1-A State Championship-Epic Battle of Perennial Powers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mammoth Spring Bears and Norfork Panthers once again matched up for a second consecutive state tournament final at Bank OZK Arena on Friday March 10, 2023 in Hot Springs. The Lady Bears dominated the second half over Norfork to avenge last year's defeat and become the 2023 1-A State Champion. There was a plethora of talent on the floor. The following is a list of those players and their contribution in not only the championship game but their value to a successful 2022-23 season;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mammoth Spring High School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sara Crowe, 6'2" Post</strong>-Sara, pictured above, is a recent Williams Baptist University signee. She dominated the paint with multiple offensive rebounds and several blocked shots on the defensive side. Her senior leadership carried the Lady Bears throughout the year for a storybook finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brynn Washam, 5'9" SG-</strong>Washam leads Mammoth Spring in almost every offensive statistic. She hit a big 3 to close out Norfork in the 4th quarter of the championship game which solidified her MVP performance that night. This junior has one more year to help her school repeat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Laney Young and [player_tooltip player_id='871741' first='Adrianna' last='Corbett'], SG-</strong>Young, at 5'6", and Corbett at 5'9", both juniors, play solid defense and can get out in transition well. They complement <strong>Washam</strong> when she is double-teamed. Both can rebound and score.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tay Davis, PG-</strong>Another junior, Davis runs the offense. At 5'8" she can be a mismatch for opponents. She has excellent hands and can get the ball out in transition. The ball is in her hands on every possession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Norfork High School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='306118' first='Kiley' last='Alman'], SG-</strong>Alman is one of the senior leaders for the Panthers. She's a shooter knocking down 3 treys in the championship game. All season long her shooting carried Norfolk to another state tournament run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jordan Rasmussen, 6'0" Post-</strong>Jordan is another senior leader. Her role is rebounding and dominating the lane. She'll be hard to replace if the Panthers plan on returning for another state championship bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453155' first='Keely' last='Blanchard'] and [player_tooltip player_id='453184' first='Liza' last='Shaddy'], SG-</strong>This junior duo are the heart and sole of the team. Both have excellent skill-set and are very hard to guard. They work in tandem on either side of the court. Next season, with a little help in the middle, these two athletes can carry Norfork back to a state title run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kasey Moody, 5'8" PG-</strong>Kasey's addition to the point position this season allowed her teammates to capitalize on their strengths and maximize their talent on the offensive end. Look for Kasey to have more of a scoring role next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two schools have dominated in the 1-A classification the past two years. Look for that to continue next season as the junior laden squads are sure to meet again in post season play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bobby Brown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->