The coaches around the Northern 4A got things pretty well in order when it came to picking the all-region and all-league teams this season, but I got to wondering what an elite team of this season's Northern 4A basketball players would look like.
If I were a coach, which I'm not, and based on pure talent alone since I don't get to see what these guys do during practice, this would be my squad:
For the boys, I'd look to Douglas' own Keith Olson to anchor down the lineup in the middle. At 6 feet, 10 inches, he's an outstanding rebounder and his defense, especially against some of the nationally-ranked teams earlier this season, is as good as there is for a big man in this state.
Galena's Luke Babbitt, 6-8, fresh off committing to national No. 1 Ohio State, would be my power forward. Some have called him overrated, and while I still am waiting to see if he can truly live up to the national hype in college, he certainly proved himself during the state playoffs.
He can score inside, shoot from the outside and would make a strong rebounding tandem with Olson.
At small forward, and I realize this is going against the grain a little, I'd slide Hug's Armon Johnson in. Although he's only 6-3, he more than makes up for the height in leaping ability. He's an exceptional defender, having done a nice job on Olson earlier in the year, and can take over a game offensively at any time. That would give me three Division I players in my frontcourt to go with what would be a smaller backcourt.
I'd be fool not to take North Valleys' Archie Kovich as a shooting guard. Although only 6 feet, he was near unconcious from 3-point range, giving teams every reason to believe they needed to guard him from the moment he crossed halfcourt. Kovich recently signed with Southern Utah to played football, and his blistering speed would be an asset to any team looking to run.
And at point, I'd have to go with Douglas' Mike Gransbery. Gransbery managed to evolve himself from a wing to a floor general in a little under a year, and would add yet another outside option to my fantasy high school lineup.
Off the bench, I'd want Reno's Olek Czyz and Douglas' Jeff Nady to shore up my front court, Reno product Roger Carlson and Galena's J.D. Peters to back up Gransbery, and Tristan Hill of Galena and Hug's unheralded postman Courtney Alexander.
For the girls, I'd take Manogue's Taylor Sylvester, Reed's Kayla Williams and Douglas sophomore Jessica Waggoner in my frontcourt and shift Reno's Angela Ceccarelli and Reed's Mary Alice Palmer in to my backcourt.
Off the bench, I'd want Damonte Ranch's Colleen Carlson, Reno's Raimy Novacek, Elko's Taylor Altenburg, Manogue's Ashley Armstrong and Galena's Langley Iverson. Throw in Douglas' Bridget Maestretti and Hug's Chakala Carthen for good measure and that would be my squad.
But, that's just my opinion. Anyone with lists of their own would be more than welcome to write us.
Baseball and softball start up this weekend as the Douglas High baseball team will travel to Reed High School to take on Spanish Springs at noon Thursday and the softball team travels to Sacramento Thursday.
Bridget Maestretti, jr., girls' basketball and Dana Pardee, sr., girls' basketball. Both were named to the All-Sierra league team with Maestretti garnering second-team honors and Pardee taking an honorable mention.
