Diving into the best players in the Sky-Em
This season the Sky-Em league is loaded with talent. The conference has three teams in the top 15 in the OSAA polls and a wealth of talent from those three teams. Today we look at the top players and their recent performances as the playoffs inch closer.
Paige Doerr (2023 Marist Catholic) – Doerr’s development has been fun to watch this season. She features a smooth outside shot and her 5’9 frame can be a nightmare for smaller guards trying to get by or guard her. Doerr’s near double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds helped lift the Spartans to an earlier season upset against Marshfield.
Gracie Arnold Gracie Arnold 6'1" | PF Cottage Grove | 2022 State OR (2022 Cottage Grove) – Arnold is the anchor for the Lions squad on offense and defense. Standing at 6’1 she has eclipsed 20 points multiple times this season and finished with multiple double-doubles. She outscored an opposing team by herself with 24 points and in the Lions recent bout against Marist she finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Madison Holmes (2023 Marist Catholic) – Paige Doerr’s backcourt running mate Madison Holmes is another leader for the Spartans this season. Holmes is another ball-handler and constantly finds the open teammate for the best scoring opportunity. She flashed her guard skills on the road against Cottage Grove scoring a game-high 15 points while also totalling 8 assists and 3 steals in their big win.
Cienna Hartle (2022 Junction City) – Despite being somewhat undersized compared to other players on this list the 5’6 Cienna Hartle can flat out shoot the ball. Hartle is one of the main factors for the Tigers success, as the team comes in at the top of the OSAA ranks so far this season and remains undefeated in the league. Earlier this year when Cottage Grove was on the brink of knocking off Junction City at home Hartle took over the last two minutes of the game and scored 8 individual points to stave off the Lions upset bid.