Louisville-area schools reigned during the 2016-17 girls’ basketball regular season. Fittingly, six of the 30 girls named to the Herald-Leader’s All-State teams hailed from 6th and 7th Region schools.
Miss Basketball recipient Lindsey Duvall led the way, adding another honor to her résumé before she suits up for the University of Louisville this fall. She was named to the first team for the first time in her career after earning second-team honors in her sophomore and junior seasons, the latter of which she missed the better part of after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor in her left leg. She underwent a second surgery to remove fragments of that tumor before the Mr. and Miss Basketball banquet on March 14.
Jaelynn Penn was second in the voting. Her Butler squad was ranked No. 1 for much of the season before Murray upset the Bearettes in the quarterfinals of the Sweet Sixteen. Penn was the flag-bearer for a roster that featured four Division I signees — All-State honorable mentions Janna Lewis (Tennessee State), Fontasia Jeffries (St. Louis) and Teri Goodlett (Eastern Kentucky) — as well as Bellarmine signee Bre Torrens. Those five were part of two state championship teams at Butler and went 119-17 during their time in the program.
State champion Mercer County landed two players on the All-State teams — Seygan Robins on the first team and Emmy Souder on the second team — along with two honorable mentions (Lyric Houston and Emma Davis).
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The 2018 contest for Miss Basketball is shaping up to be tremendous. Robins was one of five juniors named to the first team, joined by Murray’s Macey Turley, Simon Kenton’s Ally Niece, Harlan County’s Blair Green and Sacred Heart’s Grace Berger. It was the second straight year Robins, who’s committed to Louisville, was named to the first team. Green, Turley and Berger were second-team selections a year ago while Niece made the third team.
Green, a University of Kentucky commit, was one of two All-State selections from Harlan County. Fellow junior Kaylea Gross was named to the third team. Turley was joined by teammate Maddie Waldrop, a second-team pick who will play at Tennessee-Martin.
Franklin County, which this season became the first school outside of Lexington to win three straight 11th Region titles, received two All-State team selections in Princess Stewart (first team) and Rebecca Cook (third team). Stewart, a second-team selection last season, has signed with Xavier. This was the first season Cook received all-state votes. Flyers junior Kindall Talley received several votes and finished as an honorable mention.
Harlan standout Jordan Brock, this year’s Donna L.J. Murphy Award winner, rounded out the top-five vote-getters. The Tennessee Tech signee led the Dragons to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances for the first time since 1999. Jada Stinson gave Elizabethtown a first-team selection for the fourth straight season (current Notre Dame freshman Erin Boley being responsible for the first three).
Boyle County star Emmie Harris was named to the second team. She finished with 2,525 career points to become the school’s all-time leading boys’ or girls’ scorer. Harris recently committed to Utah State University.
Mercer County’s Chris Souder ran away with Coach of the Year honors after receiving 41 of a possible 67 votes. Franklin County’s Joey Thacker finished just ahead of Murray’s Rechelle Turner, 11 votes to 10. Derrick Akal (Harlan), Jeff Honeycutt (Knott County Central), Larry Just (Butler), Dwayne Murray (Monroe County), and Craig Pippen (Russell County) all received one vote.
Josh Moore: 859-231-1307, @HLpreps
2017 Girls’ All-State Basketball Team
(Players are listed in order of votes received from 67 girls’ basketball coaches after the state tournament.)
First team
Player | School | Height | Class | PPG | Comment |
Bullitt East | 5-9 | Sr. | 23.6 | Miss Basketball winner was originally committed to UK | |
Butler | 5-10 | Sr. | 14.7 | Indiana signee won two state championships with the Bearettes | |
Mercer County | 5-10 | Jr. | 16.5 | Favorite for 2018 Miss Basketball led Titans to first title this year | |
Franklin County | 5-9 | Sr. | 15.5 | Part of a senior class that played in three state tournaments | |
Harlan | 5-7 | Sr. | 25.1 | Sharpshooter set total points record in All “A” Classic | |
Murray | 5-6 | Jr. | 16.4 | Scored 25 points to help Tigers upset No. 1 Butler in Sweet Sixteen | |
Simon Kenton | 5-8 | Jr. | 19.2 | NKU commit closing on 3,000 points for her career, which started at Scott | |
Harlan County | 6-0 | Jr. | 23.1 | Mother/coach Debbie Green played at UK, where she’s committed | |
Sacred Heart | 5-10 | Jr. | 14.4 | Indiana commit led Valkyries in scoring and rebounding | |
Elizabethtown | 5-7 | Sr. | 18.1 | Memphis signee also has competed in track and field for E-town |
Second team
Player | School | Height | Class | PPG |
Mercer County | 6-2 | Jr. | 16.5 | |
Metcalfe County | 6-2 | Sr. | 29.4 | |
Henderson County | 5-10 | Sr. | 19.3 | |
Mason County | 5-9 | Sr. | 13.2 | |
Murray | 6-1 | Sr. | 12.4 | |
Boyle County | 5-9 | Sr. | 26.3 | |
Grayson County | 5-10 | Sr. | 16.1 | |
East Carter | 5-6 | Sr. | 13.2 | |
Perry County Central | 5-9 | Jr. | 28.5 | |
Owsley County | 6-0 | Jr. | 29.0 |
Third team
Player | School | Height | Class | PPG |
Marshall County | 6-1 | Sr. | 18.1 | |
Franklin County | 5-11 | Sr. | 12.1 | |
Ashland Blazer | 5-7 | Jr. | 6.5 | |
Manual | 5-9 | Sr. | 11.3 | |
Russell County | 5-9 | Sr. | 13.7 | |
Male | 5-6 | Jr. | 13.1 | |
Breckinridge County | 5-5 | Sr. | 22.0 | |
Monroe County | 5-8 | Sr. | 22.1 | |
Harlan County | 5-11 | Jr. | 20.0 | |
Manual | 5-5 | Jr. | 20.0 |
Honorable mention
Kaylee Clifford, Trimble County; Kennedy Igo, Clark County; Ali May, Johnson Central; Summer Rose, Shelby Valley; Ally Johnson, Beechwood; Elli Bartley, Glasgow; Fontasia Jeffries, Butler; Janna Lewis, Butler; Molly Lockhart, Butler; Caitlin Simon, Edmonson County; Teri Goodlett, Butler; Jaynice Stovall, Holmes; Hannah Kash, Lee County; Mackenzie King, Harlan; Lexi Held, Cooper; Savannah Nunemaker, Pikeville; Savannah Wheeler, Boyd County; Emma King, Lincoln County; Lauren Deel, North Bullitt; Kindall Talley, Franklin County; Elizabeth Williams, Paintsville; Maggie Jachimczuk, Russell; Tyrah McClendon-Englemon, Holmes; Peyton Riddle, Scott County; Kiki Samsel, Sacred Heart; Emilia Sexton, Male; Presley Chirico, Paintsville; Marly Walls, Nelson County; Kiara Pankins, Lafayette; Shemaya Behanan, Clark County; Kaylee Mathis, Clay County; Shelby Calhoun, Louisville Christian; Amaya Lasley, South Warren; Lyric Houston, Mercer County; Anna Clephane, Scott; Jada Higgins, Knott County Central; Eleonora Lanzani, Paintsville; Haeli Howard, Marion County; Braelyn Rhodes, Apollo; Taylor Clos, Campbell County; Hayley Caudill, Hazard; Emma Davis, Mercer County; Ashlee Harris, Sacred Heart; Kristen Waugh, Knott County Central; Madison Darnell, Russell; Rayven Peeples, John Hardin; Sierra Graham, Bullitt Central; Cameron Browning, Male; Kia Sivils, Sacred Heart.
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