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High school girls basketball rankings | Jackson leads Stark-County-area Power Poll

cliff hickman, canton repository
·4 min read

The first Stark County-area girls high school basketball power poll is here as the regular season heads down the stretch. The Jackson Polar Bears hold the top spot in the initial poll, but who else will make the cut?

We will take a look at the top five teams in Division I and the top five in Divisions II, III and IV combined in this local snapshot of the local high school girls basketball scene.

Stark County-area Division I power poll

1, Jackson Polar Bears (12-2, 8-0 in Federal League)

Jackson's Megan Campbell puts up a shot during the 2023 Division I district final against Solon at Ravenna.
Jackson's Megan Campbell puts up a shot during the 2023 Division I district final against Solon at Ravenna.

The Polar Bears have won four straight games and remain unbeaten in the Federal League. Megan Campbell leads the way for Jackson. Campbell is a scorer and creator who is the spark plug for an otherwise young team with a bright future. Jackson was ranked seventh in Division I at midweek in the Northeast District of the OHSAA MaxPreps RPI.

2, Lake Blue Streaks (12-1, 6-1 in Federal League)

Lake’s Serenitee Johnson goes the the basket between McKinley’s Kylonee Foster (12), Mya Taylor (11) and Sha’Rayia Hall (3) on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.
Lake’s Serenitee Johnson goes the the basket between McKinley’s Kylonee Foster (12), Mya Taylor (11) and Sha’Rayia Hall (3) on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023.

A head-to-head loss against Jackson in December is the only thing that prevents Lake from taking the top spot in the power poll. The Blue Streaks have won six straight and are ranked second behind Hoban in the initial Northeast District RPI for Division I. Senior Serenitee Johnson is one of the most exciting players in the area and the Blue Streaks have options beyond her.

3, Louisville Leopards (12-4)

Louisville's Courtney Barwick drives to the basket defended by McKinley's Kylonee Foster in the second quarter, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.
Louisville's Courtney Barwick drives to the basket defended by McKinley's Kylonee Foster in the second quarter, Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023.

Louisville has won four of its last five games. The Leopards have a potent scoring combination in Brooke Haren and Courtney Barwick as well as playing tenacious defense as a unit. Louisville can make any team very uncomfortable on game night.

Green's Jenna Slates shoots a second-half 3-pointer against McKinley last year.
Green's Jenna Slates shoots a second-half 3-pointer against McKinley last year.

4, Green Bulldogs (9-7, 5-3 in Federal League)

The Bulldogs have played a difficult schedule and four of their losses have come to teams listed ahead of them here. Jenna Slates is a really good player and Green is playing the type of schedule that may have the Bulldogs ready to surprise teams when tournament play begins.

Massillon's Makiya Edwards works to get a shot off against Louisville a year ago.
Massillon's Makiya Edwards works to get a shot off against Louisville a year ago.

5, Massillon Tigers (9-4)

Massillon had a five-game winning streak snapped this week with a loss to GlenOak but has played a quality schedule with positive results thus far. Massillon has a trio of players averaging double-digits in scoring — Makiya Edwards, Hannah Nicola and LaNia Moore. Overlook this team at your own risk.

Stark County-area Divisions II, III and IV power poll

1, West Branch (13-2, 8-0 in Eastern Buckeye Conference)

West Branch's Chloe Dennison is defended by Alliance's D'Nyya Hancock, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.
West Branch's Chloe Dennison is defended by Alliance's D'Nyya Hancock, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024.

West Branch is the clear-cut top choice for this spot. It has won four consecutive games after suffering its only two losses of the season in late December. Chloe Dennison is among the names to watch for this team. Things seem to be setting up for another strong tournament run for this prestigious program, which was fourth at midweek in Northeast Division II RPI.

2, Tuslaw Mustangs (12-4, 10-1 in PAC-7)

Tuslaw's Destiny Dulkoski and Dalton's Grace Dorffer chase a ball in the second quarter, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.
Tuslaw's Destiny Dulkoski and Dalton's Grace Dorffer chase a ball in the second quarter, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024.

Tuslaw has won five straight and was 11th in the Northeast Division III RPI at midweek. Tuslaw has a pair of juniors in Destiny Dulkoski and Breanna McCabe who combine for 32 points per game. This is a team to keep an eye on as the regular season winds down.

3, Canton South Wildcats (10-4, 8-2 in PAC-7)

Canton South's Sydney Comer tries to get around CVCA's Hadley Hajdu in a game a year ago.
Canton South's Sydney Comer tries to get around CVCA's Hadley Hajdu in a game a year ago.

Despite a five-game winning streak, Canton South is flying a bit under the radar this season. The Wildcats were 18th at midweek Northeast Division II RPI. The Wildcats are led by a trio of talented players in Summer Hastings-Peterson, Sydney Comer and Doriana Hastings-Peterson.

Marlington’s Chelsea Evanich grabs a rebound against Minerva last season.
Marlington’s Chelsea Evanich grabs a rebound against Minerva last season.

4, Marlington Dukes (6-9, 4-4 in Eastern Buckeye Conference)

The Dukes won two games this week, including an impressive victory over McKinley. Marlington's overall record may not impress but they have one of the area's best players in nightly double-double threat Chelsea Evanich, who became the school's all-time leading scorer over the weekend (1,321 points). Evanich is enough to wreck the evening of an opposing team on her own.

5, East Canton Wizards (7-7, 5-4 in Inter-Valley Conference)

East Canton's Audrey Wade looks to make a pass against Kidron Central Christian last season.
East Canton's Audrey Wade looks to make a pass against Kidron Central Christian last season.

Things have started to click for East Canton as of late. The Wizards have won four of their last five to pull their season record to .500. East Canton was 21st in the Northeast Division IV RPI. Audrey Wade has had a good season for East Canton and will look to keep the Wizards rolling in the weeks ahead.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson, West Branch lead Canton-area girls basketball rankings