Revisiting the 1A State Championship Game

Preview   The title game for the 1A classification was between the two best teams in that league. The Greers Ferry Westside Lady Eagles matched up with the Earle Lady Bulldogs. Westside had not won a state championship since 1995, and this was their best shot to win the big game since then. Earle was bound to return to the title game, and this was bound to be a star-studded battle.   Recap   Earle dug themselves into a hole in the first quarter. They shot 1/15 from the floor, not scoring their first field goal until the 5:29 mark. The second period was not much better, as they continued to shoot poorly, finishing the half hitting just 5 of their 34 shot attempts. Despite the scoring woes, Earle kept Westside from running away with it in the first half.    Greers Ferry entered the third quarter with a 28-16 lead as they were not able to take advantage of Earle's lack of offensive success. After the Lady Bulldogs got within 10 points, the Lady Eagles went on a major run that put the lead out of reach, including a 9-0 run at the end of the third.   Earle made one more attempt to retake the lead, but Westside's [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] responded and came out on top, 63-49.    Key Performances from Greers Ferry Westside Players    The 1A championship MVP was [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'], who has emerged as one of the best bigs in the state. There was nothing Earle could do to combat Cossey, as she was doing damage to the paint on both ends of the floor.   Cossey finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. She shot just under 50% from the field, but she did go a perfect 4/4 from the charity stripe. Cossey is dangerous with her back to the basket, as she uses her strength to push the defense under the basket and then shoots over them. She is also great in the pick-and-roll, being a solid finisher in every situation thanks to her soft touch.   On the other end of the floor, Cossey was out-rebounding almost everybody. Earle was having trouble with her length and athleticism, making her a true weapon on the glass.    [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] may very well be the best post player in the 1A classification. She will be back next year, looking to take the Lady Eagles back to the championship.     One of the more underrated players in the state tournament was [player_tooltip player_id='1092577' first='Kately' last='Cornett'], who showed out in the championship game.   Cornett put up 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals against the Lady Bulldogs. She shot 8/15 from the field, all coming from inside the arc. Cornett does such a great job cutting to the basket and getting herself open, providing her teammates with an easy assist. She can finish well around the basket, whether in the half-court or in transition.   On the other side of the floor, Cornett was playing some fantastic defense. She was in some foul trouble during the contest, but that did not keep her coach from playing her 31 minutes. The guard poked away passes, picking them up and starting the fastbreak immediately.   [player_tooltip player_id='1092577' first='Kately' last='Cornett'] was underrated but not underappreciated by her team. She is an incoming senior, so she will look to be a key piece for this Westside team that looks to return to the championship next season.     I did not get to see [player_tooltip player_id='1091208' first='Eden' last='Murphree'] play when I traveled to watch their matchup against conference opponent Calico Rock, as I believe she was out due to injury. Despite that, she was back in time for the title game, retaking her starting spot and dominating the boards.   Murphee only scored 6 points, but she pulled down 13 rebounds, with 7 on the offensive end. A fair amount of her scoring came from second-chance opportunities. Earle had a lot of trouble trying to handle both Murphree and Cossey on the glass, which helped Greers Ferry come away with a 54-37 rebounding advantage.   [player_tooltip player_id='1091208' first='Eden' last='Murphree'] was a spark that Westside needed to boost itself on top of Earle. Without her effort and hustle in the rebounding category, the Lady Eagles would not have had the advantage that they had.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/addie-overturff/">[player_tooltip player_id='1051642' first='Addie' last='Overturff']</a>- Westside's starting point guard was also their lone senior in the starting lineup. Overturff has taken up more of a facilitator role since transferring to Greers Ferry, which has allowed her to focus on all areas of her game. Her all-around play was on full display in the championship game, as she recorded 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. The guard shot 3/6 from the field, helping the Lady Eagles stretch the floor when she made her lone 3-point attempt.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/lainee-gentry/">[player_tooltip player_id='1091189' first='Lainee' last='Gentry']</a>- To round out the starting lineup is [player_tooltip player_id='1091189' first='Lainee' last='Gentry'], a sharpshooter who helped stretch Westside's offense. She finished with 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists while knocking down 2 triples. She is capable of going for big performances from beyond the arc, and she showed just how valuable her outside shooting can be on big stages.   Key Performances from Earle Players    The top 3 positions of the 2026 ranking are essentially interchangeable. It is hard to pick who is the best player out of the bunch, but this performance by [player_tooltip player_id='876300' first='Jada' last='Maples'] proves why she should be in the conversation for the top player in the class.   Westside was powerless against Maples as she could do no wrong. She put up 31 points, all from inside the arc, and pulled down a ridiculous 20 rebounds. She also added 2 assists, 7 steals, and 3 blocks to her incredible statline.   Scoring-wise, Maples was getting to the basket with ease. Westside is a tough defensive team, and they forced Maples to hit only 12 of her 33 shot attempts. However, her 4 offensive rebounds show that she was not willing to give up on a play, providing herself with extra scoring opportunities.   On the opposite end of the floor, Maples accounted for 54% of Earle's total rebounding. The Lady Bulldogs were heavily outrebounded by Westside, but not because of this incoming senior. If she was not grabbing rebounds, she was stripping ball-handlers and poking away passes. If her assignment got past her, she was able to recover and swat their shots away.   There is a reason why [player_tooltip player_id='876300' first='Jada' last='Maples'] has multiple Division I offers even at a 1A school. We all knew she could score at a high level, but now we know she is an elite rebounder and defender.    Aryana Perry- Outside of Maples, not much was going right for Earle. Aryana Perry was the first player to hit a field goal in the game, and she was also the second Lady Bulldog to make a field goal. She finished with 7 points and 2 rebounds, with both of her boards coming on the offensive end.   Review and What's Next   Greers Ferry Westside finished the season with a 41-3 overall record. Earle finished with a 29-8 overall record.   Both of these teams have the rosters to make it back to the championship next year. The Lady Eagles only lose one senior in their primary 6-woman rotation. [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1092577' first='Kately' last='Cornett'] will be returning as seniors, but Eden Murphee and [player_tooltip player_id='1091189' first='Lainee' last='Gentry'] will just be juniors next season. Incoming junior Whitely Goodson was the 6th woman in the title game, but she started when Murphee was out and starred. Lily Stevens (2026), Mallory Smith (2027), Mia Duncan (2027), and Lacy Tutor (2027) all appeared in the championship and will be key parts of their young rotation in 2025/26.   For Earle, [player_tooltip player_id='876300' first='Jada' last='Maples'] will return and continue to be their superstar as a senior. Journey Jefferson will be the second part of Earle's two-headed snake again next year, and she will be the obvious number one the year after. Starters Ariana Perry (2026), Christian Boykin (2026), and Madison Dunn (2027) will also be back next season. Dunn will especially be a key part of a Lady Bulldog team that hopes to return to the title game after averaging 11.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game during the regular season. Junior guard Natalie Sanders also played 15 minutes in the championship as Earle's 6th-woman.   These teams are young, but more experienced than some older squads in the state. Needless to say, Earle and Greers Ferry could likely rematch in the title next year.

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