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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016
High School Basketball Preview: Apalachee girls
Wildcats seek much-needed improvement on offense
By Scott Thompson
Sports Edito
Apalachee girls basketball
coach Gary Compton knows
that if his team wants any
chance at improving on its
7-18 mark from last season
and competing for a spot in
the state playoffs, it will have
to dramatically improve its
offensive production.
The production was not
there last week in the Wild
cats' scrimmage when they
scored only 16 points and
shut out in the first quarter
of their scrimmage against a
strong Loganville squad.
“I thought the summer
went pretty well for us. but
we didn’t see that prog
ress (against Loganville),”
said Compton, whose team
opened its season Tuesday
against Monroe Area. ‘‘We’ve
gotten better offensively, but
in years past, we’ve always
had to rely on our defense.
But against Loganville, we
missed too many free throws
and missed too many shots
in the paint. We've got a long
way to go.”
Apalachee will try to start
its comeback while having to
replace a pair of starters and
waiting on one returner to get
healthy.
Senior shooting guard Sha-
nia Thomas and sophomore
forward Nakia Hooks are
back at their positions and
give the Wildcats their top
scoring threats.
Junior point guard Briana
Bryson returns, but is still
working her way back from
an injury she suffered during
softball season, Compton
said.
Junior Cerey Bradford
will fill in during Bryson's
absence.
Junior center Kate Thomp
son and sophomore guard/
forward Grace Hedges will
also be in the starting rotation
while junior Ann Dominguez
is expected to be a key con
tributor off the bench.
Beyond that, the Wildcats
will have to rely on a hand
ful of players whose only
extensive high school playing
experience has been at the
junior varsity level.
“Obviously, we've got to
get our bench shored up,”
Compton said.
“We’re a small team that
doesn’t really have a dom
inant post player like we
need.”
As he enters his fifth season
at the helm, Compton is hope
ful the Wildcats can make a
run at their first state playoff
appearance in school history.
But he’s also woeful of
the competition GHSA
Region 8-AAAAAA pres
ents. including reigning Class
AAAAA runner-up Wind
er-Barrow and solid programs
in Gainesville, Dacula. Lanier
and Habersham Central.
“It’s not going to be easy,
but mathematically our
chances are definitely bet
ter.” Compton said, alluding
to his team's move from an
11-team region to one with
only six. “Previously, you had
to win a game just to get into
the region tournament. Now
we’re automatically in it.
“We’ve got a good chance
and we’re trying to get there,
but for right now, we’re trying
to get better fundamentally
and build the program.”
HANDS UP
Apalachee’s Grace Hedges (20) and Shania Thomas guard against a
Loganville player during the teams’ scrimmage last week. Apalachee lost the
game 54-16 after failing to score in the first quarter.
RETURNING STARTER
Sophomore forward Nakia Hooks, seen here during last week’s scrimmage
against Loganville, is a returning player and starter this season for the
Apalachee High School girls basketball team. The Wildcats went 7-18 last
season and are hoping an improved offensive performance will give them a
shot at the GHSA Class AAAAAA playoffs. However, coach Gary Compton
said his team struggled to produce offensively in its scrimmage game
against Loganville. Photos by Jessica Brown
WBHS girls
continued
from IB
who scored 17 points per
game and averaged 3.5
blocks a year ago. “She’s
graceful, fast and coor
dinated and can do all
the skills that top-notch
guards can do, which is
what makes her so high
ly-recruited. She’s really
improved her outside skills
and has developed into a
great all-around player.”
The Bulldoggs also
return two seniors in for
ward Lexi Maddox, a Col
lege of Charleston signee,
and guard and sixth man
Tanner Kate Sauls, who has
signed to play softball at
Piedmont College.
Thomas is also expect
ing a breakout season from
Junior guard Letrice Per
kins, the fastest player on
the team and a two-year
starter. Sophomore point
guard Chellia Watson and
junior Jakayla Sullivan
round out the starting five.
Along with Sauls, juniors
Shonteria Harris, Bayley
Randall and Antoria John
son, who is recovering from
an injury, will be counted
on off the bench, which
Thomas hopes to fill out
with junior varsity players
as the year goes along.
“We’re going to be thin,
at least for a while,” Thom
as said. “So we can't afford
to have many health prob
lems.”
Thomas said there is also
plenty of room for improve
ment with Winder-Barrow,
which turned the ball over
30 times in the state cham
pionship game as well as
in its semifinal win over
Brunswick.
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