2008-09 Northwestern 4A Predictions: The end of an era

I am curious as to how the great players of this conference would compare in terms of total championships won. Counting all championships in high school.(Conference, Christmas Tournaments, Conference Tournaments, Sectionals, Regionals, and state.) I'm not even sure that any one will be able to answer that question but it seems that some of you have the resourses to do such research. Just interested.

 

Predictions

1- Freedom 12-0 Too much talent, no one touches them
2- Reynolds 9-3 Two great sophomores from last year
3- South 8-4 Alot of good young talent
4- McDowell 7-5 Lost way too much to compete this year
5- Watauga 4-8
6- Alexander 3-9
7- East Burke 0-12 Good players are gone


*South could be the second place team.

 

I wouldn't just hand it to Freedom to quick. SC is gonna be pretty good. If they have a big girl step up things will be real intresting when they face Freedom

 

I'll throw a name out there of recent memory...

Anna Atkinson- 4 Year Starter (McDowell High School)

3 NW4A Conference Championships
3 NW4A Tourney Championships
2 X-Mas Tourney Titles (including 2003 GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational)
3 Sectional Championships (2002, 2003, 2004)
1 West Regional Championship (2003)

 

Official Predictions

1. Freedom: They are the top of the class on paper, they also have the pieces to run the table in the conference. But Reynolds has been a thorn in the Lady Patriots side as of recent years. Plus anytime Freedom/McDowell battles, anything can happen. So therefor I can't pick them to go 12-0 in conference play but in all honesty they could.

2. South Caldwell: This is a young and talented team plus they are well coached. South seems to be a fearless group as well, something I think is an attribute of their coaching.

3. McDowell: Even though a majority of the McDowell offense is gone, the Lady Titans have at least 4 players back that played significant minutes last season. The burden of carrying the offensive load will now fall into the hands of Autumn Ward. Also with the departure of Washington, Greene and Hamilton, the Lady Titans will be a less athletic squad. McDowell will have to greatly value each possession. The biggest key in that aspect will be the replacement of Greene at the point. If things can become stable at that position of the floor, then McDowell can be solid all-around team.

4. AC Reynolds: Two very good pieces of the puzzle in Taylor and Brinkley. Question is...who will be in the supporting cast?

NOTE: I think SC, McDowell and ACR will be in a dogfight with each other in spots 2-4. This group could really fall in any order other than I have predicted.

5. Watauga: The Lady Pioneers could very well benefit from the fact that the lower tier of the conference will be down. Can they take advantage of it? That's the biggest question. Coach Anderson is not a bad coach, it will be intesting to see what happens in Boone this year.

6. East Burke:Their 3 best players on last year's squad has transferred or moved on to the new school (Draughn). That leaves first-year head coach Katie Gravel with a tough chore of working with the few pieces that she will have at her disposal. It may be a very tough year for the Lady Cavs.

7. Alexander Central: Can they win a conference game this year? It's possible looking at the fact that East Burke lost all they did plus Watauga is a question mark.

 

Kerri Gardin-Freedom

2001-2002 27-2
Class 4A State Champions
West Regional Champions
Sectional Champions
NWC Tournament Champions
NWC Champions
Christmas Tournament Champions

2000-2001 26-3
Sectional Champions
NWC Tournament Champions
NWC Co-Champions w/MHS & EB
Christmas Tournament Champions

1999-2000 26-4
Sectional Champions
NWC Co-Champions w/EB
Christmas Tournament Champions

1998-1999 23-5
Sectional Champions
NWC Co-Champions w/MHS

 

15 Championships. Wow that would have to be hard to beat. I think that some of the girls at Freedom now could rack up quite a few this year.(Maybe 6) And that would have to put some of them in that elite group.

 

Yeah 15 would be pretty hard to beat...here's two more former NW4A stars going back a few years:

Jennifer Brooks & Aletha Corpening: Everybody currently knows Jennifer as the assistant to Coach Franklin at McDowell High. Meanwhile Aletha was the athletic guard that along with Brooks help lead McDowell to back-to-back West Regional Titles. Both girls were 3-year varsity players. Those two along with point guard Aimee Brewer, a 4-year varsity player, were key to a very successful run in the late 90's.

2 NW4A Championships: (Shared or Outright)
3 X-Mas Tourney Titles: (Former East Rutherford Lady Cavalier Classic)
1 NW4A Tourney Championship? (I know for sure of at least 1 title, there could be more?)
2 Sectional Championships:
2 West Regional Championship:

 

Don't know how many championships total but Natasha Davis of Freedom was the focal player in 93-94 and 94-95 (Gatorade Player of the year for NC)and Left with Back to Back 4A State Championships and that probably trumps them all!

 

so

The Lady Cougars only get some LOVE because E. Burke and Watauga are question marks? What if times are changing at AC?