1A Spotlight- Players to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Maryland public-school playoffs are off and running and some underclassmen are out to make a name for themselves, and some seniors are trying to prolong their high school careers. Here is a look at a few that will be heard from one way or another.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1050559' first='Carly' last='Wilt'], Southern-Garrett, 2025, Shooting Guard</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carly leads the team in scoring and is a threat to score from anywhere. At 5'8″ she has good size and has a nice touch on her shot. If Southern is going to make a run, she'll be one of the main reasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='304369' first='Aliyah' last='Carroll'], Forest Park, 2024, Wing</strong>- This should be the year that Forest Park's seniors breakthrough and get to the final four. Aliyah is one of the most athletic players in the area and she has the ability to take over a game. The spotlight is on her for obvious reasons. She needs to set the tone defensively by guarding the best player on the other team and she needs to come through with some late buckets at the biggest moments. She's capable and we'll be watching to see if she pulls it off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='847266' first='Meona' last='Boykin'], Loch Raven, 2024, Guard</strong>- Meona has been on a scoring tear recently. Loch Raven will have to go through Pikesville to advance and Meona just scored 25 against them in the county championship game. She'll have to have another big game and get some help from her teammates to pull it off. She's explosive and well-rounded as a scorer and plays with a high motor. She's still unsigned so a good playoff run will help with that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ka'Nai Pyatt, Pikesville, 2027, Guard</strong>- Ka'Nai has had terrific freshman season with her role increasing in every game. She has hit some big three-point shots and does not seem bothered by pressure situations. She hit a big game changing three against St. Mary's late in the season and then made four threes in the county championship game. She has the trust of coaches and will need to continue her stellar play in these playoffs. Ka'Nai is pictured above. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maya Gordon, Loch Raven, 2024, Guard</strong>- Another senior guard that will have to play well to keep her team advancing. Maya is a scoring guard, but she'll need to help with ball handling duties and keep the turnovers down. On defense she'll have to use her athleticism to spark the team and create easy transition points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611346' first='Azareya' last='Whiting'], Havre de Grace, 2024, Guard</strong>- The senior guard/wing brings versatility, leadership and savviness to the court every time out. Her team has a first-round bye and should advance to the next round after that, where a Harford County showdown awaits. She'll have to come up big to extend her career and she's capable of doing just that. She is still considering her college options. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->