Region 1-A Preview
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We have reached the point on the calendar where we are approximately a month out from the start of the 2022-23 regular season. That means it is time for our state’s best and brightest to get back into game mode. …
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Continue ReadingWe have reached the point on the calendar where we are approximately a month out from the start of the 2022-23 regular season. That means it is time for our state’s best and brightest to get back into game mode.
That applies to us too. Throughout the month of October and into November, Prep Girls Hoops will be providing comprehensive region-by-region SCHSL and SCISA previews to get fans set for the upcoming season.
We start in the Upstate with Region 1-A in the High School League that includes a team dropping down to Class 1A after winning a 2A championship. How do we think things will play out? Here is our outlook.
(*PGH Preseason Player of the Year*)rnThe last time Clark wore a Cavaliers uniform, it was to help bring another state championship to the school. She had a banner game with a double-double – 15 points and 18 rebounds and translated that momentum into what she did on the AAU circuit with A’ja Wilson Elite. Clark will absorb contact and take her chances at the free throw line and as those statistics indicate, she is gifted as a rebounder and scorer. In addition to basketball, Clark also makes waves on the links as part of the Christ Church golf team. She is more than poised to conclude her high school career with an emphatic exclamation point.
Ever since the school opened its doors in 2014, the Grizzlies have mostly found success in its girls basketball program. This is sure to be a bittersweet season for High Point Academy given it is graduating three star seniors – Martin being one of them. She also plays volleyball for the Grizzlies, ran AAU with FBC Carolina Hawks Elite and picked up an offer from Claflin during the summer. Martin averaged a double-double in the 25 matchups she played last season for High Point Academy, tallying 11.8 points and hauling in 10.3 rebounds per game. Martin also proves herself to be an asset with her shot blocking.
Beason is the second of that Grizzlies 2023 class that should make its Senior Day a memorable one at the school. She is listed at 5-foot-7 and primarily operates as a three forward. Among her many hoops attributes include the ability to grab rebounds, be a stout interior defender, put the ball through the basket and reject shots as a defender. Beason spent her spring and summer playing AAU ball with KST The Academy 17U and coach Ron White. Last season, she averaged 17.7 points and 6.4 rebounds a game for a Grizzlies team that nearly made it back to the 1A championship game.
Bracebridge looks to be the Grizzlies’ bridge to a 1A state championship as she gears up to embark on her final season at the high school level. Bracebridge is also coming off of an AAU campaign with KST The Academy 17U. The bread and butter for Bracebridge is being a beast from behind the 3-point arc. Another one of her strong points is her rebounding. Bracebridge is a vocal leader for her team, knows how to get opponents into precarious double team scenarios, excels as a ball distributor and can be in the right places at the right times to make plays.
The Cavaliers needed someone to replace the production they got from McCall King, who will begin her first season at the college ranks with UNC-Wilmington. Bennon, a transfer from Legacy Early College, is not a bad choice to run point for Christ Church in the coming pair of seasons. She is what one would think when they envision the term “floor general” as she understands how to organize an offense for a halfcourt play. Bennon also knows how to get crafty with her ball handling and can make accurate passes. She also shoots the ball with a great deal of efficiency from long range.
Highlights
The second of the sisters Bracebridge will ensure her the name will still have a presence with the Grizzlies even after big sister Vivian graduates. She showcases her effectiveness with how she sets screens and bring offensive versatility to her team. This shows itself with how she gets things done as a shooter along with her offensive rebounding and her knack for turning those boards into putbacks. Bracebridge also makes a number of big plays in the low post. Absorbing contact on who she is defending is another noteworthy element to her overall game. She was part of KST Academy as well during the grassroots months.
Following a berth in the 1A state championship two seasons ago, the Sabres are looking for a return to being a statewide name. Blackwell is likely to be the centerpiece of that effort in the coming seasons. She particularly excelled last season – her first with Southside Christian – as a defender by rejecting many a shot and compiling many a steal. Blackwell is listed at 5-foot-10 and primarily plays the four. She has played up in class during this past AAU campaign as she ran grassroots with FCA Eagles’ 15U team. As last season clearly displayed, Blackwell is only getting started making waves at the high school level.
Helmer participated in 20 games last season for the Knights and averaged 10.7 points per contest. Prep Girls Hoops got a glimpse of Helmer during the offseason at a team camp hosted by Presbyterian College and coach Alaura Sharp in June. Helmer is about to embark on her freshman campaign at St. Joseph’s Catholic but one can watch her game and automatically think she is an upperclassman. In addition to her scoring, she comes through defensively with steals. Helmer has played at the varsity level since she was a seventh grader and can throw defenders off balance as they do not know if she will shoot from long range or attack the rim. Ball distribution is another area of her game that works for Helmer.
Highlights
Dumont took to the court in her blue and white Knights uniform on 18 occasions last season and averaged 7.6 points, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per contest. Her team is dropping down from Class 2A to Class 1A. Dumont managed to get starts for coach Natalie Satterfield’s team last season despite being a seventh grader. She plays the game on contact and will find her way to the free throw line. Dumont has a mindset to get the ball out of the hands of an opposing ball carrier and is a proficient passer. Long range shooting and rebounding are two other reasons why Dumont managed to be part of the starting five on several occasions last season.
Highlights
Prep Girls Hoops predictions:
High Point Academy – Will the Grizzlies’ big three of 2023s end their high school careers with a bang?
Christ Church – The Cavaliers are ready to translate their 2A success to the 1A level.
St. Joseph’s Catholic – Helmer is primed in ready to firmly place herself amongst 2026s fans should know.
Southside Christian – It feels longer ago than it does, but the Sabres were 1A championship game participants two years ago.
Brashier Middle College Charter – The Bengal went 0-fer in contests on the road last season.