Blackville Hilda-Hawk Invitational: Soaring at the Nest
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The first half of the regular season is dominated by midseason tournaments. One of the annual ones that occur around this time every year is the Blackville-Hilda Hawk Invitational – except this time was a bit larger than usual. A…
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Continue ReadingThe first half of the regular season is dominated by midseason tournaments. One of the annual ones that occur around this time every year is the Blackville-Hilda Hawk Invitational – except this time was a bit larger than usual.
A grand total of 10 girls teams took part as opposed to the usual eight that converge on the 1A school in the easternmost realms of the CSRA. This was because Allendale-Fairfax and the host Hawks earned automatic byes to the second round.
We at Prep Girls Hoops also made the trip to Blackville-Hilda for this year’s festivities. Here is a look at some of the noteworthy names that caught our attention.
Sometimes, an early morning rise can sap a player’s performance. That was not the case for this standout 2025 for Williston-Elko. Her 1A Blue Devils earned a 56-29 victory over 2A Pelion to begin this year’s Blackville-Hilda Hawk Invitational. With 18 points, Davis paced a Williston-Elko offensive output that the Panthers had few answers for. Much of what she got accomplished scoring-wise was close to the basket and she displayed her versatility by showcasing her skills in the backcourt as a guard and in the frontcourt. Defensively, she can come from seemingly out of nowhere to wreak even more havoc for the opposition.
Kalani Tolen
Kalani Tolen
Even on rough days at the office, a few bright spots emerge. For 2A Pelion, Tolen proved to be a bright spot in what was a rough matchup against 1A Williston-Elko. While the Panthers were on the bad end of a 56-29 decision to the Blue Devils, Tolen tallied nine points to key Pelion’s efforts. Tolen had the only 3-pointer the Panthers managed to convert on for the game. In addition, she also displayed her ability to handle the ball amongst a group of opposing defenders. In addition to what she does basketball-wise, her athletic career has also included competing in track and field events.
It is not often that 5A teams make the very rural trek to Blackville-Hilda for this tournament. White Knoll did just that and played its first game of this year’s Hawk Invitational against 3A Swansea. It may not have been the best played of games, but Hayes displayed what she could get accomplished with a 22-point performance. The junior guard and team captain displayed leadership capabilities, the ability to handle the rock amongst opposing defenders and proficiency with a midrange jump shot. Hayes also is aware of the game being played on contact and has no problems getting to the free throw line.
The phrase “it is not one starts, it is how one finishes” certainly applies to Youmans’ Hunter-Kinard-Tyler assembling on Wednesday. Her team was in a close contest with Ridge Spring-Monetta on Wednesday through the first two quarters. The second half was a Hunter-Kinard-Tyler rout and Youmans was the key catalyst in said rout with a 26-point performance. Youmans displayed that she runs the floor well and is a gifted attacker of the rim. Her 3-point shot also gives opposing teams problems and she proves her worth to a team further with her rebounding and overall defense.
Eva Sapp
Eva Sapp
Blackville-Hilda successful defended its home court on Wednesday evening in large part thanks to Sapp’s superb play. With the 18 points she placed on the board, Sapp led her 1A Hawks to a 41-26 victory over another 1A foe in Williston-Elko. Sapp approaches the game with a fearless attitude as she has no problems handling the ball amongst a group of opposing defenders and ferociously attacking the rim. She also displays proficient passing ability and plays with a high basketball IQ. Sapp consistently gets herself into position to make plays. There is a reason why she is one of two team captains for the 2023-24 rendition of Blackville-Hilda hoops.
Mickell was chosen by the SCBCA as a Preseason Top 5 1A Senior selection. Allendale-Fairfax’s opponents have found out why all this season – including Hunter-Kinard-Tyler who was on the receiving end of a 55-31 decision thanks to the Tigers. Mickell led all scorers with 19 points in another win for the undefeated team. While Mickell does have the presence of a big, she can throw some teams off guard with her shooting ability from the midrange. Rebounding is another attribute this six foot big brings to a team. Not only was she a Top 5 1A 2024 – she is an unsigned one.
When 1A Denmark-Olar is on the bench, one has to know a certain No. 4 will get hers. What opponents of the Vikings may not realize who may be lurking on that Denmark-Olar bench wearing No. 24. Johnson was a key cog in what was another commanding Vikings performance on Wednesday evening at Blackville-Hilda. Johnson led all scorers with 19 points to power Denmark-Olar in the triumph. Johnson is only a freshman but she plays with the basketball IQ of a seasoned veteran. In many ways, Johnson lets the game come to her and she fuses together her skill and intelligence to react accordingly.