Doniphan – Currently ranked #3 in the state in Class 4, Doniphan is 5-0 with wins over Portageville, Neelyville, and Liberty Mountain View (57-39). Coach Adam Epps squad is deep and talented. After going undefeated through the regular season last year, they suffered a heartbreaking loss in the District Finals to Notre Dame. This season they’ll look to make a deep run in the state playoffs.
Jackson – Currently ranked #8 in Class 6, Jackson is 7-0 with wins over Lutheran South and Notre Dame. You could make a strong case for Jackson being number one on this list. They’ll play at Doniphan on February 3rd, settling this argument on the court.
St. Vincent – Currently ranked #8 in Class 2, the Lady Indians are 8-1 with wins over Park Hills Central, Bunker, and Saxony Lutheran. Their only loss was to Park Hills Central, but it was a game they were missing a starter. St. Vincent was probably the favorites to make the Class 2 Final Four last year before they had three players go down to season-ending knee injuries. Those players return this season, and then St. Vincent got two impact transfers in Brie and Kate Rubel. If St. Vincent stays healthy, they are a virtual “lock” to make it to the Final Four in Class 2.
Park Hills Central – They’re in the “receiving votes” part of the girls’ Class 4 state poll, and sit with a 4-1 record. Their only loss is to St. Vincent. They have wins over St. Vincent and Bunker. They finished 2nd in the state last year in Class 4, but lost some key players to graduation. Still, they have a standout set of twins at guard and are one of the best teams in the area.
Portageville – They’re ranked #8 in the girls’ Class 3 poll. 4-2 right now with wins over Liberty Mountain View and Twin Rivers. They’ve lost to Doniphan and Alton. Portageville is always on the line of Class 2 and Class 3 girls. If they were Class 2, they’d be a major threat to make the Final Four. But they might have actually caught a break by moving up to Class 3. It gets them away from St. Vincent in Class 2, and I think Portageville is the favorite right now to make the Final 4 in Class 3.
Notre Dame – They’re 3-1 with a nice win over Chaffee and a blowout loss to Jackson. Notre Dame lost three outstanding players to transfer, two to St. Vincent and one to Incarnate Word. Despite those losses, the Lady Bulldogs are still a very solid team.
Neelyville – They’re ranked #7 in the girls’ Class 2 poll and currently have a 4-1 record. Their only loss is to Doniphan, and they have wins over Alton and Van Buren. Coach Becky Hale’s squad is always one of the toughest, grittiest teams in Southeast Missouri. If anybody is going to stop St. Vincent from making a Final Four run in Class 2, it’s Coach Hale’s Lady Tigers. They’re a very good team, and that game promises to be an absolute war.
Chaffee – Chaffee is the surprise team on this list. They’re 4-1, with a big win over Delta. Their only loss was a close game to Notre Dame. Chaffee is led by one of the best sophomore classes in Southeast Missouri. The Lady Devils are deep, athletic, and they play hard. New Head Coach Ken Elfrink takes over, coming from Blue Eye, where he had a long run of great teams. Chaffee might be a year away from competing with teams like Neelyville and St. Vincent in Class 2, but this is a group with a very bright future that looks capable of winning a lot of games this season.
Delta – They’re ranked #3 in Class 1 with a 5-1 record. They have wins over Cape Central and Woodland, with their only loss coming to Chaffee. Delta has been one of the top teams in the area for the last several years, if not the top team overall. They finished 3rd in the state last year in Class 1, but lost several key players to graduation. Can the Ladycats make another run at the Final Four? Perhaps, but they don’t look capable of knocking off the bigger schools like they have in years past.
Farmington – They’re only 1-1 so far this season, so it’s hard to tell where they should be on this list. They have a 30 point win over Sikeston, who finished 3rd in the SEMO Conference Tournament.