Who should you look out for in the 1A Playoffs?

The state playoffs are set for every classification! From 1A to 6A, the playoffs will commence tomorrow, so let us go ahead and dive right into what you should expect from each tournament.   To start, let us examine the 1A state playoffs. I will tell you which player I think will be the headliner of each playoff matchup.   1-seed Wonderview vs 4-seed Rural Special    [player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons'] is coming off a clutch 1A-3 championship performance after nailing some free throws late in the game to lift Wonderview past Sacred Heart. She finished with 14 points and I highly suspect she will repeat her efforts in the playoffs.   Simmons is a fantastic 3-point shooter who has a lightning-fast release. If she has things going from outside, the game might as well be over. On the other side of the ball, if Simmons is in a groove defensively, then your game will be over too.   The sophomore is capable of producing big nights on the defensive end, forcing multiple turnovers and turning them into transition points with ease.   [player_tooltip player_id='883555' first='Kyah' last='Simmons'] is not the only player on this Wonderview team who can get going at a moment's notice, but I think she will have the chance to lead the way on both sides of the ball.    2-seed Scranton vs 3-seed Kirby    [player_tooltip player_id='1190619' first='Addie' last='Layes'] has consistently led Scranton all season long. There is no reason why that stops in the state playoffs.   Layes has had multiple 20-point performances this season against some great teams. She had 21 points and 7 steals against Wonderview, while reportedly being face-guarded for all 32 minutes of the game. She also had 23 points against a talented Acorn team.   Just recently, Layes had 18 points against a Magazine team that also made the 1A tournament.   Once [player_tooltip player_id='1190619' first='Addie' last='Layes'] takes you off the dribble, it is tough to recover, and she can score however she wants. Keep in mind she has a great jumpshot, so all the more reason for Kirby to have to gameplan a little extra.    1-seed Greers Ferry Westside vs 4-seed Bradford    The Greers Ferry Westside Lady Eagles look like the early favorites for the 1A title, but they have to go through [player_tooltip player_id='1049449' first='Kenleigh' last='Mitchell'] and Bradford first.   Mitchell is a solid all-around player who consistently contributes to her team. She recently had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal in a win over Nemo Vista. In that game, Mitchell was firing from long distance early, connecting on 3 triples.   In the regional tournament, Mitchell had a solid outing against Clarendon, where she put up 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049449' first='Kenleigh' last='Mitchell'] is an excellent contributor. She can hit the long ball, rebound better than some bigs, and set up her teammates for easy buckets. She may not be a major threat to go for 20+, but Greers Ferry cannot count out this senior who will no doubt leave it all on the floor for what could be her final high school game.    2-seed Taylor vs 3-seed Magazine    [player_tooltip player_id='1197519' first='Jailynn' last='Sims'] may be slightly undersized at the center position at 5'9", but she makes up for it with her great versatility. Taylor is going to have their hands full with this senior.   Sims has had some solid performances this season. In the regionals last week, she had 16 points, with 8 coming in the fourth quarter of the third-place game. Another strong performance of hers was at the end of January, where she went for 22 points against Mulberry.   Sims is an excellent ball-handler for her position, taking it herself on the fastbreak on occasion. She is tough to stop when she has positioning down low, using her strength to create separation inside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1197519' first='Jailynn' last='Sims'] is a player we should all be keeping an eye out for. Again, Taylor will be in a pickle if they cannot find a way to keep Sims out of the game.    1-seed Jasper vs 4-seed Bearden    Jasper is loaded with great talent, but you will probably hear Raulston's name called a lot on the broadcast. She hit 1,000 career points earlier this season and she takes that offensive success into another Jasper postseason appearance.   Raulston has shown that she can make plays on offense from inside and out. She is a tough finisher and if she is left open from the 3-point line, she will burry the open look. I will say though, I am probably more impressed with this 1,000-point scorer's defense than anything.   In a recent game against Scranton, she recorded 2 steals. She was applying some excellent on-ball pressure, forcing the Scranton guards to make bad decisions. She also had 2 blocks against County Line not long before that. With her 5'10" frame, she can switch on to a forward, using that length to block their shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1187049' first='Lyla' last='Raulston'] leaves behind an incredible career with the Lady Pirates, but she is not done, as she looks to help this Jasper team make another deep tournament run.    2-seed Sacred Heart vs 3-seed Marked Tree    Crowley's Ridge College will be getting a double-double machine in [player_tooltip player_id='1051639' first='Journi' last='Versie']. Until then, Sacred Heart will have to deal with Marked Tree's paint beast.   Versie surpassed 1,000 career points and rebounds earlier in February. Before that, she had double-double performances against Bay and Crowley's Ridge Academy. She had 28 points and 12 rebounds against Bay and 16 points and 14 rebounds against CRA.   Versie is unstoppable once she has positioning down low, as she can grab every rebound in her sight. Every offensive rebound ends up being second-chance points. Versie is a tough finisher down low and on the other end, she makes it tough for the opposition to score inside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051639' first='Journi' last='Versie'] is a great player who is expected to dominate in the playoffs, so do not miss out on watching this senior tomorrow.    1-seed Lafayette County vs 4-seed County Line    [player_tooltip player_id='867838' first='Joshlynn' last='Brown'] is coming into the 1A playoffs with some positive momentum behind her. Lafayette County will have to gameplan heavily to account for this sophomore.   In a recent game against Hackett, Brown had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Not long before that, the sophomore went for 23 points and 7 steals against Oark.   Brown is an excellent two-way player. She can hit the outside shot efficiently while stripping ball-handlers consistently. If Brown has an opportunity to run out in transition, she will not hesitate to take it coast-to-coast.   [player_tooltip player_id='867838' first='Joshlynn' last='Brown'] is going to be a problem in the playoffs, so other 1A schools need to watch out.    2-seed Earle vs 3-seed Augusta    Earle has an incredible frontcourt, with [player_tooltip player_id='1091190' first='Journey' last='Jefferson'] and the number one player in the 2026 class, Jada Maples. Earle's playoff run will be dictated by the play of both of these young stars, but let us stick with talking about the superstar sophomore.   Jefferson has already surpassed 1,000 career points and she was recently named 1A-3 all-conference. Once she has her shot going from outside, there is no defender in the state who can stop her. If the defense does decide to close out on the perimeter, she can simply drive past them and get to the bucket.   [player_tooltip player_id='1091190' first='Journey' last='Jefferson'] is one of the best players in the entire state and she is so fun to watch. Greers Ferry Westside and Jasper look like early favorites to win the 1A title, but do not count out Earle, because with this guard helping lead the way, no team is safe.    Again, the 1A state playoffs commence tomorrow! There are going to be some exciting games and some incredible players going at it, and I cannot wait to watch.

The state playoffs are set for every classification! From 1A to 6A, the playoffs will commence tomorrow, so let us go ahead and dive right into what you should expect from each tournament.