Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

Talk about a tough tournament.

Four quality teams will clash Wednesday in the girls’ Division III regional tournament semifinal games at Logan High School.

The matchups have the Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers (19-5) going against the Beverly Fort Frye Lady Cadets (23-3) at 6:15 followed by the Fairland Lady Dragons (20-5) and the Wheelersburg Lady Pirates (22-2) at 8 p.m.

Ironton is making its first regional appearance since its Final Four run in 2010.

The Lady Fighting Tigers go nine deep with their up-tempo style of play led by 5-foot-11 junior and Virginia Tech commit Lexie Barrier with 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds a game.

Sydney Webb — a 5-7 sophomore — averages 11.8 points a game including 46 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range.

The other three starters are 5-5 Taylor Hannan — the team’s lone senior —along with 5-9 junior Cheyenne Scott and 5-9 freshman point guard Lexi Wise.

Off the bench are junior Jordan Hannan, sophomores D’Laynie Keith and Zakia Lee, and freshman Kenzie Ashley.

Fort Frye (23-3) beat Sugarcreek Garaway 47-41 to win the district title. The Lady Cadets were ranked ninth in the final Associated Press poll.

The Lady Cadets are led by 5-foor-10 senior Megan Liedtke who averages 18.8 points a game and 6-foot junior Alexis Enochs with an 11.8 scoring average.

Liedtke was first team on the Eastern All-District team and Enochs third team.

Special mention all-district were starters Michelle Adkins and Makayla Liedtke. The fifth starter is Katie Hart.

Megan Liedtke, Enochs and Adkins can all shoot 3-pointers.

Fairland and Wheelersburg are meeting for the second time this season. They met at Fairland during the regular season with the Lady Dragons winning 69-57.

Fairland has won four straight district titles and has posted four straight 20-win seasons.

Leading Fairland is 5-9 senior Kelsey Riley with 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds a game and 5-5 senior guard Caitlin Stone who scores at a 14.9 clip and has made more than 80 3-pointers on the season while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc.

The Lady Dragons also start 5-10 senior Mackenzie Riley (8.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg), 5-9 senior center Jenna Fulks and 5-6 senior point guard Taylor Staten.

Off the bench are 5-4 freshman point guard Emily Chapman and 6-foot freshman center Alesha Simpson.

Wheelersburg is led by 5-9 junior Sydney Holden with a 15.5 scoring average and 5-3 senior Brooke Smith who scores 15.7 points per game.

The Lady Pirates — ranked seventh in the final AP poll — also start Kalle Coleman, Brooklyn Adams and Makayla Akers. Off the bench are Ellie Ruby, Brittany Swim and Lean Spradlin.

Wednesday’s winners advance to the regional title game at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The Logan regional winner will play at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, in the state tournament semifinals against the Ada regional champion.

The Ada regional is comprised of favorite Richwood North Union, , Oak Harbor, Archbold and Ottawa-Glandorf.

The state championship game is 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.