The Northside girls are looking for a lead, get a scorer back
Posted at 9:00 AM on Saturday, November 19, 2022
- The Northside girls return their leading scorer, junior Mariah Jones, who averaged 18 points per game last year. (Steve Barnes/Washington Daily News)
The Northside girls will be less experienced than the past two years, but they have their top scorer back from last season, another starter and their best reserve.
The Panthers have made back-to-back fourth-round appearances in the 1A East playoffs, losing at Princeton two years ago and at Bertie last year. Point guard Paige Sawyer has been the nexus for both teams, but she and 2020 team captain Katie Godley have moved to the sidelines to become assistant coaches under Michelle Leesers. Defensive back Hensley Jordan and post player Shayan Buck are also gone from last year’s team.
Junior Mariah Jones returns after leading the Panthers with 18 points per game last year, along with sophomore guard Olivia Jane (OJ) Cahoon and senior Jean Grace DeHoog, who will be in the starting lineup.
“We will miss our three seniors, but it will be great to have Katie and Paige with me on the bench. They’ve already made an impact in practice because the players know they’ve had success.”
Jones started as a freshman, and Leathers expects her to continue to improve and set the tone for her younger teammates.
“She’s more vocal on the floor than before, and she’s stronger, too,” Leathers said. “She needs to be more aggressive in getting the ball to the basket instead of settling for the outside shot. We’re going to play hard and I expect this group to improve as the season goes on.”
The Panthers finished second in the Coastal Plains Conference the last two seasons behind Pamlico County and East Carteret, and expect both to contend again this winter.
Northside opens at home on Wednesday against Elizabeth City’s Northeastern Academy of Aerospace and Technology.
