Forwards of Note from the Centralia Tournament

Prep Girls Hoops Missouri takes a look at some of the top forwards who we watched at last week's Centralia Tournament via the stream. The tournament featured a diverse group of schools from different classes, which included Class 3 Centralia and Macon, Class 4 Boonville, and Class 1 Higbee.   Host Centralia defeated Boonville to win its fourth consecutive championship. Macon defeated Higbee in the third place game while Moberly defeated Hallsville in the consolation championship game.   [player_tooltip player_id='460885' first='Braylin' last='Brunkhorst'] (Centralia): The 5'11" 2026 forward scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the championship game while also heading the All-Tournament Team. She was very successful hunting offensive rebounds early in the game. She was also very active on defense as she made good rotations, which led to steals. Her motor is always running at a strong rate as she attacked the basket on the drive and also scored in the low post. She was also hitting the perimeter jumper when she was open. She is a Centralia Tournament champion for all four years of her high school career.   [player_tooltip player_id='982978' first='Reece' last='Barnett'] (Macon): A 5'10" 2026 forward who led the Tigerettes to a third-place finish. She scored 19 points in the third-place game victory over Higbee. She was one of the most impressive perimeter shooters that I watched at the tournament. She knocked down a pair of Corner 3-pointers in the first half. She also hit one from well beyond the volleyball line in the third quarter when Macon took control of the game. She is also a very skilled passer and ball handler on the perimeter. I like how she got the rebound and looked ahead with the pass upcourt to try to get the early advantage for her offense. Her court vision is also very good in the halfcourt offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1261957' first='Blakely' last='Sowers'] (Centralia): The 6'0" 2029 forward scored nine points in the championship game and also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. I like her combination of physicality with a little finesse mixed in her game. She has a strong game in the low post with very good fundamentals. She passed out of the double team and got the ball back on a repost to scored a bucket. She also scored on a nice fadeaway turnaround jumper in the lane. She also hits open cutters with her passing ability. She is also very good at carving out her position inside for rebounding at both ends of the court.   Harper Lowe (Boonville): A 5'11" 2029 forward who is a very impressive young player with good athleticism. She has good length and she has a very quick jump off the floor. She used both to block a shot in the first quarter that was impressive. She was really effective on the drive where she could cover a lot of ground with her long strides. She could get to the basket with minimal dribbles. She turns the corner to slice into the lane and she finishes with a nice shooting touch off the glass. I am very interested in watching her continue to develop over the course of her career. Her future is very bright.   [player_tooltip player_id='897507' first='Brooklyn' last='Hardin'] (Centralia): The 5'9" 2028 forward had nine points and six rebounds in the championship game while also earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. The young lefty is very skilled at working in the high post area and on the perimeter. She could turn and face and score on a tough drive. She was stepping through traffic to get a layup. She also had a nice spin move in the lane. She passed it well from the high post and she also hit an open 3-pointer from the corner.   Kirsten Rockett (Higbee): A 5'9" 2027 forward who earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team with her solid all-around play. She is a good athlete who plays the game at her own pace. She is a good secondary ball handler on the perimeter who makes good decisions. She can drive it well to score on the move and she also gets position in the post to get buckets in the paint. She also rebounds well at both ends of the court.   Makenzie Hessell (Macon): A 5'11" 2026 forward who is a skilled player who works well from the high post area on in. She made some good moves from that area and was able to score with either hand while going in either direction. She also swished home a jumper from the elbow. What I really liked was her ability to throw the outlet pass. She grabbed a rebound and quickly threw one ahead to a teammate, who caught it in stride for a layup.   [player_tooltip player_id='1243089' first='Beth' last='Giroux'] (Boonville): A 6'0" 2026 forward who has good height and athleticism and has a very solid defensive presence in the lane. She can wall off defenders with good positioning and she can also block shots. She had one really good play in transition when she sprinted the court on a rim run. She caught the ball on the run and made a stop, gather and a spin move to convert a layup. That was a very athletic move that caught my attention.

Prep Girls Hoops Missouri takes a look at some of the top forwards who we watched at last week's Centralia Tournament via the stream. The tournament featured a diverse group of schools from different classes, which included Class 3 Centralia and Macon, Class 4 Boonville, and Class 1 Higbee.