Week 3 Six Pack

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='324080' first='Ella' last='Mohamed'] (2025) of Northridge High School.   Last week I was able to see six different teams in-person throughout the week. Plymouth took care of Triton, 45-30. Warsaw jumped out to a fast start from the perimeter to handle Merrillville, 70-41. And Northridge took advantage of turnovers and transition opportunities to get a big lead early and defeat Crown Point, 77-36. Below is a quick look at each of those six teams, who stood out, who surprised, etc.   .   Crown Point (4A): The Bulldogs have graduated a great deal of talent over the past three years, and now they have a somewhat inexperienced group. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id='999415' first='Ava' last='Richie'] (2028) did a solid job against Northridge's pressure, but she will need help throughout the year. She can shoot it a little, she has great ball skill, and she sees the floor well, plus she competes. 6-4 post [player_tooltip player_id='756234' first='Ivy' last='Henderson'] (2027) stands out because of her big, strong frame, but she has length and keeps the ball high. She is solid around the rim, but as she continues to develop her game, switching ends of the floor and being able to defend ball screens better could help a lot. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='1137332' first='Ava' last='Punak'] (2027) was intriguing. She has a solid to strong frame, she plays with a nice motor, and she showed some inside-out ability. She's probably more of a '4' right now, but she could become a small forward with more work. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='761164' first='Sophie' last='Hart'] (2026) had a really nice Spring & Summer grassroots season and continues to develop her game. She can play inside-out as well and is a solid athlete. Also, guard Gia Gagianas (2025) struck me as a solid athlete with some touch from the perimeter who a few small colleges might like to take a look at. She started and played with a nice motor. The Bulldogs could probably use a little more guard depth, as they struggled with Northridge's pressure. They aren't as bad as the score indicates and will win their share of games, but pressure is something they'll need to handle better throughout the year.   .   Merrillville (4A): Merrillville was overwhelmed early by Warsaw, as the Tigers came out on fire and jumped out to a fast lead before getting it to running clock shortly after halftime. Still, though, the Pirates have a lot of talent and the potential to win close to 20 games this season. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='756240' first='Malika' last='Jenkins'] (2027) looked like one kid who belonged on the floor with Warsaw's Division I guards. Jenkins is a smooth, versatile, athletic combo guard who can get downhill and create, or make shots outside. Wing [player_tooltip player_id='366805' first='Kylie' last='Wells'] (2025) got going later in the game and showed a lot better after halftime. She is so strong, she has some length, and she's a nice North/South driver with touch outside as well. This was my first time seeing forward [player_tooltip player_id='883169' first='Nyesha' last='Davis'] (2025), and she was intriguing. At 5-10, she gets a lot done as a defender/rebounder. She can box out, pursue rebounds, and she sprints the floor. She's able to play with some physicality, but she's also a solid athlete in most directions. I hadn't seen forward [player_tooltip player_id='486503' first='Melaney' last='Williams'] (2026) in a couple of seasons, and she has grown. Now around 6-feet, she is extremely long, wiry, and fluid. I think she has a great deal of potential, but she just needs to make her game a little more consistent, especially offensively. Lastly, forward Erin Mukes (2026) was tough for the Pirates. She's a little undersized inside, but she is extremely strong and physical. She came up with some unexpected rebounds and had a couple of nice finishes over taller defenders at the rim. If the Pirates want to take their talent and compete better with top 4A teams like Warsaw and Northridge, they'll need to take care of the ball better and be more efficient on offense, because those teams aren't going to make many mistakes themselves.   .   Northridge (4A): Northridge is tough to beat because they know who they are, they don't try to do things outside of their abilities, they work well together, and they flat out compete every possession. I had to leave mid-second quarter to attend another obligation, but by then they were well in control. At that point, forward [player_tooltip player_id='834963' first='Lily' last='Scholl'] (2027) already had 16 points and wing [player_tooltip player_id='624876' first='Camryn' last='Conley'] (2026) had 9 points. Scholl is so strong for her age, she's a nice athlete, and she plays extremely hard. She showed touch outside, the ability to drive it North/South, and she was all over the boards/loose balls. Conley is long, wiry, and fluidly athletic. While she has touch and perimeter skill, she likes that mid-post jumper, and she is one of the toughest, most physical wiry kids around. She willingly battles inside without hesitation. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='331802' first='Rielyn' last='Goodwin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='324080' first='Ella' last='Mohamed'] do a nice job of controlling tempo and making sure everyone is poised. They also pick their spots and are capable shooters/scorers themselves, plus they are tough-nosed kids as well. Wing [player_tooltip player_id='747044' first='Reagan' last='Huss'] (2027) came off the bench and knocked down a couple of shots early to help spread out the defense. The lefty has length, athleticism, and nice all-around talent. I also thought kids like Macey Riegsecker (2026), a 5-2 guard, and Taylor Baugh (2025), a 5-11 forward, do a really nice job of understanding their roles and giving the Lady Raiders "unheralded" production with a lot of non-statistical qualities they bring to the floor. Northridge is a top team in Class 4A because of their ability to play together so well to achieve a common goal. If that continues throughout the season and they stay healthy, they can potentially make a deep playoff run.   .   Plymouth (3A): I guess the first impression I got when I saw Plymouth was that the team didn't have much size at all...no one who played was over 5-10. They've typically had good size over the years, but this season, they will have to use speed & quickness to get after people defensively, and that's essentially what they did to Triton. Plymouth led 20-18 at halftime but opened the second half with pressure that turned Triton over repeatedly. 5-4 guard Alana Allen (2026) was probably their top playmaker on the night. She is quick and athletic, she was aggressive on defense, and she was constantly in attack mode on offense. She was probably the most talented kid I saw all week who I didn't previously know. 5-7 forward Sophie Miller (2025) was their most versatile, most consistent player. She has an athletic frame, length, and she played everywhere from the perimeter to the mid-post, and she even got inside to rebound. She has a versatile skillset. 5-7 wing Chloe Horton (2028) comes off the bench right now and gives them perimeter shooting. She has some strength for her age, and she will compete, but I'd assume once she gets more consistent defensively, she could start some. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='454676' first='Lena' last='Jones'], a 5-5 guard, Mady Sullivan, a 5-6 guard, and Eva Sheedy, a 5-10 post, also stood out. Jones is a combo guard who can handle and run offense at times, she can stand on the wing and make shots, but all in all, she's just solid. Sullivan was also a combo guard, probably a little better shooter and handled it more often, but she gave them good minutes off the bench. Sheedy has broad shoulders, some length, and she's a solid North/South athlete. She is more of a defender/rebounder type. If Plymouth can consistently defend and turn people over, the move from 4A to 3A will certainly help them because of their smaller personnel.   .   Triton (1A): Compared to previous years, Triton doesn't have the same perimeter depth, so they have struggled with pressure so far this season. Honestly, they just look young at the guard positions. 5-4 guard Sierra Hawley (2026) is the one guard with experience, but to play against the bigger schools like Triton does each week, she needs running 'mates. Hawley is quick and fairly athletic, but she has spent time in the past as more of a slashing scorer and defender. 5-2 guard Gracie Riffle (2028) showed flashes of impressive play Thursday night. She is quick, solid with the ball in her hands, and she could shoot/score it a little. She just needs time to continue adjusting to the Varsity game, from the strength and speed to the emotional toll of it all. But I think once she turns that corner, she's going to have a nice career for the Trojans. Where Triton is solid is along the frontline. 5-10 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1044763' first='Sydney' last='King'] (2025), 5-10 forward Avery Viers (2026), and 5-9 forward Nadia Stetler (2025) offer the Trojans a little size, strength, and physicality for a 1A team. King is physical and aggressive inside, plus she is a solid athlete in transition, and she has some touch around the perimeter. Viers is another physical, aggressive player, and she likes to play in the mid-post and around the block to draw contact. Stetler played in the mid-post and around the perimeter like King, and she made a lot of hustle plays for them. As I said before, if the Trojans can continue to improve against pressure defenses, they do enough good things in the half-court to hang around and potentially win against most of their opponents.   .   Warsaw (4A): Warsaw's individual talent is impressive. They can score it from all five positions in their starting lineup, and they can bring additional people off the bench and hurt you that way. They got out and going so quick against Merrillville, the Pirates didn't have a chance really to respond. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='403531' first='Brooke' last='Zartman'] (2026) had a day. In the game I saw, she hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter and had 17 points by the end of the period. Overall, she finished with seven made 3-pointers and 29 points against Merrillville. I also heard she made another seven 3-pointers (and had another 29 points) in the morning game against Crown Point, so 14 3-pointers for the day!! She has length, athleticism, and she's an active defender as well. She has already given a commitment to Miami University (OH). Forward [player_tooltip player_id='295782' first='Brooke' last='Winchester'] (2025) was solid as well, scoring 11 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and handing out 4 assists in a shortened game. She is committed to Ball State University. Another Tiger star, guard [player_tooltip player_id='567134' first='Joslyn' last='Bricker'] (2026), managed 12 points pretty easily, knocked down a couple of 3-pointers of her own, plus added a pair of assists and a steal to her tally. She has developed into a very poised, high IQ point guard who does a nice job of making sure everything is running smoothly. Guards [player_tooltip player_id='686307' first='Alexis' last='Neely'] (2026) and Braylie Chastain (2025) bring a lot of energy, they are great in transition, and they are active and athletic defenders. Neely added 4 rebounds, while Chastain contributed 4 assists on the evening. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='324082' first='Abbey' last='Peterson'] (2025) and forward Kyra Kiser (2026) were the two main subs off the bench. Peterson hasn't played since her Sophomore year, when she was a starter, but she is a Ball State University commit for golf, so that's where her focus is. Anyway, she is extremely long & wiry, smooth, and skilled. She knocked down both of her 3-point attempts, scored 6 points, and handed out a pair of assists. Kiser is more of an inside-out forward who can play in the mid-post or around the perimeter comfortably. She gave the Tigers 4 points and 6 rebounds off the bench. Warsaw has the skill and talent, especially in their starting five, to make a run through the playoffs and potentially to the Semi-State. At some point in the North, they'll face the likes of Northridge (above) or South Bend Washington, maybe Homestead or McCutcheon, and any of those teams in Sectional #8, like Hamilton Southeastern. But beware of the Tigers in 2024-2025.

The featured image is of Ella Mohamed Ella Mohamed 5'5" | SG Northridge | 2025 State IN (2025) of Northridge High School.