By Mike London
mike.london@salisburypost.com

Seventh in a series of reports on local basketball teams …

MOUNT ULLA — A senior class of Jamecia Huntley, Sarah Durham and D’Ajua Cuthbertson provided experience, leadership, depth and defense during last season’s championship run, but West Rowan’s girls return the nucleus of the historic team that went 31-0.

On the road to the first state title in program history, the Falcons took Christmas tournament, South Piedmont Conference and SPC tournament titles.

West was explosive, the highest-scoring team in school history with 73.7 points per game. The Falcons combined that record-breaking offense with being one of the toughest teams to score against in school history. They allowed 29.7 points per game.

So on an average night, the Falcons won by 44 points. It was complete domination, a running clock by the third quarter, no contest. West’s reserves would have started for most of the teams in the county.

West smashed good Ashe County and Ben L. Smith squads in the playoffs and didn’t really meet serious resistance until the neutral-floor scrap with East Lincoln in the regional final. Then West won the 3A state championship tussle against talented Rocky Mount in Reynolds Coliseum by 10 points.

Can the Falcons do it again is the obvious question. The equally obvious answer is yes.

The schedule is more challenging and they won’t be as deep, so maybe they’ll lose a few, but if they can stay healthy they should be in contention for another banner.

It’s not every day you get to start a season with a 31-game winning streak. Long-time head coach Ashley Poole begins her 11th season with 175 career wins, sixth on the all-time county list for varsity girls basketball wins.

“I tried to really enjoy that championship, oh, for about a week,” Poole said. “But then you start thinking about the next year. You start preparing for another season.”

West still has the five-person class that has formed the core of Poole’s teams since they were freshmen. Now they’re seniors.

“They’ve been though a lot together over the years,” Poole said. “If we’re not experienced, no high school team ever will be.”

Lauren Arnold isn’t flashy, but she’s calm and tough and one of the best players in 3A. The 5-foot-10 forward is already a 1,000-point scorer. Her steady points have come with a nice blend of 3-pointers and layups. She’s a shooter who hits the boards hard, a rare combination. She averaged 16.1 points and was South Piedmont Conference Player of the Year. She scored in double figures 29 times last season.

“Lauren can do it all,” Poole said.

Guard De’Mya Phifer is a jet, really quick and difficult to stay in front of. She was fourth in Rowan scoring with 13.2 points per game. She gets transition points and she can break down defenses in the half court. A four-year standout, she is well on her way to joining Arnold as a 1,000-point scorer.

“She’s crazy-fast, hard to guard if people play us man-to-man,” Poole said. “She can be a great asset on defense with her quickness, and she’s working on shooting the ball more consistently.”

Post Emma Clarke is a very special 6-foot-1 athlete. She’s softball-first, but the Tennessee recruit always has been impactful in high school volleyball (All-State) and basketball. Clarke averaged 9.5 points. She can block shots and is a force on the backboards.

“She’s gotten a lot stronger and more confident in the last year,” Poole said. “Her first practice the girls were giving her a hard time about sweating so much, but she hasn’t really done basketball conditioning since the championship game. She’ll be really good for us. She’s unselfish, athletic and energetic.”

Makaylah Tenor averaged 5.9 points in a supporting role and figures to play a lot more minutes this season. She scored in double figures five times and is a streaky shooter, a good passer and an excellent defender. She can guard just about anyone.

Mya Edwards is a glue player, an undersized post who gives the Falcons a lot of their grit and toughness. She averaged 3.7 points, but occasionally she’ll break loose and contribute double figures.

Tiara Thompson joined that crew last season as a freshman and more than lived up to the hype. While Arnold was MVP of the state championship game, Thompson was voted West’s Most Outstanding Player. Thompson averaged 12.2 points for the season and had a pair of 20-point games in the playoffs. Thompson has a motor that rarely stops and she’s got the skills to score or make the right pass.

“I knew the first time she walked into the gym at West Rowan Middle she was going to be special,” Poole said. “If I had to state one thing that makes her special, it’s her poise for such a young player. We’ve got some girls who can get excited. but Tiara is as steady as they come.”

Three girls who contributed last season off the bench are back. Aubrey Martin, Kennedy Clawson and Katie Hoffner will be counted on to play a lot more than last season.

“All three work hard, and they played a lot of good minutes for us this summer when we didn’t have Emma,” Poole said.

The only new face is freshman Lydia Wilson, who showed during the volleyball season that she’s a very solid athlete. She’s 5-foot-10 and will give the Falcons another post.

“There’s a big jump from middle school to varsity, but Lydia is ready to help us,” Poole said.

While it may seem like West doesn’t need any help, the schedule has gotten more interesting.

The Falcons take on 4A powerhouse Lake Norman and a very good North Rowan team on back-to-back nights in early December.

Robinson is new to the South Piedmont Conference this season and is led by Ohio State-bound Ella Hobbs, a four-star recruit and a national top 100 player. The West-Robinson games on Jan. 9 and Feb. 9 could be the highlights of the SPC season.

West also will be part of a beefed-up Christmas tournament field. There will be eight teams (instead of five) this season. One of the teams back in the fold is Salisbury, the winner of two straight 2A state championships.

 

WEST ROWAN GIRLS

Coach: Ashley Poole (11th season, 175-80)

2022-23: 31-0 overall, 14-0 3A South Piedmont Conference (1st)

Playoffs: 3A state champions

Top returners: Lauren Arnold, Tiara Thompson, De’Mya Phifer, Emma Clarke, Makaylah Tenor, Mya Edwards

Key addition: Freshman Lydia Wilson

League: 3A SPC (Robinson, Carson, South Rowan, East Rowan, Lake Norman Charter, NW Cabarrus, Central Cabarrus, Concord)