X-Factor Guards from each 3A Conference to watch in Regional play

3A District tournaments begin on Wednesday. Each of the classification's 8 conferences feature talented players, with a number of great guards. For this article, I will recognize one guard from each conference who is expected to lead their team to victory.   3A-1    Elkins was 21-4 overall this season, tearing through conference opponents, going 10-0 in the 3A-1. The Lady Elks have a roster full of tremendous talent. If there is one player whose play will determine the way Elkins performs, it is [player_tooltip player_id='1186525' first='Emma' last='Holland'].   Holland is a sharpshooter, nailing 10 3-pointers in a rout over West Fork earlier this month. She finished that night with 32 points and 7 rebounds.   Considering this is a team with a lot of depth, they do not need one player to carry, they can rely on the whole team to gel and play as one. However, this is the 3A-1 Regional Tournament. Each one of Elkins' opponents is fighting for a place in the 3A playoffs. Those opponents will be hungry and ready to upset the Lady Elks.   Having a player like [player_tooltip player_id='1186525' first='Emma' last='Holland'] who can shoot the lights out while also crashing the glass on defense is important for this team to win. Holland is a senior and she has been in the playoffs before. Her play and her experience will help this team reach their ultimate goal.    3A-2    Mountain View will be relying on [player_tooltip player_id='1055209' first='Jaci' last='Cooper']'s scoring in regionals, and that will not be a problem after eclipsing 1,000 career points in early January.   The Mountain View Lady Yellowjackets have established themselves as a 3A powerhouse, finishing the season with another convincing 23-7 overall record and a 12-2 conference record.   The 1,000-point scorer is coming off an impressive showing against Bergman in Mountain View's last regular season game. She had 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Cooper can score from inside and out, but when she has it going from outside, she is tough to stop. She hit 2 threes against the conference foe.   [player_tooltip player_id='1055209' first='Jaci' last='Cooper'] does not always need to be the go-to scorer, as in a recent win against Salem, she only had 4 points but collected 4 steals. Her impact on both sides of the ball is incredible, but I must say that if Mountain View wants to coast through regionals like they did for much of the conference season, then they need lots of scoring from their junior guard.    3A-3    [player_tooltip player_id='433751' first='Hadlie' last='Goodson'] has been tearing it up as of late for Manila! The Lady Lions were undefeated in conference play this past season, mostly thanks to their talented junior guard.   In a recent 2-game span, Goodson averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. Not long before that in a separate 2-game span, the junior averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 4.0 steals per game.   It is obvious that Goodson is a great scorer. She can walk down the court and pull up for a deep three, or she can fly by the defense and get to the basket.   [player_tooltip player_id='433751' first='Hadlie' last='Goodson'] has been a tough player to stop coming out of the 3A-3. Her inside-outside game makes her a tough matchup and Manila will need her production in order to meet the high expectations everyone has for them in the postseason.    3A-4    The 3A-4 is loaded with top-tier talent, so it was hard to choose which potential x-factor I should talk about. Despite that, I had to give the nod to the #2 player in the class of 2026, [player_tooltip player_id='876349' first='Kaylee' last='Ward'].   Ward has been absolutely dominant this season for Mansfield and colleges are taking notice. Arkansas State and Penn are just a couple of schools to offer Ward recently, and they are loving her play on both ends of the floor.   Mansfield's superstar has been on a roll as of late, logging 30 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks against Lavaca on February 11th. Mid-way through January, Ward was averaging 14.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and a ridiculous 4.7 blocks per game.   Ward can block shots at one end, while knocking down interior looks at the other. She is tough to stop when she is backing down the defender on the block. Ward can be that old-school center who relies on her strength, footwork, and touch down low to score. However, the junior has shown consistency stretching her game out, hitting jumpers if she is given the space.   Mansfield was 11-3 in conference play this season, finishing 2nd in the 3A-4. Their great play is mostly credited to Ward's play this season, and if they want to make some noise this postseason, she needs to be her usual dominant self and lead this team that features a plethora of freshmen.    3A-5    [player_tooltip player_id='459085' first='Makensie' last='Moore'] is part of Baptist Prep's deadly 1-2 punch they have at the guard positions. With the Lady Eagles, you have to pick your poison, and both options are devastating.   The junior guard is another player in this article who is already up over 1,000 career points, and she has done so from both the 3-point line and inside the arch.   Moore's 3-point shooting can run teams out of the gym. She is automatic off the catch, as well as off the dribble. If Moore is using a screen up top and her defender is late getting around that screener, then it is too late, she has already buried the trey. As I mentioned, Moore can play inside as well. She has shown that she is not afraid to go downhill and attack the basket. She draws a lot of fouls this way, converting at the line more times than not.   [player_tooltip player_id='459085' first='Makensie' last='Moore'] is going to be a key player when it comes to helping 21-6, 14-2 Baptist Prep make a deep tournament run.    3A-6    Bald Knob is in a good position as they head into regionals, going 8-4 in conference play. A lot of that success has to do with [player_tooltip player_id='876305' first='Drew' last='Jackson'], who has been on a roll after returning from injury.   In a close loss to Harding Academy, Jackson had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. In her previous game against Pangburn, Jackson had 15 points and 9 assists, showcasing her premiere playmaking all night long. She is capable of scoring 20 or more at any given time, scoring 30 against Rose Bud in January and 20 points and 5 steals in a game not long after.   Jackson is a fantastic shot-creator. She uses her superb ball-handling to create space, which she can then rise up for a jumper or slice her way inside to the basket. She can also play more off the ball. Jackson can hit catch-and-shoot jumpers on the wing, as well as cut to the basket or crash the offensive glass.   Bald Knob is not necessarily a "favorite" in the 3A classification, but with a player like [player_tooltip player_id='876305' first='Drew' last='Jackson'] at their disposal, there are not many teams that can stop them, especially if she has it going.    3A-7    [player_tooltip player_id='876349' first='Kaylee' last='Ward'] might be the best big in this class and in this classification, but [player_tooltip player_id='818869' first='Kinley' last='Smith'] is not too far behind.   Smith's offensive game has come along nicely in her career with Fouke. She has become a legitimate threat from beyond the arch, shooting efficiently off the catch. Smith has also shown that with her 6'2" frame, no one can stop her in the paint.   Smith is great in the pick-and-roll, rolling to the basket at the right moment every time. She is also great at gaining position on the block and then going to work against her defender. She likes to back down her opponent just a bit, then turn and shoot the jump-hook.   [player_tooltip player_id='818869' first='Kinley' last='Smith']'s offense is great and she can be productive in limited minutes. One of her best games this season was against Genoa Central. Even though she only played 10 minutes, she had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and shot 4/5 from 3-point land. Fouke finished 14-1 in conference play, and they will need Smith to deliver in the postseason, no matter how many minutes she plays.    3A-8    Dumas is another team with a number of players who can make a huge difference for this team. [player_tooltip player_id='876344' first='Kendri' last='Broughton'] has been a star down low for Dumas this season, and they will need her strength and brawn to thrive in the postseason.   Broughton may not average 20 points per game, but she is the heartbeat of this team, making her presence felt on the glass and on the defensive end. She does have a number of games under her belt where she becomes Dumas' go-to scorer, such as the mid-January game against Drew Central where she had 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals.   As I mentioned, Broughton does not need to be the #1 scorer, as she has shown that she can an impact in other areas. Against Rison in January, the junior big had just 9 points but 16 rebounds, one of her best totals this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='876344' first='Kendri' last='Broughton'] is a fantastic player who can dominate in the post. Dumas was undefeated in conference this season and they are searching to go undefeated in regionals and later the playoffs. If that is going to happen, their paint bruiser must play well.    The 3A classification is fantastic! There are great players in each conference, and there could be at least two or three players that are major "x-factors" in each regional. Make sure to keep an eye out for these players and their teams during regionals.

3A District tournaments begin on Wednesday. Each of the classification's 8 conferences feature talented players, with a number of great guards. For this article, I will recognize one guard from each conference who is expected to lead their team to victory.