Conference Preview – Mason Dixon
5 Players to Watch:
(schools are as of last year – unless PGH is 100% certain that a player has enrolled elsewhere)
Jazzy Melnyk, 5-9, 2021, Madonna
Jaclyn Smith, 5-5, 2021, Trinity
Liv Ammons, 5-9, 2022, Clay-Battelle
Lili Neely, 5-6, 2021, Cameron
Alaina Moore, 6-1, 2021, Madonna
4 Sleepers to Watch
Kayley Davis, 5-5 2021, Hundred
Autumn Stewart, 5-7, 2022, Clay-Battelle
Kenzie Clutter, 5-5, 2024, Cameron
Shyanne Moore, 5-9, 2022, Valley
4 Thoughts:
The four-classification shakeup will be a boon to smaller Class A schools both in and outside the Mason Dixon Conference as some of the major roadblocks to the Charleston Civic Center floor, i.e., Wheeling Central and St. Marys, have bumped up to either AA or AAA. Six of the nine MD schools reside in Class A’s Region I, with Cameron, Hundred, Madonna, Paden City and Valley comprising Section 1, and Clay-Battelle as part of Section 2. Trinity, Notre Dame, and South Harrison all moved up to Class AA and sit in Region II, Section 2.
Madonna’s misfortune last season may pay dividends this one. Then senior Kennedy Martin, who is currently on the track team at Division II West Liberty, was expected to be the 6-foot senior post and leader for the Blue Dons in 2019-20. An ankle injury cost her nearly the entire season. The Dons, subsequently, struggled a bit, finishing 10-11, but were never out of games and Martin’s absence allowed Melnyk and Moore, then juniors, to flourish. Now the Dons have an experienced lineup, three players taller than 5-9 or better, and a new head coach in Corey Wingett. The Dons figure to battle for Cameron for the Section 1 crown, along with the Mason-Dixon championship. Both Melnyk and Moore have been workout Warriors in the offseason in preparation for a big year.
Speaking of the Dragons, the folks in Cameron are expecting big things from the girls’ team this season. Cameron returns a host of experience, headlined by Neely, along with sophomore guard Aubre Cain-Loy and senior post Reagan Gray. Adding to the mix is a quartet of talented freshmen in Clutter, Ashlynn Vantassall, along with Emilee and Ashlee Dobbs. Clutter is considered one of the better young point guards in the area and will move in right away while Vantassall will flourish in the paint.
Clay-Battelle figures to battle with Doddridge for the Region I, Section II crown. The Cee-Bees will feature the tandem of Ammons and Stewart, along with Camren Watson lead the way for a team that lost just one senior from a 12-8 squad. C-B fell to Gilmer County 68-40 in the sectional semifinal. Given the Cee Bees returners and Doddridge’s losses to graduation, C-B should be favored in the section.
3 Big Games:
(Updated schedule dates not available as season restart just announced. Matchups on the previous schedule considered)
Madonna at Cameron
Notre Dame at South Harrison
Clay-Battelle at Trinity
2 Fun Facts:
Only three Mason-Dixon teams have advanced to Charleston since the 2010 season—Trinity made it five times, last in 2019 while Madonna and Notre Dame both qualified in 2016. Others, like Cameron and Valley, have yet to reach the state tournament despite having quality teams in the past. Of these nine, only Madonna has won a state championship, capturing the AA crown in 1978 and the A title in 1992. The Blue Dons are 2-1 in championship finals.
This season will be a polar opposite experience for Trinity Christian. After qualifying for the state tournament in 2018-19, the Warriors lost all five starters to graduation coming into the 19-20 season. The talent was there, but the varsity court experience was lacking. The result was a 12-12 season that saw a couple of underclassmen blossom under the spotlight. Chief among them was Smith, who averaged 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. She’s joined this season by an experienced cast as this time around, the Warriors didn’t lose a single starter to graduation. In fact, last season’s team lacked any seniors. Joining Smith in being the go-to options for Trinity will be a pair of juniors in Maggie Mercure (5-7) and Olivia Smith (5-3) in a guard-oriented attack.
1 League Champion Prediction:
Cameron