Nighthawks Girls’ Basketball on the Verge of State Tournament

As we start the second semester of the school year, the winter sports season is picking up. Last year, one of the most successful Nighthawk teams was the school’s girls' basketball team. They made it to the 5A state championship game in the end-of-season tournament. This year, both boys' and girls' basketball have moved up to 6A and will experience new challenges. Girl’s basketball head coach, Sydney Price, said that her team needs to focus on, “continuing to improve our discipline and being smart and strategic” to have the same level of success in a tougher division. “Being able to defend at a high level is pivotal for 6A.” Just over halfway through the season, the team is sitting one game below .500 and in a good position to make the playoffs. The CHSAA uses a special, complicated combination of ratings to determine where a team is ranked at the end of the season. The top 32 teams participate in the end-of-season state tournament. Northfield is currently 27th out of the 55 total teams as they come up on the home stretch of the season.

The team has a balanced scoring attack led by senior Aliyah Herron averaging just over 12 points per game. Coach Price said Aliyah, “...has really stepped in to understand what the team needs and is trying to insert herself in ways that help benefit the team.” Sophomore Madison Bethel follows closely behind with 11.3 points per game. The two guards also average over three steals a game each. Another key player is sophomore Laporsha Allen who is averaging 8 points and 7 rebounds on the season. Coach Price strongly believes in a team effort where no one person is the focal point of the team. She said, “I really push for all players to be leaders. Every person contributes in different ways and that’s understanding each person's role and that leadership takes us all.” The way the points are spread evenly across the team reflects that attitude and mindset.

As the regular season comes to an end, the Nighthawks would love to secure a spot in the state tournament and compete for a state championship. However, in some ways, this season has already been a success. The team continues to improve and has been competitive even after moving up a level. Coach Price said she will know the season has been a success, “when we have some pride and some heart and we see what we need to see happen, to get us back to that state level.” The future is bright for Northfield girls’ basketball. The team has young leaders who will only continue to improve and the Nighthawks are starting to compete with the best teams in the state. Last year’s run was impressive, but it was only the beginning for this program.