The 6A Championship is set!

The Arkansas state playoffs will soon end, but first, we have the most important games of the postseason: the championship games. The Fayetteville Lady Bulldogs defeated North Little Rock to advance to the final and they are set to face the Fort Smith Northside Lady Grizzlies in Hot Springs on March 15th. Let us learn a little about these two teams and the players responsible for their trip to the title game.   Fayetteville Lady Bulldogs    The Lady Bulldogs have relied on their young stars throughout the year, but especially in the postseason. Along with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1090910' first='Payton' last='Caudle'], [player_tooltip player_id='593261' first='Syniah' last='Coachman'] has been extremely serviceable, making shots whenever her team needs them.   Coachman, Brown, and Caudle have been a tough trio to stop in the tournament, and this sophomore has been automatic in the second half of playoff games. In Fayetteville's semi-final win over North Little Rock, Coachman scored 14 points, with 11 coming in the second half.   Coachman has a deep offensive bag, as she can get to any spot on the floor and knock down a jumper. She can also slice past the defense and get to the paint. In these tournament games, she has been sent to the free throw line a number of times, and she has connected on those free shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='593261' first='Syniah' last='Coachman'] is going to be a great player to watch in the championship game, as I believe she will outperform this #1 ranking if that is even possible.     [player_tooltip player_id='1090910' first='Payton' last='Caudle'] has embraced a massive offensive role for the Lady Bulldogs. This freshman has consistently shown that she is one of the state's best players and will prove that once again in the championship.   Caudle is coming off a 20-point performance in the semi-final victory over North Little Rock. She can score in a variety of ways. Caudle is an excellent 3-point shooter who is lethal off the catch and the bounce. If she sees a driving lane, she will exploit it and finish through contact inside.   Caudle is also not afraid to crash the offensive glass. She scored a crucial putback in the semi-final that ended up being an and-1.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090910' first='Payton' last='Caudle'] has a very bright future. Even with Fayetteville's strong senior group, they will be in good hands with one of the state's top freshmen and sophomores.     [player_tooltip player_id='870000' first='Whitney' last='Brown'] has led this young Fayetteville team how every veteran point guard should. Brown's stock should be improving with her play in this tournament.   Brown scored 19 points in the semi-final game, including going 10-10 from the charity stripe. If Brown is not drawing contact and getting to the free throw line, you can find her pulling up from the mid-range or 3-point line and cashing in a jumper.   Part of what makes Fayetteville's offense so dangerous is that they have an elite floor general. Brown has worked well with her young teammates, hitting them with accurate passes and setting them up for efficient shots. She also controls the pace of the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='870000' first='Whitney' last='Brown'] is one of the best true point guards in the 6A classification and she will be a great contributor at the next level. However, her job is not finished.     With Fayetteville's star guard trio, [player_tooltip player_id='875504' first='Mariyah' last='Moss'] tends to go under the radar. Do not let that fool you though, as Fayetteville would not be in the championship game without their defensive anchor.   Moss is a force to be reckoned with on both ends inside. The senior uses her strength to back down her defenders, pushing them so far under the rim there is not anything they can do about it. She will then finish with ease.   On the other end, no one can back her down in the post. If an opponent somehow finds a way to get past her, then she can quickly recover and reject their shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='875504' first='Mariyah' last='Moss'] is capable of scoring double-digit points on any given night. She had 11 in Fayetteville's win over Bentonville in their season finale to clinch the 4-seed in the playoffs. The Lady Grizzlies have decent size, but will it be enough to keep Moss from being a factor? Probably not.    Fort Smith Northside Lady Grizzlies    Northside pulled out a close win against Bentonville in the semis, in which [player_tooltip player_id='465491' first='Erianna' last='Gooden'] scored 12. Though under her 15.4 points per game average, her impact in that game was felt in ways other than scoring.   Gooden can hit jumpers from all over the court. She was pulling up inside the arch in the Bentonville game, but she is a threat to shoot from long distance as well. If the defense closes out hard, she can drive past them and get to the bucket.   At the other end, Gooden is a lockdown defender. She forces multiple turnovers a night, taking steals the other way. On the break, she can pass ahead to a teammate or take the ball to the hoop herself.   Colorado is getting an accomplished two-way player in [player_tooltip player_id='465491' first='Erianna' last='Gooden']. On March 15th, she will be looking to add more hardware to her crowded trophy case.     [player_tooltip player_id='335944' first='Hazley' last='Grotjohn'] has had a great first season in Fort Smith. Now, she looks to get her first 6A title with the Lady Grizzlies.   Grotjohn averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game during the regular season. She put up 14 in the win over Bentonville last round, but her defense stood out the most.   Grotjohn is an aggressive perimeter defender who makes life miserable for the opposing ball-handlers. She will poke passes away and rip the ball from the opponent's grasp.   [player_tooltip player_id='335944' first='Hazley' last='Grotjohn'] is a formidable offensive threat who can score inside and out. When she is in a groove, the other team better watch out. The opposition needs to also realize that lazy passes and sloppy ball-handling are a "no-no" when she is on defense.     Like Grotjohn, [player_tooltip player_id='1060871' first='Camryn' last='Schmidt'] is in her first season at Northside and is looking for her first 6A title victory.   The junior forward averaged 11.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game during the regular season. With her length, she can be very disruptive on the defensive end, tipping passes away and contesting shots well in the paint.   On offense, Schmidt uses that length to score with ease down low, where she shoots 54%. She has yet to become a major threat from beyond the arch, but she did knock down 8 triples during the regular season, proving that she could develop that outside shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060871' first='Camryn' last='Schmidt'] will be tough for Fayetteville to handle in the championship game. Looking past March 15th, Schmidt is expected to be the go-to player next season, so what she shows on this stage will be an important sign for when she is their main option.    Again, the 6A championship game will take place on March 15th at noon at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Be on the lookout for more of these articles, as I will break down the championship matchups in each classification.

The Arkansas state playoffs will soon end, but first, we have the most important games of the postseason: the championship games. The Fayetteville Lady Bulldogs defeated North Little Rock to advance to the final and they are set to face the Fort Smith Northside Lady Grizzlies in Hot Springs on March 15th. Let us learn a little about these two teams and the players responsible for their trip to the title game.