The high school girls basketball Small Town All-America Team has plenty of talent among the 30 players selected, but only one checked all the boxes necessary to be considered for Small Town National Player of the Year honors.
Zamareya Jones of
North Pitt (Bethel, N.C.) earned multiple honors during her senior year while also leading her team to a state championship. Jones earned MaxPreps Player of the Year honors for North Carolina and was named a MaxPreps All-American. She also made the McDonald's All-American team and finished her career with over 2,500 career points. She is a returning MaxPreps Small Town All-America first team selection and concludes her career as the Small Town National Player of the Year.
Jessica Carlson of
Shelley (Idaho) is the Small Town National Coach of the Year. She led the Russets to a 25-0 record, a Class 4A state championship and No. 1 Small Town Top 25 national ranking by MaxPreps.
The Small Town All-American team consists of 30 players who compete for schools with an enrollment of under 1,000 students from towns with a population of less than 10,000.
Zamareya Jones averaged 25.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for North Carolina's Class 2A state champions. (Photo: Jason Jackson)
Ace Austin, Spring Garden (Ala.)
5-6 | Guard | Junior
Earned MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year honors along with Miss Basketball by the Alabama
Sports Writers Association. She led Spring Garden to a Class 1A state
championship while averaging 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists and
3.5 steals per game. A five-time all-state selection, Austin has 2,958 points, 1076
rebounds and 1,188 points for her career.
Saniya Burks, Rice (Texas)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
Burks
had the single-game high point total nationally this season with 75 to go along with 19 rebounds and 15 steals. The 75 points tied a state record. Headed to Texas
State, she averaged 39.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.6 steals and 3.5
assists per game. Finished her career with 3,822 points.
Devin Coppinger, Nooksack Valley (Everson, Wash.)
5-11 | Guard | Senor
Named
the MVP of the Class 1A state tournament, Coppinger led Nooksack Valley
to back-to-back state championships. Averaged 22.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 3.1 assists per game.
She will play at the University of Washington.
Amiah Hargrove, Christopher (Ill.)
6-1 | Forward | Senior
A
three-time all-state selection by the Illinois coaches association,
Hargrove was the top vote-getter among Class 1A players this year. She
averaged 30.3 points along with 10.5 rebounds. The Nebraska commit
scored 2,136 points in her career.
SMALL TOWN NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zamareya Jones, North Pitt (Bethel, N.C.)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
For the fourth year, the Associated Press has named Jones to the All-State team, this time after leading North Pitt to a state championship while averaging 25.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 4.2 steals per game. A McDonald's All-American, Jones will play at North Carolina State next year. She scored 2,582 points in her career.
Second Team
Iyanna Wade, Clairton (Pa.)
5-4 | Guard | Junior
A
two-time WPIAL scoring leader, Wade led the entire nation in scoring
this year with a 39.9 average. She earned a spot on the Tribune Review's All-Area team and finished the season with 1,118 points. She has over
2,100 points in her career.
Jordan Zubich, Mountain Iron-Buhl (Mountain Iron, Minn.)
5-11 | Guard | Senior
Completed her six-year varsity career with 3,490 points, including a
career high of 912 points this year. In leading Mountain Iron-Buhl to
the state finals, Zubich averaged 27.6 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game. She will play
at the University of North Carolina.
Tori Oehrlein, Crosby-Ironton (Crosby, Minn.)
5-11 | Guard | Sophomore
Named the Brainerd Dispatch All-Area Player of the Year for a fourth straight season despite just
finishing her sophomore year. She scored 1,159 points (35.1 points per game),
which ranks second all-time in state history, according to Minnesota
High School Basketball Records. She has 3,439 points heading
into her junior season.
Corri Vermilya, Loudonville (Ohio)
5-9 | Forward | Senior
The
Division IV Player of the Year in Ohio, Vermilya is headed to
play at Ashland University. She averaged 27.8 points per game this year
in leading Loudonville to the state tournament. She finished her career
with over 2,200 points and 1,100 rebounds and is a returning MaxPreps
Small Town All-American.
Tamia Watkins, Andrew Jackson (Kershaw, S.C.)
6-2 | Forward | Junior
Earned Class 2A Player of the Year honors after averaging 26.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 4.7 steals, 3.1
assists and 2.2 blocks for the Class AA state champions.
Third Team
Brinley Cannon, Shelley (Idaho)
6-1 | Forward | Senior
Cannon
earned Class 4A Player of the Year honors from the Idaho
Statesman while leading Shelley to a state championship and the No. 1
ranking in the Small Town Top 25. She averaged 21.8
points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
She plans to attend BYU.
Savannah Davis, McKenzie (Tenn.)
5-9 | Guard | Senior
For
the second time in three seasons, Davis earned Class 1A Miss Basketball
honors in Tennessee, earning the title as a sophomore and again this
year. She missed much of her junior year due to injury. She averaged
26.2 points per game this year and will play at Middle Tennessee State.
Grace Nelson, Altamont (Ill.)
5-10 | Guard | Senior
Nelson
tossed in 1,066 points this year, which ranks as the seventh-highest
total in Illinois history. She earned Class 1A All-State honors and
finished her career with 2,862 points. She averaged 29.9 points as a
senior and will play at Illinois State next year.
Macie Phifer, Ingomar (New Albany, Miss.)
5-11 | Forward | Junior
Named
the Class 2A Player of the Year by the Mississippi Association of
Coaches (MAC), Phifer averaged 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds for Ingomar, which won its third state title in four years. Phifer has
scored over 2,500 points in her career.
Trinity Rowe, Pikeville (Ky.)
5-5 | Guard | Senior
Named
Miss Basketball in Kentucky, Rowe led Pikeville to a record of 164-37
and five 15th Region championships in her five years on the varsity. She
finished with 2,480 career points and averaged 16.2 points per game as a
senior.
Fourth Team
Saniyah Cook, Booneville (Miss.)
6-2 | Forward | Junior
Picked
by the MAC as Class 3A Miss Basketball, Cook led Booneville to its
third straight state championship. She averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds
and three blocks per game.
Elsie Larsen, Strafford (Mo.)
5-9 | Guard | Sophomore
Class 2A Player of the Year averaged 18.6
points, 5.2 rebounds and two steals per game.
5-9 | Guard | Senior
The
Iowa Print Sports Writers Association named Levin Miss Iowa Basketball
for 2024 after she averaged 22.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 4.5 assists per game for Solon, which finished 24-3 and won the Class 3A
championship. She finished her career with 1,984 points and will
play at the University of Iowa.
Makenzie McDaniel, Silver Lake (Kan.)
6-1 | Center | Senior
After
leading Silver Lake to an undefeated record (26-0) and a Class 3A state
championship, McDaniel made the Kansas Covered Top 5 All-State Team
while averaging 19.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Headed to Emporia State, she finished her
career with 1,493 points.
Katie Vasecka, Tea (S.D.)
6-1 | Guard | Senior
The
Class A Player of the Year in South Dakota, Vasecka has made the
all-state team four times, including three times on the first team. She
averaged 22.6 points as a senior with 9.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists while
leading Tea to a runner-up finish at the state tournament. Headed to
South Dakota State, Vasecka scored 1,886 points in her career.
Fifth Team
Taylee Chirrick, Roberts (Mont.)
5-11 | Forward | Senior
Headed
to Montana State, Chirrick had a single-game high of 56 points this
year while earning Class C All-State honors. She had a quadruple-double
this year of 45 points, 14 steals, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
A.J. Mannering, Peyton (Colo.)
5-8 | Guard | Senior
One
of the leading scorers in the nation this year at 32.3 points per
game, Mannering also averaged 8.5 steals, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.
She earned all-state honors and had a high game of 51 points.
Samantha Redinger, Argos (Ind.)
5-6 | Guard | Senior
Redinger
earned All-State honors by the Indianapolis Star while averaged 29.8 points,
5.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. She twice scored over 50 points in
a game including a high of 55.
Sixth Team
Micah Hart, Gibson County (Dyer, Tenn.)
5-9 | Guard | Senior
Named
Miss Basketball for Class 2A, Hart finished her career
with over 2,000 career points and averaged 21 points, six rebounds, five
assists and four steals per game as a senior.
Landree Kenyon, Hammond Central (Hammond, N.Y.)
6-1 | Center | Senior
The
Class D Player of the Year as a junior, Kenyon didn't slow down as a
senior as she led Hammond Central to a state championship while
averaging 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.
Kelly Norris, Rosepine (La.)
5-7 | Guard | Senior
Named
the Class 2A Player of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers
Association, Norris led Rosepine to a state championship while averaging
16.0 points per game. She scored over 2,000 points in her career.
Vivian Sketoe, Lake Arthur (La.) 5-5 | Guard | Junior
Named
to the All-State team by the Associated Press, Stilwell
led East Burke to the Class 2A state final while averaging 22.9 points,
6.9 assists and 6.9 steals per game.
