AAA Prediction? The State May Never Know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For all the parents (seasoned vets) out there, there used to be a Tootsie Roll commercial with an owl in it. Let me paint the picture. The question was posed to the owl “ how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?” The owl would begin to lick and see how many times it would. Why that commercial came to mind, I have no clue, but when thinking about the 3A classification in this state, you never know who will be the top dog this upcoming year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is fierce competition throughout. From the east side to the west side, tons of clubs have gotten better and those established clubs can be knocked off at a moments notice. You just never know what you may get, yet this class has a lot of depth and teams that could compete for the crown</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's take a look at a few who may come to mind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Upperman. Coach Williams always has the Lady Bees in contention. They are some fierce competitors who get after it. They are an inside/out team, yet it doesn't matter which way you slice it, the ball always finds the bottom of the net. Keep your eyes on <strong>Taylor Dolonte</strong>. The 5'10 guard is a bucket. She's a multi-level scoring threat that's coming into her own. You know what happened last time Coach Williams had a young lady her size that could score it. State champs, D1 prospect. Enough Said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dyersburg. <strong>Joya Crawford</strong> is a monster. Ever since she has stepped onto the high school scene, she's been kicking butt and taking names. She's gotten multiple D1 offers and she's not done doing that. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='593347' first='Chelby' last='Jordan']</strong> is coming into her own as well. Dual sport athlete is can score the rock. Add highly touted incoming freshman <strong>Kay Kay Strayhorn </strong>to the mix and DHS has a nice little mix. Basketball is in Strayhorn's DNA. Dyersburg is going to play fast and fierce and they will be exciting to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Livingston Academy will be back. The whole team is back. They are seasoned, poised, and know what it takes to get to the promised land. Leading scorer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='631094' first='Ellie' last='Butler']</strong> returns. She had a phenomenal summer and continued to rise on an upward trajectory. Add 6'1 junior<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='810494' first='Keely' last='Mullins']</strong> to the mix, and the LA wings look to be dominant. This squad is legit and you better believe they are going to pick up where they left off last year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson South Side went undefeated last year and took home the crown. Gone are Albany Collins and Ti'Mia Lawson, but they still have <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='409042' first='Jaidynn' last='Askins']</strong> to lead the charge. Look for the Lady Hawks to bring their dominant full court press out, making teams turn the ball over. Easy buckets will come early and often when this club takes the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elizabethton will be around at the end. Led by multi-level scoring threat <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513239' first='Michelle' last='Shields']</strong>, the Fighting Cyclones will be mixing it up for sure. They may not be as deep as they were last year, but you bet your last dollar these girls are gonna come at you with everything they have. Well coached, disciplined, hungry, they bring a fierce mentality to the floor as they look to battle it out with every team they step on the court with.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lady Hornets of South Gibson will be back in the mix. Led by juniors <strong>Mary Teague</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='496310' first='Hallie' last='Allen']</strong>, look for them to provide a spark for their club as they duke it out on their side of the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='878049' first='Natalie' last='Lewis'] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='409094' first='Faith' last='Reed']</strong> will do their part in knocking down shots in order to propel the Lady Hornets towards state contention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A school on the rise, the Lady Patriots of Page. These young ladies are hungry, well coached, and fundamentally sound. Led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='513279' first='Lily' last='Espelet']</strong>, the 6'1 sophomore is coming off an injury that kept her out last year. Hailing from the west coast, she is looking to show everyone what her game is about. A multi level scoring threat, think Diana Turasi when this young lady comes to mind. This squad is deep with guards such as [player_tooltip player_id='810612' first='Mary' last='Elizabeth Fox'] and [player_tooltip player_id='816615' first='Mazie' last='Bushman']. With a solid junior class, this squad will be making some noise come tournament time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>So like I mentioned earlier about the candy, the state may never know. All I can say is that this year is going to be a fun and exciting year in the 3A classification. Let the countdown begin until the ball tips off to start the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->