Lanierland girls: North Hall-Lakeview set to battle for championship

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LANIERLAND DAY 3 SCHEDULE, Friday, Dec. 29 at Johnson High School

Consolation
Johnson vs. East Hall (7th place girls) 9 a.m.
Chestatee vs. West Hall (7th place boys), 10:30 a.m.
Flowery Branch vs. Cherokee Bluff (5th place girls), noon
East Hall vs. Lakeview (5th place boys), 1:30 p.m.
Chestatee vs. Gainesville (3rd place girls), 3 p.m.
Flowery Branch vs. North Hall (3rd place boys), 4:30 p.m.

Championships
North Hall vs. Lakeview Academy (Girls), 6 p.m.
Cherokee Bluff vs. Gainesville (Boys), 7:30 p.m.

CHEROKEE BLUFF LADY BEARS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Kassie Scott, 1st season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 10-2, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 4
-- RETURNING STARTERS: So. G Claire Carlson (14.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.9 apg, 3.3 spg, 1.1 bpg, 5.0 dpg), Jr. F Brooklyn Phillips (9.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 spg, 2.6 dpg), Sr. G Emma Reynolds (8.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 spg, 3.0 dpg), Fr. G Bristol Kersh (7.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.6 spg, 3.3 dpg), Sr. G Carson Demars (5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.0 spg), Sr. G Kaitlin Cook, (5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.7 spg, 3.0 dpg), So. G Audrey Graham, So. G Mac Warren, 
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Bears started the season strong, winning their first three games before suffering their only loss to Class 7A Mill Creek (47-41) in a Thanksgiving tournament. They have won six straight since, all by 30 or more points, including a 71-32 win over East Hall two weeks ago, and are 2-0 against the field so far this season. Carlson, Kersh, Reynolds, and Cook give them one of the better guard units in the tournament. They currently are tied with Chestatee atop the Region 8-4A North standings. Their opening round showdown with Lakeview Academy may be the highlight of the Day 1 action, boys or girls.

CHESTATEE LADY WAR EAGLES 
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Sutton Shirley, 6th season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 8-3, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 3
-- RETURNING STARTERS: Sr. G Riley Black (21.1 ppg, 13 rpg, 3 apg, 4 spg), Jr. G Caroline Bull (12 ppg, 3 rpg, 1.5 spg), Jr. F Payton Cable (6 ppg, 5 rpg), Jr. G Addison Boyd (6 ppg, 2 apg), So. G Blakely Boyd (5 ppg, 2 rpg), So. Jamya Weaver (5 ppg, 4 rpg), Sr. F Sierra Yarbrough (2 ppg, 3 rpg)
-- SEASON RECAP: Black, a West Georgia commit, is the best player in the field. She recently had a 39-point, 21-rebound performance in a win over East Forsyth. They have a deep, experienced roster with Addison Boyd, Bull, Yarbrough, and Cable, and can score in bunches. They can also hold teams down defensively. They come in as the pre-tournament favorites and are looking for their first title since 2012. However, how well the supporting cast plays behind Black will be the key if they can claim a second championship trophy. If they can get by Flowery Branch, which has turned a spirited rivalry between the two programs, in the first round, they could get a rematch with Gainesville in the semifinals. Those two teams played to an overtime finish in 2022, with the Lady War Eagles dropping a heartbreaker (68-64) to the Lady Red Elephants, who went on to win the 2022 tournament.

EAST HALL LADY VIKINGS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Brad Cochran, 1st season
-- REGION: Region 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 2-10, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 7
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. PG Kaylana Curry (12 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg, 2 spg), Jr. G Amari Burce (8 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg), Jr. G Terriah Watkins (7 ppg, 8 rpg, 1 bpg), So. Haley Barton (4 ppg, 2 rpg), Fr. C Maliyah Butler (4 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 bpg)
-- SEASON RECAP: A young Lady Vikings squad with a new coach has sometimes played better than its record. They had a 6-game losing streak until beating Cedar Grove, 52-35, to close out the Commerce Christmas tournament on Friday. They have 10 freshmen or sophomores on the roster and no seniors. Curry is among the more dynamic players in the field but will need help from Watkins, Burce, and the rest of the roster. Finding a consistent second and third scorer and cutting down on turnovers will need to be high priorities. They played and lost to North Hall, their first-round opponent (57-39), but led early before going cold from the field in the second half.

FLOWERY BRANCH LADY FALCONS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Courtney Newton, 9th season
-- REGION: 8-5A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 5-6, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 6
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. G/F Amyia Scott, Jr. G/F Jess Tamplin, Sr. F Deniya Randolph, Sr. PG Kaitlin Cangiolosi, Sr. G Jayla Gudz, Sr. G/F Mackenzie White
-- SEASON RECAP: On paper, they appear to have a ton of experience, with five seniors among their top six players. And they also have Scott and Gudz, who should be one of the top guard tandems in the area. But they have not been able to put things together consistently. They dropped their first three games, then won three straight. They come into Lanierland having dropped two of their last three by 20 or more points and needed overtime to beat GAPPS opponent Lanier Christian. But they have Chestatee in the opening round, and the two teams have developed a spirited rivalry over the past 4 or 5 years. The last time the two teams met in Lanierland in 2021, the Lady Falcons knocked off the higher-seeded Lady War Eagles, 49-44.

GAINESVILLE LADY RED ELEPHANTS
-- COACH, YEARS AT SCHOOL: Vanessa White, 2nd season
-- REGION: 8-6A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 2-7, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 1
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. G Julia Payne, Jr. G/F Kinsleigh Teasley
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Red Elephants graduated the bulk of the roster that won 2 of the last 3 Lanierland titles. They are much like East Hall, with nine freshmen or sophomores on the roster. Payne and Teasley will have to have big games and get some help from the younger players to have any chance of repeating as champions. They have played a tough opening schedule. They lost their first four games until beating South Atlanta but are coming off blowout losses to Carrollton and Cartersville in a Carrollton holiday tournament. They open Lanierland with Johnson, which has not won a quarterfinal game since 2008, so they should be able to get into the semifinals. If they get past the Lady Knights, they will get the Cherokee Bluff-Lakeview Academy winner, both of which have been mentioned among the favorites to win the 2023 title.

JOHNSON LADY KNIGHTS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Jared Hodge, 6th season
-- REGION: Region 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 3-10, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 9
-- KEY PLAYERS: Sr. G Destiny Ramirez (6.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 spg), Sr. P Marijane See (5.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.9 spg), Sr. G Ana Garcia (4.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.5 spg), Sr. G Bianca Luc (3.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.1 spg), Fr. Harbor Landers (3.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg), So. G/P Emily Hernandez
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Knights are back in the tournament after failing to get in last year. They beat West Hall 41-24 in the play-in game to get into the 8-team field. Now, they will see if they can get the program's first Lanierland win since 2008 against defending champion Gainesville, which is in rebuilding mode. The three wins for the Lady Knights already have surpassed last year's 1-win campaign, but they have dropped all three games they have played vs. the tournament field in the early going of the season. Ramirez has played well this year, and the offense has had stretches of consistency. But she will need help from Garcia and See to have any chance to advance.

LAKEVIEW ACADEMY LADY LIONS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Ken Huffman, 1st season
-- REGION: GIAA AAAA/AAA District 4
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 10-0, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 5
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. P Taliah Gaither (16.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 spg, 1.4 bpg), Jr. G Dynesty Putman (12.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.6 spg), So. G Emyrie Combs (8.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.5 apg, 3.5 spg), Fr. G Taylor Clark (7.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 3.6 spg), Sr. Ashlyn Henderson (4.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg), Sr. P Kivana Bogne (3.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Fr. G Jalyn Purdy (3.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.8 spg)
-- SEASON RECAP: The Lady Lions may be the most experienced and deepest team in the field and are coming off a GIAA state runner-up finish in Class AAA. They also have a potent inside-outside game with Gaither and Bogne inside and Putman and Combs on the perimeter. Despite being in the GIAA now, they have six wins over GHSA opponents, including perennial playoff teams Jefferson and Rabun County. But they also have the toughest opening-round game against a potent Cherokee Bluff team. Both teams are among the pre-tournament favorites, so expect a war as they open the tournament on Wednesday morning.

NORTH HALL LADY TROJANS
-- COACH/YEARS AT SCHOOL: Eric Herrick, 2nd season
-- REGION: 8-4A
-- CURRENT 2023-24 RECORD: 9-3, FULL SCHEDULE HERE
-- LANIERLAND SEEDING: No. 2
-- KEY PLAYERS: Jr. G Athena Vachtsevanos (22.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.2 spg), Jr. G Braelyn McCall (9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9apg), So. F Gensis Satterfield (6.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), So. G Martha Vachtsevanos (4.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.1 apg, 3.1 spg), Fr. F/C Zara Gosse (4.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Sr. G Carly Bowen (4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 3.0 spg)
-- SEASON RECAP: Despite losing a ton of production to graduation, the Lady Trojans opened the 2023-24 campaign, winning five of their first six games. However, they're just 2-2 in their last four, including a 50-49 loss to Oglethorpe County. Their two losses to Jefferson and Chestatee were by a combined 47 points, and only two wins have come against teams with winning records. Besides Athena Vachtsevanos, McCall, and Bowen, they will also need solid production from Genesis Satterfield and Martha Vachtsevanos. They open against East Hall, whom they beat 57-39 in Region 8-4A play two weeks ago. However, they trailed the Lady Vikings late in the first half of that game before taking control in the second half.