Girls Basketball Super Story Lines

Saturday, November 10, 2012
by Matt Porter

Super story lines

Another 8A slugfest. Palm Beach County has an argument for the best 8A basketball in the state. Dwyer believes it has the team to capture its first state title, but first, the Panthers will have to handle defending District 9-8A champion Palm Beach Central. District 10-8A could be a battle between defending champ Boca Raton, runner-up Park Vista, always-tough Seminole Ridge or Spanish River -- which returns nine rotation players. Come regional time, all will have to deal with Miami-Dr. Krop, which beat Central in the state semifinals last season.

Who will make the leap? Atlantic, with sophomore shooting guards Kayla Thigpen and Deandra Akins, thinks it can earn a spot among the Post's top 10. So does Lake Worth, which received a big transfer in sophomore guard Jonika Garvin, formerly of Grandview Prep. Pahokee, which played travel ball together all summer, has a strong core. Then there's rebuilding Santaluces, fast-improving Jupiter and young, super-talented Wellington. Any one of those teams has a shot at joining the club.

Who's best among small schools? The clear early favorite is Grandview Prep, which made a run to the 2A final four with stars like Neydja Pettithomme and Vionise Pierre-Louis. They're back, but watch for Benjamin with junior Riley Burke, the area's leading scorer last season. King's Academy, Trinity Christian and St. Andrew's can't be counted out.

Note: an earlier version of this story said American Heritage was a team to watch because of juniors Sarah Cooper and Deanna Bradley. Both players have transferred to different schools.