accepted the assignment of being the best player for a young Vikings team. Even when she tired and felt her strength and faith leaving her, she simply powered through. The next shot triggered more adrenaline. The next points raised her temperature. As Winfield drew closer late in the game and eventually took the lead, she simply laughed and said, “Not today.” Nothing stood in her way. You could see something special brewed on the floor after the opening minutes of the contest. Winfield senior Lindsay Moore possessed no answer. Shots went up and points went on the board for the Vikings’ No. 33. By the time the game moved to the second quarter, the General wised up. No luck. More points went on the board. The only reprieve for Winfield came at halftime. Turns out, Nichols needed it, too. “I was absolutely exhausted at halftime,” she said. But the only rest she got? That was in the locker room. The Vikings were locked in battle and everyone in the building knew Winfield quietly refused to go away. Meghan Taylor and [player_tooltip player_id="154951" first="Kennedy" last="Dean"] had played in and experienced too many close games. The Generals’ height would eventually bother the Vikings, too? The perfect storm gathered for the visitors, right? Sorta. Every time Winfield took the lead or threatened to pull away? Nichols. Every time there was a bad pass or misfortune about to fall on Ripley? Nichols. When Ripley needed a steal and a late free throw to seal the deal? You guessed it, Nichols. Just don’t ask her to use her voice any this next week, that magic needs a little time to work. &nbsp; &nbsp;