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Kelli Thompson

High School Nation - March 14

By Chris Hansen
National Director of Scouting
Posted Fri, 03/14/2008 - 08:33 Two big state championships are up for grabs in California and New York, a look at other state winners and our usual look around the country.

This weekend the California Interscholastic Federation will crown its champions in the state’s three classifications (Divisions I-III). Much of the attention was put on last weekend’s regional finals which serve as each classifications semifinal. With the powerful match-ups now behind the victors, can the teams focus for one more weekend to secure a trophy?

The landscape of California generally has the top big schools in southern California and the top small schools in the northern part of the state. Thus in the Division III Northern Regional final you had two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally squaring off in Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco, Calif.) and St. Mary’s High School (Stockton, Calif.). That match-up had been earmarked for at least a month as the two teams barreled through their conferences the sectional brackets. The game did not disappoint with Sacred Heart coming from behind to take a one-point victory over St. Mary’s.

Similarly in Division I, Long Beach Poly must now refocus after a tough overtime victory over one of the best defensive teams in the country in Narbonne High School (Harbor City, Calif.). Long Beach Poly must now set its sites on Berkeley High School (Berkeley), which won the Northern Regional in convincing fashion but has not garnered any national attention, without overlooking it as the Jackrabbits have found out the hard way.


Poly’s Kelli Thompson pulls the string on
a long jumper

It happens at all levels of the game – teams have a letdown after a huge emotional game. Long Beach felt the sting of this let down after their winter holiday travels where they won the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, won the T-Mobile Invitational in Albuquerque, beat St. Paul Central in the Target Classic in St. Paul Minn., only to return home to Long Beach and drop a game to cross-town rival Millikan at home 46-51. Long Beach Poly would beat Millikan by 33 points in their rematch but coming off a huge trip with national implications Poly fell pray to the big letdown. The loss probably cost the Jackrabbits any shot at reclaiming the No. 1 spot in the national polls even if Sacred Heart suffers from a let down itself this weekend at Arco Arena.

New York Spotlight
This weekend will also crown the 2008 NYSPHSAA Class AA champions. The final four is set with Kingston High School (Kingston, N.Y.) facing Rush-Henrietta High School (Henrietta, N.Y.). Kingston, who knocked off No. 1 seeded White Plains now must defend one of the state’s best players in Shenise Johnson who is ranked as the No. 16 player in the senior class by HoopGurlz.com and will play for the Miami Hurricanes next year. On the other half of the bracket No. 3 Corcoran High School (Syracuse, N.Y.) will play No. 11 North Babylon High School (North Babylon, N.Y.) and All-League player Eugenia McPherson.

In the PSAL tournament the spirited play of China Crosby has led No. 7 seed Manhattan Center School (New York, N.Y.) all the way to the finals this weekend against one of the top ranked teams in the country, Murry Bergtraum. The match-up will feature two incredibly gifted point guards with the aforementioned Crosby and Bergtraum’s Krystal Parnell. Bergtraum is also still in the mix for the mythical national championship as it is ranked in the top four in all of the major polls – No. 1 on ESPN.com’s Elite 25, No. 2 in the USA Today Super 25 and No. 4 in Full Court Press Top 25.

The winner will draw the PHSAA champion in the NYS Federation AA semifinals March 29, at Madison Square Garden with the overall championship being decided March 30. The winner will play the CHSAA champions which will be decided this weekend when St. John the Baptist (West Islip, N.Y.) squares off against Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, N.Y.)

Champion Watch
Marshall High School (Chicago, Ill.) pulled away in the fourth quarter against Freeport High School (Freeport, Ill.) for the state’s 3A state title after an 3-point overtime win in the semifinals over Notre Dame High School (Quincy, Ill.). Marshall was led by the 18 points of Sarah Rogers.

In the 4A classification, nationally ranked Whitney Young High School (Chicago, Ill.), beat Bolingbrook High School (Bolingbrook, Ill.) 54-45 behind a 22-point fourth quarter explosion. In the 2A classification it was West Hancock Co-Op (Warsaw, Ill.) defeating Rochester High School (Rochester, Ill.) 44-37 while Flanagan Co-Op (Flanagan, Ill.) outlasted Newark High School (Newark, Ill.) 62-60 in overtime.

Mt. Notre Dame Prep (Cincinnati, Ohio) outlasted Lakota West High School in the Ohio Division I championship game 69-67. It was a controversial finish in a game loaded with big time talent on both teams with a last second shot being counted and Lakota West stunned.

Ohio’s Division II championship was secured by a 21-9 fourth quarter by Archbishop Alter High School (Dayton, Ohio) for a 60-46 victory of Hathaway Brown Preparatory School (Cleveland, Ohio). The Division III title was taken by Versailles High School (Versailles, Ohio) while the Division IV crown was won by Hiland High School (Berlin, Ohio).

West Virginia has crowned its state champions as well. In the AAA classification Parkersburg South High School (Parkersburg, W.V.) defeated Huntington High School (Huntington, W.V.). In Class AA Summers County High School (Hinton, W.V.) beat Lincoln High School (Shinnston, W.V.) and in Class A, Wheeling Central Catholic (Wheeling, W.V.) knocked off St. Joseph Central High School (Huntington, W.V.).

Notes
Trinity Hull, a senior guard at Notre Dame Preparatory School (Fitchburg, Mass.) has signed with Providence College. Hull was a first team all-state selection at Cranston East (Cranston, R.I.) from 2004-2006 before transferring to Notre Dame Prep. …Nichole Jackson, a junior guard at Auburn Riverside High School (Auburn, Wash.) broke the 3A state tournament record for assists. In the four games she totaled 29 assists, breaking the previous record of 26. In the first three games she tied the record and broke the mark in the championship game, a Ravens victory, and second in a row. …Miriam Rutzen, a junior post for West Central High School (Biggsville, Ill.) was named to the Galesburg Register Mail’s All-Area team. Rutzen finished the year averaging 18.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.9 blocks and 3.6 assists. …Shay Selby, a senior guard for Regina High School (Cleveland, Ohio) was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year. The Duke commit will also play in the WBCA All-American game April 5. …Olivia Tower-Solis, a junior wing for Mill Creek High School (Suwannee, Ga.) was picked for the Class 5A Region 7 first team and given honorable mention for the All-Gwinnett County team.


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Chris Hansen

Chris Hansen is the National Director of Scouting for Women’s Basketball at HoopGurlz.com. He leads the panel that evaluates and ranks girl's basketball prospects nationally for HoopGurlz. Chris has been involved in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He can be reached at chris@hoopgurlz.com.

Related Players

Shenise Johnson
Krystal Parnell
Nichole Jackson
Olivia Towers-Solis
Shay Selby
China Crosby

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