ALL-AISA GIRLS: Little, Sampson pace Springwood to top honors in all-state

Shalexia Little of Springwood School was named the AISA Girls Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

The Springwood Wildcats rolled through the regular season and the postseason relatively unchallenged this season.

A big reason for their dominance was senior Shalexia Little, who helped the Wildcats to a 20-1 record and the Class AA state championship.  

Alabama Independent School Association coaches voted Little, the top girls’ player in the state tournament, as the AISA Player of the Year. Her coach, Lisa Sampson, was selected by the coaches as the Coach of the Year, beating out Charlie Taylor, who led Clarke Prep to an undefeated regular season in his first year as the girls basketball coach.  

Little, a 5-foot-11 wing player who could play either outside or inside for the Wildcats, was the third leading scorer in the league this year and one of only five AISA girls who averaged a double double this past season. Little averaged 20.2 points per game and 10 rebounds per game, along with two assists and four steals per game on a team whose only loss was to Heard County (Ga.). 

Joining Little on the first team were Molli Blaylock, Brinkley Long, Jamyah Powell and Lexie Smith.

Blaylock, a 5-8 guard from Clarke Prep, was the top player on a team that didn’t suffer its first loss until the Gators lost to Springwood in the semifinals. Blaylock averaged 13.7 points and seven rebounds per game this season.  

Long, a 5-10 forward for Fort Dale, averaged 13.4 points and 9.9 rebounds on a team that was one of the best in the league in the regular season before suffering an upset loss in the state quarterfinals.  

Jamyah Powell, a 5-11 center at Macon East, was one of the most dominant post players in the state during her junior season, averaging 21.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game for the Knights.  

Smith, a 5-3 sophomore guard for Edgewood, was the leading scorer in the league this season at 22.5 points per game. She also averaged 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 5.3 steals per game on a team that reached the state quarterfinals before losing to Springwood.

Sampson, the daughter of former Auburn women’s basketball coach Joe Ciampi, took over the Springwood girls’ basketball program prior to the 2019-20 season after coaching summer league ball for years. In her six years as the girls’ coach, she has taken the Wildcats to the state tournament the last five years, reaching the quarterfinals three times before making the final four last season.  

Making the second team were Springwood guard Tori Patillo, North River Christian forward Diamond Chankio, Fort Dale Academy guard Anna Claire Thomas, North River Christian center Halle Burch and Restoration Academy small forward Leah Thomas.

The coaches selected a first team and second team, along with honorable mention selections, based on their voting of players submitted by the coaches for consideration.

 AISA GIRLS ALL-STATE TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Shalexia Little   5-11 G/F Sr. Springwood School

Molli Blaylock   5-8 G Sr. Clarke Prep School

Brinkley Long  5-10 F Sr. Fort Dale Academy

Jamyah Powell  5-11 C Jr. Macon East Academy

Lexie Smith  5-3 G So. Edgewood Academy

SECOND TEAM

Tori Patillo  5-9 G Jr. Springwood School

Diamond Chankio 5-10 F So. North River Christian

Anna Claire Thomas 5-6 G Sr. Fort Dale Academy

Halle Burch  6-0 C Sr. North River Christian

Leah Thomas  5-7 G/F So. Restoration Academy

PLAYER OF THE YEAR -- Shalexia Little, Springwood School 

COACH OF THE YEAR -- Lisa Sampson, Springwood School

HONORABLE MENTION: Erica Burton, 5-11, G/F, Sr., Evangel Christian; Lyla Carlisle, 5-7, G, Sr., Jackson Academy; Olivia Daughtrey, 6-0, C, Sr., Chambers Academy; Amari George, 5-6, G/F, So., Abbeville Christian; Isabel McPhearson, 5-7, G, So., Patrician Academy; Lakelyn Overstreet, 5-10, G, Sr., Clarke Prep School; Anna Roberts, 5-7, G, Sr., Jackson Academy; Katelee Sikes, 5-6, G, So., Patrician Academy; Abby Sluder, 6-3, C, So., Southern Academy; Miya Tatum, 5-6, G, Sr., Macon East Academy; Sarah Williams, 5-8, G/F, Sr., Restoration Academy.