December Rankings: Forwards debuting on the 2026 rankings

Having a good wing can propel your team to tremendous heights, and there are plenty of teams who have quality ones who will be back next season. Here are some wings making their 2026 ranking debuts.    [player_tooltip player_id='1060808' first='Elois' last='Moore'] is a dynamic forward for Episcopal Collegiate. She makes plays on both sides of the ball and she has proved that in almost every game this season.   Episcopal started the season with a 2-point loss to Bauxite High School, but Moore played well, putting up 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block. In their next game, Moore posted 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 blocks in the win over Joe T. Robinson. Against McGehee on 11/22, Moore posted a solid game of 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Most recently, Moore had her best game of the season with 20 points, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks against a good Pulaski Academy team.   Moore scored consistently in the paint, whether off of putbacks, cuts to the paint, or on strong drives. She can stretch her offensive game to the mid-range, but she is best when she is scoring in the paint, even against contact. I consider Moore a strong two-way player, and her defense might just be better than her offense.   Moore uses her length to assert herself as a strong shot blocker. Though she is only 5'8", Moore makes great defensive plays coming from help-side defense, stealing passes in the process.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060808' first='Elois' last='Moore'] has had a solid start to the season and she is a star in the green and white. She has been a consistent two-way player so far this season, and if she continues to post 20-point games, she will find herself higher up in the rankings.     [player_tooltip player_id='1057812' first='Cassie' last='Carlson'] is a long and athletic wing who turns defense into offense for Harrisburg. She has already built a reputation as a great rebounder, setting the school record for the most rebounds in a game with 18. So far this season, Carlson has continued to stuff the stat sheet.   In Harrisburg's second game of the season against Carlisle, Carlson had her best game of the year with 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. She was nearing a triple-double against Hazen in the third game of the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. In Harrisburg's last game of the season against Newport, Carlson only posted 4 points, but her defense was on point, recording 4 steals.   Carlson gets most of her steals by poking passes away and sprinting down the court for an easy transition bucket. She is aggressive on defense and creates havoc for the other team, disrupting the opposing ball-handlers' dribble as well. At 5'10", Carlson has to play in the post and she blocks a lot of shots, often ferociously.   As I mentioned, most of Carlson's offense comes from her defensive play, but in the halfcourt setting, she can catch the ball from the perimeter and drive hard to the basket. Carlson is also a solid offensive rebounder, earning some second-chance baskets in the process.   [player_tooltip player_id='1057812' first='Cassie' last='Carlson'] is definitely a name to keep an eye on this season, and she has emerged as one of the state's best small town stars.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093349' first='Shaelyn' last='Dockery'] is a solid all-around player for Wonderview High School, and she has had some strong single game performances on both sides of the ball this season. Dockery is slowly becoming a star, and it was not hard sticking her in the 2026 rankings.   Dockery started the season with 5 steals in a blowout win over Shirley in the season opener, and then had 10 points and 8 rebounds in the second game of the season against Western Yell County. Dockery posted 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks against Emerson in the third game of the year. She continued to post games with solid defensive stats before posting her season-high of 23 points in a strong performance against Clinton after registering a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds versus Bradford.   Dockery gets the job done on both ends, especially on defense. She plays the passing lanes well, recording multiple steals a night. She also plays solid on-ball defense, often disrupting the ball-handler's dribble, leading to more turnovers.   On offense, Dockery can knock down the long ball with a quick release, solid shot elevation, and with a great follow-through. She can also attack the basket or jump out on the fastbreak, racking up the points as she finishes well through contact.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093349' first='Shaelyn' last='Dockery'] has a lot of potential, and I imagine she will continue to get better this season with Wonderview. Keep an eye on this rising junior.     Jaesha Smith has had a either a double-double or a near double-double in most of her games this season. She does the dirty work for her team, along with being one of Pangburn's go-to scorers. Smith has become one of the best players in the 3A-6, and there was not a reason why she was to be kept off these rankings.   Smith has had multiple games with just over double-digit points and nearly double-digit rebounds this season, but her best game came against Mountain View on November 20th. Smith had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in that game, scoring inside and out, while also doing all of the little things to help her team win.   Smith is a solid 3-point shooter, but she is even better when she has a driving lane to the basket. She can move without the ball and score in transition, all while finishing through contact. Smith's rebounding is solid on both ends, and she can score second-chance points whenever she gets the chance.   Jaesha Smith is a solid player in the 3A classification, and she will be important for this team as Pangburn looks to make a run late in the season.     This is another no-brainer pick to put in the 2026 rankings. Johnson is a fantastic player in the 1A-1, and she has set herself apart as one of the better players in the entire 1A classification.   So far this season, Johnson has averaged 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. She has also scored 79 field goals in 13 games and has recorded 6 double-doubles. She also nails 43% of her 2-point attempts.   Johnson crashes the glass hard, especially on the offense end. She averages 3.0 offensive rebounds per game, and a fair amount of her scoring comes off of putbacks. She can also drive to the basket with force, finishing through contact.   Defensively, she can start the fastbreak with her strong defensive rebounding. The 1.5 steals per game is from Johnson playing solid on-ball perimeter defense. She can also play well in the post as she is tasked with playing both the small and power forward positions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090246' first='Tesli' last='Johnson'] has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with in the 1A classification, and Johnson and Lead Hill should be on every 1A-1 team's radar this season.    There were a lot of great forwards who were added to the 2026 ranking for the first time, and I would bet that more could be added in the next update. Keep a lookout for my article covering 2026 bigs who are also making their 2026 ranking debuts.

Having a good wing can propel your team to tremendous heights, and there are plenty of teams who have quality ones who will be back next season. Here are some wings making their 2026 ranking debuts.