Key Class AAA players in the race to Charleston

<em>Photo by Landon Persinger</em> The race to Charleston approaches its climax. Through Tuesday and Thursday, there will be a plethora of feelings and reflections across sixteen schools in the state for each class. Eight tickets will be punched. Tears will be shed. Legends may even be created. That’s just how games play out in the regional co-finals. Here are a few of those Class AAA players who will have a big say in the bumpy final straightaway to the Coliseum and Convention Center: <strong>Region I</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="379532" first="Keiera" last="Wilkinson"], Wheeling Central, F, Jr., 6-0</strong> - Rebounding will be a key component in the Central vs. Keyser matchup. Seeing how the Golden Tornadoes won on a putback at the buzzer in the sectional championship, Maddy Broadwater repeating her performance would spell disaster for the Maroon Knights in the regional co-final. Luckily, Wilkinson possesses good instincts at collecting boards. Her long arms give her comfort when the ball goes up in the air. They let her adjust and position herself just right. Then when she grabs the board, she keeps the ball in the air and rarely brings it down until it is time to hand it off to a ballhandler. <strong>Liz Pryor, Hampshire, C, Jr., 5-10</strong> - Pryor may be undersized as a center, but she doesn’t let that hold her back. Not at all. If anything, the Trojan just uses it as motivation in playing harder. Each and every time on the floor. Ask her to play back-to-the-basket offense? No problem. Her athleticism and ability to move to give her access to multiple options. <strong>Region II</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="384297" first="Carleigh" last="Curotz"], Robert C. Byrd, F, So., 5-11</strong> - For coaches looking for a smart basketball player, Curotz is a good choice. The Byrd sophomore shows great court awareness and the ability to see a few moves ahead. Her cuts to the basket make you open your mouth and say, "Nice cut." Plus, she’s got the strength and ability to finish strong should her teammate hit her for the open look. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153370" first="Marley" last="Washenitz"], Fairmont Senior, G, Sr., 5-9</strong> - The Lady Polar Bear causes multiple problems for people who can’t lock her down on defense. She’s just a nightmare. Plain and simple. <img class="size-medium wp-image-394707 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/Marley-Washenitz-2-Edited-scaled-crop-1422x934-1646154818-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Try one thing and she will just go to another in her large arsenal. Scoring wise, she has all the shots. That alone opens up the rest of her teammates for assists. On the defensive side, she’s all over the place with long arms. She has the quickness for a risky swipe at the ball before quickly recovering on her defender. She causes havoc in the press. It just isn’t a good time for most teams.</span> <strong>Region III</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153381" first="Kierra" last="Richmond"], Shady Spring, G, Sr., 5-7 -</strong> Richmond is capable of producing nightly double-doubles thanks to her abilities. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">She doesn’t mind shooting with someone in her face. her quick handles allow her the ability to get to the rim. Even quicker hands generate fast break opportunities where she can score from several ranges.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153423" first="Taylor" last="Ray"], Herbert Hoover, G, Jr., 5-5</strong> - Ray is an intelligent player with plenty of things going for her. She’s a solid shooter but isn’t constrained to launching the rock. Her vision helps in setting up her teammates for success. She also runs around on the defense end causing havoc. <strong>Region IV</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="398436" first="Halle" last="Crouse"], Logan, G, Fr., 5-6</strong> - Crouse is a confident freshman with a nice-looking shot. Her strength gives her the choice of where to shoot - inside or outside the arc. She squares up quickly and gets the ball out of her hands quickly. She’s not just planted to one side of the floor. She has some handles and moves around a lot on offense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="153429" first="Taylor" last="Maddox"], Nitro, SG, Sr., 5-7 -</strong> The Nitro Wildcat brings great on-floor leadership in addition to a great feeling for the big moment. Her multi-dimensional setup allows her the opportunity to create, shoot, or do anything else she may want. This is not someone you want to leave open to shoot the ball in a big game.