Best teams in NOVA: Public school edition Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the season on the horizon, I want to take an in-depth look at the public schools in NOVA that will be really good this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gainesville</strong><br>Gainesville's stifling defense helped make it one of the best public schools in NOVA last year. They lost [player_tooltip player_id='579891' first='Demi' last='Gilliam'] to PVI, but Gainesville is still an athletic, talented team that should be fantastic. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='597331' first='Madison' last='McKenzie'] had an outstanding season last year, leading them in scoring. Her shooting and steady play were massive for Gainesville the previous year. Sophomore Center [player_tooltip player_id='579893' first='Peyton' last='White'] was a defensive monster last season. She protected the paint as well as you could ask, and she was one of the leading shot blockers in the state. I think White improves big time this year and could average a double-double. Freshman Forward [player_tooltip player_id='551071' first='Leylani' last='Abraham'] is another talented player who should also make her mark for Gainesville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Woodgrove<br></strong>Woodgrove won 21 games last year, and I see them being better this year. They return their best player from a season ago in point forward [player_tooltip player_id='332117' first='Angelina' last='Nice']. She is fantastic on both ends and is a terrific all-around player. The biggest thing that moves me for Woodgrove is them getting [player_tooltip player_id='260613' first='Sadie' last='Shores'] back. She is one of the state's top guards and will bring a lot to this Woodgrove team. Before she transferred out of Woodgrove originally, she was much more of a scorer, and I see her being more aggressive on that front. Sadie does everything well, and she provides all the little things as well. They also added freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id='735525' first='Amaya' last='Ramey'], who plays the game as hard as anyone. She is a relentless rebounder who plays a lot bigger than her size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>James Madison<br></strong>James Madison is coming off of 4 straight state championships, and I expect them to be terrific again. James Madison won games last year with their suffocating defense, and I expect that to remain this year. James Madison lost a few of their big pieces, but they still returned [player_tooltip player_id='670490' first='Stella' last='Gougoufkas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='746329' first='Avery' last='Griepentrog']. Stella has been one of the fastest-rising players and is the 20th-ranked player in Virginia for 2024. Stella is a strong and athletic driver on both ends of the floor. She also rebounds well; I expect her to expand in her scoring role this year. [player_tooltip player_id='746329' first='Avery' last='Griepentrog'] is a fantastic defender and rebounder, and last year, she tied everything together for that group. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Robinson</strong><br>Robinson lost a lot of production last year, but I still think they'll be very good. Robinson should be good defensively again, and they bring back Junior Forward [player_tooltip player_id='389125' first='Georgia' last='Simonsen']. Georgia improved her game so much last year. Her defense was great, as expected, but she added a lot to her offensive game. She has an excellent low post game and can really attack the basket, and at 6'1, she finishes over defenders routinely. She is a real 20 and 10 threat every game. [player_tooltip player_id='1251849' first='Madison' last='Coutinho'] is another player I want to highlight. She is small but scrappy. She is a great ball handler and plays excellent perimeter defense. Scoring might sometimes be tough for this team, but it should still be good enough, and their defense will take them to another 20-win season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->