Metro Girls Conference Shaping Up

Special to Greensborosports.com……

In the girls Metro Conference the next few games are going to be pivitol as far as
teams either making the playoffs or not. Now this makes for a good or not so good
ending for many teams that have worked hard and may come up short. In sports there
is no consolation other than to say “try next year”. Some teams in this conference
started out the gates very fast but have recently slowed down. Some have picked up
the pace and are in the picture. Dudley appears to be in the drivers seat and should
win the conference with a few games left. Is it attributed to a tough conference?
Some will say yes and normally it is the ones that are trying to justify their
record. I will disagree and say when parody sets in mediocrity becomes the norm.
Any one of these teams could be at the top if they had executed better as well as
the one at the top could have been in the middle of the pack if they did not.
Nothing is worst than being the best of the worst or the worst of
the best. Here is what could transpire in a few days or weeks.

1. Dudley: Leads conference but has not always looked sharp. Escaped with a few wins
against SEG and Smith that could have easily gone the other way and there would be a
log jam right now in the conference. Will win the conference but is not a sure lock
for the conference tournament championship. If they draw the teams that either beat
them or have played close to them, this could be an upset on the way. Do not know
if I would even call it that.

2. Page: This team could go further and seems to be peaking at the right time. They
have the best player in the conference in Paris Kea and several solid role players.
If Chelsea Coleman continue to play inside the way that she has, this team could win
the conference tournament. Aletta Smith does a great job of hawking the ball with
her speed and can score in transition. Kayla Johnson must stay consistent in the 10
to 13 point range to solidify their presence. Do not see any slip ups no matter how
Southern Alamance cry wolf.

3. Southern Alamance: Team has become a contender because of the play of Shayla
Burnett and Holy Boggs. They have the ability to carry a team to a showdown with
Dudley in the final provided they can overtake Page for second place. They will beat
Grimsley and Smith. The game against Page is huge with lots of implications which
features Dudley beating Page in a few days. They believe they can win it all. If
not, just ask their fans. I never saw a team that did not have that type of moxy that
has ever gone far. During this period, it is not a good time to try and be friends
with an opponent. You cannot overtake Dudley trying to be friends. Because they
surely are not trying to be.

4. Smith: Capable or beating either one of the first three but can they is a totally
different story. They have a chance to position themselves for the playoffs but if
they are not careful it could slip away. They had Dudley beat but let the game slip
away at the last moment. Those are correctable errors but do not know if there is
enough time. The game against Southern Alamance whom beat them handily is huge next
week. If they win that game they could be in a tie for third place. They have no
margin of error and someone must decide whom the leader is on this tteam during this
moment or they could be gone in the first round of the conference tournament.

5. Western Guilford: A team that started out fast but has slipped recently. It is
still enough time to make some noice but not a lot. Brittany Clency is having a good
season at around 19.5 ppg but now needs help like never before if she is to finish
this season on a strong note and help her team advance. They are on the verge of not
making the playoffs if they are not careful and what started out as promising could
end up very dismal. No margin for error and it looks like they will make the
playoffs with at least one win in conference tournament play. If the balls roles
right they may make it to the final. Long shot but possible.

6. Southeast Guilford: Started out hot and was the talk of the town. Still are the
talk of the town but not in the hot prospective. Team has loss six games in a row
but has beaten Dudley and almost had them beat again before letting it slip away.
They need great performances from Hailey and Shutt or this season could be
over for them. Nothing is worst than going form first to worst. They had better be
focus or so long to the playoffs.

7. Grimsley: Good luck and get ready for next season. Nothing is wrong with an upset
but that will be about it.