TSWA girls’ basketball all-state
Class AT.T. Flowers (Lake County), Rachel Garland (Moore County), Kelsey Risner (Wayne County), Brooke Rhodes (Cloudland), Sydney Roach (Clay County), Casey Cooper (Clay County), Caroline Warden (Jackson County), Sarah McKinnon (Tellico Plains), Lindsey Higgins (Harriman), Lexi Lowery (Cosby), Amber Fair (Union City), Carly Dickens (Clarkrange), Jaycee Coe (Jackson County), Makenzie Hensley (Jackson County), Leeann Baggett (Houson County).Class AAElizabeth Masengil (McMinn Central), Rachel Bell (Creek Wood), Abbey Sissom (Cannon County), Abby Miller (Livingston Academy), Taylor Randolph (Upperman), Karly Frye (Chuckey Doak), Bre Hall (Fulton), Jayda Johnson (Fulton), Chelsey Moore (Loudon), Laura Johnson (Grainger), Brandi Goodman (Obion Central), Macy Wright (Obion Central), Tiffany Jones (Manassas), Lauren Thompson (Christ Presbyterian), Faith LeGate (Christ Pres.).Class AAAShacobia Barbee (Riverdale), Nina Davis (Memphis Central), Bashaara Graves (Clarksville), Ashlee Mitchell (Tennessee High), Tianna Tarter (Science Hill), Hannah Goolsby (Cookeville), Jai-Jai McLaughlin (Bearden), Sydney Carden (Halls), Leslie Berquiest (Morristown East), Cornelia Fondren (Overton), Tyisha Petty (Riiverdadle), Alexa Middleton (Riverdale), Caya Williams (Mount Juliet).Division IIKaylah Keys (Harding Academy), Kaylan Pugh (St. Mary’s), Derica Wyatt (Franklin Road Acad.), Chadarryl Clay (GPS), Lauren Douglas (Briarcrest), Christina Slay (Ensworth), Simone Busby (GPS), Sarah Galvin (Pope John Paul II), Molly Melton (Knoxville Webb), Kelsey Brown (Knoxville Webb), Jane Romano (Knoxville Webb).
Two Miss Basketball award winners and one of Chattanooga’s most versatile athletes have been named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s all-state girls’ teams for the 2011-12 season.
GPS seniors Chadarryl Clay and Simone Busby earned recognition in Division II and McMinn Central junior Elizabeth Masengil is on the Class AA list, while Sarah McKinnon of Tellico Plains was a Class A choice.
Clay and Masengil were the Miss Basketball honorees in their respective classification, and Busby has earned all-state recognition in three sports — basketball, soccer and track.
“That speaks to their commitment to the game and their level of play,” GPS coach Susan Crownover said of Clay and Busby. “They’ve been the best 1-2 punch in the state for the last few years. I even had one coach tell me that the two best passers in D-II were on our team, and I would argue that they might be the two best players.
“Chadarryl was always the big-name player and made big plays, but Simone gave us everything else we needed. She was the glue. If we needed somebody to rebound or bring the ball up the court or go out on the wing or defend the other team’s best player, that’s what Simone did for us. She was a matchup nightmare for most people.”
Busby averaged 13 points and eight rebounds a game to help the Bruisers claim state championships the last two seasons. Clay, an Auburn signee, is one of the nation’s top-rated point guards and was named the state tournament MVP after her 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the title game.
The 5-foot-11 Masengil became McMinn Central’s second Miss Basketball award winner. Despite almost-constant double teams, she led the Chargerettes back to the state tournament by averaging 24 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game. She was named state tournament MVP as a sophomore, when she led McMinn Central to its first state championship.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.