23rd Classic In The Country Challenge - 2027s With Big Games

Prep Girls Hoops covered the 23rd Annual Classic In the Country Challenge that took place inside the Perry Reese JR Community Center at [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland'] High School. This was a three day event that took place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that celebrated Dr. King's social impact on society and the great hospitality of the wonderful Amish Country community. These three days featured 22 games that highlighted many of the top high school programs in the state of Ohio across all divisions. Here is our list of the 2027s with big games that stood out during this three day hoops challenge!!    Moser is an impressive 5'9" point guard who impacts both ends of the floor! She contributed to Wadsworth's win over Carrollton with nine points and four rebounds. Moser also showed off her defensive instincts tallying one steal for the Grizzlies! She demonstrated that she can put the ball on the floor attacking the basket and drawing fouls getting to the free throw line. The junior point guard brings a high motor and passion for the game that was completely on display for the Grizzlies in their win!     Kelps provides a solid scoring option for the Medina Bees. She demonstrates the ability to attack the basket drawing fouls with her ability to step out and hit the deep three-pointer. Kelps is also an active rebounder and pressure defender forcing pickups in one-on-one matchups and does a good job creating turnovers. She provides a great deal of upside and potential at the small forward position on both sides of the ball with her natural wingspan and measurements. It will be interesting to see how she continues to develop her overall game throughout the rest of her high school career.     Laoporte had stellar outings in both her games for the Blue Streaks at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge. She provides a consistent scoring option for Magnificat with her ability to handle the ball creating for herself and stepping out hitting the three ball. Her size and natural measurements impress as she is able to use them to be a disruption on the defensive end. The two-way combo guard scored 17 points and shot a remarkable 8/11 from the field in their game versus Milford. Laoporte checks a lot of boxes for me and makes me confident that her game will only continue to grow in time as she becomes an even bigger part of the offense!     Lakios has a game that quite frankly can't go ignored! She is a pure sniper from deep getting her shot off quick with a high release point. Lakios was on fire from the behind the arc hitting six threes leading Magnificat in scoring with 20 points in the game versus Milford! She shot 50% from the field with only one of her attempts coming from inside the arc. Lakios's defensive pressure also impresses as she was also able to force a turnover. Lakios and Laoporte are both two juniors who play very well off each other and both look to have big impacts on a very impressive and deep Blue Streaks team. I could see them both having breakout senior years for Magnificat from the signs we are seeing during their impressive junior years!     There are clear reasons why Hackney is ranked so high in her class! She is able to be a multi-faceted scoring option in many different ways for the Cougars. Offensively, she is able to create her own shot off the dribble getting to the basket and finish through contact with ease. Hackney showed she is also a very confident shooter knocking down threes off the catch and shoot and pull up when she is open. I like her measurements and size for a combo guard! Hackney is also a stellar rebounder for a guard as she finished with 10 boards in the win versus Berea-Midpark! When she makes up her mind to attack on the offensive end, there are few who are able to stop her! Very few are able to match her motor and level of intensity she plays with on both ends of the court!     Friel plays the game the right way and makes her presence felt on both ends of the court. As a 5'8" combo guard, she is not easy to matchup with! Friel provides a strong offensive option for the Titans with her ability to shoot from distance while also battling on the offensive glass looking for putbacks. This was evident as she collected four offensive rebounds and continued to battle for Berea all game on the glass. Friel flirted with a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds in the game versus the Mount Notre Dame Cougars! Defensively, she contributed being a pressure defender notching a steal and block each. I'm continue to love the energy she brings to the court for the Titans each and every game!     Mullet is the steady lead point guard for the Hiland Hawks who brings a winning presence to the floor. She impressed with her ability to create her own shot and knock down the catch and shoot from deep finishing the game against Norwayne with nine points, all coming from behind the arc! Mullet demonstrated that she is one of the best pure shooters at her position in her class! Offensively, she was also able to distribute the ball effectively for the Hawks, finishing with four assists. She displayed her ability to orchestrate the offense very well in transition in both games for [program_tooltip program_id='712419' first='Berlin' last='Hiland']! At 5'8", she provides the perfect size and strength to impact both ends of the floor for any backcourt. Mullet's performances in both games really helped elevate her stock!     Hiland wouldn't be the team they are without the constant contributions that Zerger brings to the Hawks each game! At 5'10", she offers the ability to lockdown the paint while also showing a capable range from deep hitting the three-pointer when given the opportunity. In the win versus Norwayne, she finished with 18 points and was an automatic finisher in the paint! Zerger also greatly impressed with her ability to see the floor as she distributed the ball for five assists. I'm a big fan of her game on both ends and I believe in time she will become ranked and begin receiving the recognition she deserves as a junior!     Keke Woods! Keke Woods! That is all we could hear as Keke stole the show in Portsmouth's win over Granville! Nothing could stop Keke as she led the whole 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge in scoring with 32 points! If that wasn't impressive enough, it was her efficiency that was off the charts! Woods finished 3/3 from deep and shot an astonishing 13/18 overall from the field! No one could guard her or come close to matching the energy she played with on both ends of the floor! Defensively, she was a bullet all game jumping the passing lanes forcing turnovers in the backcourt for the Trojans! This was certainly a coming out party for the 5'6" combo guard who consistently reminded us all game that size is just a number as she filled up the box score! I'm very confident that she impressed many college coaches with her overall performance at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge!     Carter was a steady inside presence for the Trojans in both her games at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge. She finished with 10 points in their close win versus the Sycamore Aviators and consistently showed the defensive intensity required to lockdown anyone in the paint and on the perimeter. Carter displayed her multi-faceted defensive game finishing with a steal and block each in the win. She has a great frame for a small forward at 5'10" and makes her presence felt on both ends for the Trojans. Her defense continues to show why she is at the top of her position in the class of 2027!     Armstead had a solid weekend at the 2026 Classic In The Country Challenge for the Notre Dame Academy Eagles! In their win over Mason she lead the team with 16 points and displayed her pure shooting stroke from deep knocking down four three-pointers! Armstead clearly has a knack for getting open and the confidence to let it fly when she has the space. The defense couldn't figure out if she was going to drive or rise up for her shot! I was impressed with her leadership as a junior and her ability to take over the scoring load offensively for the Eagles!     Largent makes a significant impact on the floor for the Bulldogs! She has great positional size and the ability to score in the post and create her own shot. Largent impressed with a solid 14 points and five rebounds in Olmsted Falls win over Winton Woods. She also showed that she has an extended range knocking down a three-pointer! Her positional size and skillset really intrigues me and left me no doubt why she is near the top of her positional ranking in her class! There is a great deal to like about the 5'11" forward's game that just continues to expand! She certainly should be at the top of recruiting boards among forwards for the class of 2027!     Quackenbush is an offensive threat for the Newark Wildcats! She keeps the defense guessing with her ability to attack the basket and rise up for three. Quackenbush was able to notch 14 points and seven defensive boards in Newark's lose to Margaretta. Defensively, she was a pest as well leading the way with three blocks and steals each as she left an imprint on both end of the floor for the Wildcats! Quackenbush is near the top of her positional ranking in her class because she flat out gets it done on both ends of the floor for her team! The junior continues to turn heads and make her impact felt for the Wildcats!     Geller is a workhorse combo guard who doesn't stop on both ends of the floor! She is one of Newark's best scoring options with her ability to attack the basket off the dribble and rise up from deep! I love her ability to force pickups and cause havoc on the defensive end. In the game versus Margaretta, she forced three steals and made their lead point guard's game very challenging! She also loves to attack the glass on both ends of the floor looking for rim run opportunities. There is a lot to like about the game of this 5'11" junior combo guard who only continues to get better!     Adams is a pure gamer! The combo guard had a 10 point outing in Kettering Fairmont's win over Western Reserve Academy where she also posted two rebounds and two assists. I like her impact defensively as she had an impact on that end that doesn't quite show up in the box score. She shows she can set up her teammates and create for herself offensively. I was also impressed with her ability to crash the defensive glass looking for opportunities to push the tempo in transition. Adams does a lot of things that contributes to winning for the Firebirds!     Chadwell made her impact felt all over the box score for Milford in their win versus Magnificat! She lead her team with 20 points and knocked down two three-pointers in the win. Chadwell also showed she can create and find her teammates to the tune of six assists in the game. Defensively, she is also a very disruptive defender as she tallied four steals forcing pickups all game. A huge reason she is the top ranked shooting guard in her class is due to her intense impact she makes on the defense end! Chadwell shoots and defends at a very high clip, what more can you ask for out of the top ranked SG in her class?     Agrawal is pure sniper from distance! In her team's win versus Mason she knocked down four threes from deep range showing her quick release from three-point range. Agrawal is also able to create for herself off the dribble making defenses pay for over guarding her for her pull up. I also like her ability to get her teammates involved and overall distribute the ball. Agrawal demands the attention of the defense from all over the floor! The #5 combo guard in her class has all tools to make a significant impact on the floor for the Olentany Braves!     McDowell-Isaacs might be small for her position but her game makes big noise! She has elite ballhandling skills and court vision for her size. McDowell-Isaacs is also phenomenal at getting downhill and scoring at the rim! She separates herself from her competition with her shiftiness and speed. McDowell-Isaacs shined with her ability to pass the ball during Brush's game versus Mount Notre Dame. There is a clear reason why she is at the top of her class as the point guard position in her 2027 class!     The recent Ohio State Buckeye commit isn't afraid of any challenge! She loves to use her frame to score in the low post while also showing potential as a shooter from range! Mason is a rebounding beast who seeks opportunities to score off the offensive glass! Tatiana finished the game versus Mount Notre Dame with 13 rebounds and six assists going along with her six points. The #1 player at her position in her class is a force on both ends of the floor! The Buckeyes clearly have a huge difference maker that will impact winning in a big way at the next level!     Zajac brings a unique physicality to the center position that you rarely see at the high school level! She brings the energy required to win on both ends of the floor. Zajac had a big outing in their game versus the West Clermont Wolves leading her team with 15 points and five rebounds! She also contributed with her defensive impact with a steal and block each! One of the top centers in the 2027 class shined for the Tecumseh Indians on the brightest stage at the 2026 Classic In the Country Challenge!     Williams is a defensive threat for the Massillon Lady Tigers! She impressed with her ability to attack downhill at the basket drawing fouls! The junior forward also showed a knack for attacking the glass finishing with six rebounds including one being on the offensive glass. I was a fan of the way Williams impacts the game defensively beyond ways that show up in the box score! She's a gamer that makes her presence felt on both ends of the floor for Washington!     Perone is the interior anchor for the Milford Eagles! She has a strong 6-3 frame and uses it very effectively on the offensive end as an elite paint finisher. Perone is able to finish around the rim with either hand and dominate the glass as she finished with 31 points and 14 rebounds shooting 15/19 from the field in Milford's win versus Massillon. She is a pure paint beast! Her size and strength is difficult for teams to matchup with and greatly gives her a huge advantage in the lane. She is also a capable passer on the floor being able to see over defenders and distribute the ball with ease. Perone's size and interior presence is a huge advantage for the Eagles which has helped them have a very successful 2025-26 season!

Prep Girls Hoops covered the 23rd Annual Classic In the Country Challenge that took place inside the Perry Reese JR Community Center at Berlin Hiland High School. This was a three day event that took place over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday that celebrated Dr. King's social impact on society and the great hospitality of the wonderful Amish Country community. These three days featured 22 games that highlighted many of the top high school programs in the state of Ohio across all divisions. Here is our list of the 2027s with big games that stood out during this three day hoops challenge!!