Needles girls take top state honors in Class 2A
Even with a regular-season title in the Class 2A Southern League, the Needles (Calif.) girls basketball team was passed over for the league’s top two awards.
Then the Mustangs went on to win their second straight 2A state championship.
So when coaches met recently to vote on the 2A all-state team, the Mustangs finally were rewarded.
Needles junior point guard Alex Chandler was named Player of the Year, and first-year coach Manuel Calderon took Coach of the Year.
“It’s really a big honor,” Calderon said of his award. “As far as Alex goes, getting Player of the Year, I felt she was worthy of it. The numbers proved it this year.
“She was tremendous offensively. She worked hard defensively. She rebounded, distributed the ball, was always in double digits (scoring).”
The 5-foot-10-inch Chandler averaged 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists this season.
Calderon said Chandler’s strengths were “her overall speed and pushing the ball up the floor in transition.”
“A lot of teams had a hard time contending with that,” he said. “Once she got the ball in the open floor, it was hard for anyone to keep up with her.”
Also for Needles (30-3), junior post player Miranda Brackett was named first-team all-state and sophomore wing Gena Chavira to the second team.
The first team also includes Lincoln County’s Marissa Smerek, West Wendover’s Danika Sharp, Incline’s Katie Wright and Pershing County’s Michelle Montes.
The second team features Mountain View’s Ellie Markwardt, Pershing County’s Kayla Brinkerhoff, Lincoln County’s Maicah LeBaron and North Tahoe’s Kelly Hester.
