By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
With the prep basketball season heading into the final stretch toward post-season play, two girls’ teams - Brewer and Danville - are showing that they are intent on bettering last year’s finishes.
Brewer has been a dominating team all season long, but especially over the last six games. The Lady Patriots have routed their last six opponents by an average of just over 34 points.
Beginning with a 59-point win over Priceville in December, the Lady Patriots’ smallest margin of victory was 21 points.
Brewer has not lost since falling to Athens 61-60 on November 14. Since that season-opening loss, the Lady Patriots have reeled off 14 straight victories.
Baring any upsets, the Lady Patriots are a strong bet to return to the Northwest Regionals in Hanceville.
All four teams ahead of the Lady Patriots in the final prep poll of 2008 were from the south: Talladega, LeFlore, Selma and Faith.
Danville has won four of its last five games, losing only to Class 6A Walker in the Jim and Nick’s Classic in Jasper.
The Lady Hawks’ strong run includes two wins over Class 6A teams (Gardendale and Hueytown) and rival Speake.
The Lady Hawks have plenty of offensive punch with Ashley Nance, Kayloni Cross, Lindsay Simmons and Lacey Evans stepping up on a consistent basis. But the key to Danville’s success really lies in its depth. Danville has a long list of players who have played key roles this season, including Rochelle St. Amand, Sarah Terry, Chelsea Keenum and Kaitlin Wallace.
Danville is coming off a 22-10 season last year that ended in the Northwest Regionals with a 55-32 loss to Elkmont.
The Lady Hawks will face a tough road to get back to Hanceville for the Northwest Regionals. If Danville wins its area, the Lady Hawks will pair up against a team from Area 16. Unfortunately, two of those teams - Lauderdale County and West Morgan - are currently ranked in the top 10.
That means a team that could be ranked in the top 10 in Class 3A will be sitting at home when the regionals start.
Sports editor Todd Thompson can be reached at 773-6566 or at todd.thompson@hartselleenquirer.com