Trojans, Red Tornadoes top contenders for girls' titles

GIRLS

CATAWBA VALLEY ATHLETIC 2A

Defending conference champion: Newton-Conover, finished one game ahead of Bandys.

Defending conference tournament champion: Bandys, defeated Newton-Conover 59-47.

2010-2011 highlights: Newton-Conover went 13-1, losing only at East Burke, to finish a game ahead of Bandys. … Newton-Conover swept Bandys in the regular season, winning by eight points at home and by five at Bandys. … East Burke (11-3) finished third. … Salisbury eliminated Bandys (first round) and Newton-Conover (final) in the West 2A Regionals for the second straight season. … Newton-Conover knocked East Burke out in a sectional title game.

This year’s favorites: Bandys, East Burke, Newton-Conover.

Players to watch: Margaret Conner, Sr., G, Bunker Hill; Lauren Duckworth, Sr., G, Draughn; Sabrien Gaither, Jr., G, Maiden; Kadesha Gibbs, Sr., C, Newton-Conover; Bailey Gragg, Soph., G-F, E. Burke; Sydney Haas, Jr., C, E. Burke; Aliya Jackson, Sr., F, S. Iredell; Chelsey Queen, Sr., G, Bandys; Taylor Sigmon, Sr., F, Bandys; Madi Story, Soph., G, Bandys; Jesse Story, Sr., G, Bandys; Madison Tallent, Sr., G, E. Burke; Shynese Whitener, Sr., G, Newton-Conover.

New head coaches: Rikki Ogle, W. Caldwell; Ike Williams, Newton-Conover.

Milestones: Bandys is shooting for a fifth straight 20-win season and 27^th with that many wins in 39 years. …East Burke has seven consecutive postseason bids, the most in school history. … Another 20-win season for East Burke would give the school six. The school record for single-season wins is 25. … Newton-Conover has reached the West 2A Regionals in five of the last 10 seasons. …

Overview: With four returning starters on a team that was 53-9 the last two years and off to a 6-0 start this season, Bandys is considered the front runner. The Trojans’ depth is such they have been able to start three different types of lineups. … East Burke is young, with three sophomores among its top five players back from a 20-win team. … Newton-Conover returns a 1-2 scoring punch in Shynese Whitener and Kadesha Gibbs, but new head coach Ike Williams has only six other varsity players. … The sleepers/might could contend teams are probably Draughn and South Iredell.

NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A

Defending conference champion: Hickory, finished two games ahead of South Caldwell.

Defending conference tournament champion: Hickory, defeated Watauga 86-53.

2010-2011 highlights: Hickory finished 12-0 and two games up on South Caldwell, which finished three games up on third-place Watauga. … Mallard Creek beat South Caldwell in a sectional final. … Hickory won the West 3A Regional, beating North Iredell. … South Central nipped Hickory 61-58 in overtime at N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum in the state 3A title game.

This year’s favorites: Hickory, Alexander Central, Fred T. Foard.

Players to watch: Marah Cockrell, Sr., F, Alexander Central; Virginia McMahan, Soph., C, St. Stephens; Andrea Miller, Sr., C Hickory; Brooke Rhodes, Jr., F, Watauga; Kelsie Rhyne, Soph., G, Alexander Central; Brooke Robinson, Jr., F, Fred T. Foard; Shaina Sams, Sr., G, S. Caldwell; Maty Setzer, Jr., G, Alexander Central; Erica Troutman, Jr., G, Hickory; Chelsea Turner, Jr., G, Fred T. Foard; Farrah Young, Jr., G, Hickory.

New head coaches: Brad Mangum, Fred T. Foard.

Milestones: A state playoff berth would be Alexander Central’s first since the 1990-91 season. … Hickory hasn’t finished below third in its conference in the last 20 years -- first or tied (16), second (once), third (three). …South Caldwell head coach Jeff Parham picked up his 205^th career win on Nov. 22 when the Spartans beat West Caldwell. … A winning record at St. Stephens would give head coach Todd Davis his ninth in 11 years there. Last year was the first time his team won fewer than 13 games in a season.

Overview: Until otherwise proven, defending West 3A champion Hickory is the favorite. The Red Tornadoes probably won’t be as dynamic as last season, when two NCAA Division I recruits were in the starting lineup, but they’ve won 99 of their last 103 league games. … With only one senior starter, Alexander Central expects to make big strides this season. After going 37-206 in the 10 seasons before Matt Taylor became head coach, the Cougars have won 15 games in the past two seasons. … Fred T. Foard has a good nucleus in its first year under Brad Mangum, who last year was junior varsity boys’ coach at South Caldwell. … South Caldwell has won 21 of 23 league games the past two seasons, but lost the majority of its big scorers.