Sports
Hardwood Heroes: Girls’ All-Future Team
By: Alex Harrison, Josh Gregory
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Rachel Richardson
The name is familiar for Alexander fans and anyone the Lady Spartans play. Behind sister Leah and brother Seth, Rachel is the newest Richardson to hit the hardwood.
Being the youngest has been a detriment to Rachel as she has been a stellar shooter all season. Against Wellston in early February, Richardson broke the record for most three-pointers in a single game.
She hit nine threes in that game, leading to 38 points total that night. It was a career night for Richardson, but expect more in the future.
She is only a freshman, giving her three years to keep grinding. Richardson has the benefit that sister Leah is only a junior, giving Rachel the opportunity to learn and use that family connection for one more year.
Liz Collins
Liz was a dominating force on Eastern’s defense. She was physical, especially underneath the basket, and no one could match up.
Collins wasn’t always on the court for the Eagles, but when she was, she was productive. Collins has already proven to be great defensively, but with another year of improvement, she will be even better.
Offensively, Collins wasn’t utilized too much, but she has the talent to start scoring more and more. Eastern returns all but one player, giving her the chance to grow in an environment she is familiar with.
Depending on how Madison Williams returns from injury, Collins could show up as a solid number two player behind Laura Pullins.
Alli Kern
Watching Alli play, it is hard to believe she is only a sophomore.
Kern fits in perfectly with a dominating Waterford squad and can play anywhere you put her. Kern has the shooting ability to live behind the arc and the size to crash the boards.
Looking at the Waterford team, she has the size of Regan Porter and the shooting ability of Dani Drayer. With Porter and Drayer going away, Kern has the perfect opportunity to show up and showcase her talents.
She is a double-double threat every game and can only go up. She has a solid team with her and easily has the possibility to be the best player in the area. With two years left to to dominate teams, remember the name Alli Kern.
Samantha Thompson
Thompson is one of those players who strives with being physical. Vinton County coach Rod Bentley had been hyping her up, but she really started to come through in the middle of the season.
Thompson had her breakthrough game against Nelsonville-York in December and started to go from there. She finished that game with 15 points and eight rebounds, showing glimpses of having all-around play.
On Vinton County, Thompson was a complement to Michaela Puckett and an overall strong team. Thompson will return with an impressive team and look to turn into a bigger weapon for the Vikings.
Kassidy Betzing
Kassidy Betzing was a huge standout and bright spot for Meigs this season. Despite being younger, Betzing could easily be seen as one of the best players for Meigs this season.
Betzing had the ability to turn Meigs around at any time. If they were struggling, she could crash the boards and get points and mount a comeback.
She could be a force defensively as well. Betzing, aside from grabbing those rebounds, could steal the ball as well. She has an all-around athletic ability that makes her a force to be reckon with.
Just about every Meigs game this season saw Betzing as a major contributor. If Betzing can grow to be a little more consistent with scoring, look for her to achieve big goals.