With a pair of free throws Saturday, the most prolific basketball career in Polk County history came to an end.
Wolverine senior Bailey Staton closed her four seasons with 24 points in Saturday’s loss at East Surry. Her final points came in appropriate fashion – 3-pointer from the corner, fast-break layup, two foul shots.
Unofficially, Staton ends her career with 2,128 points, including 742 this season. While final numbers need to be checked and re-checked, Staton appears to have set 16 school records, including almost every scoring record in the book.
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Her 221 career 3-pointers place her in the top 20 in the NCHSAA record book, and her point total puts her in the top 50, matching the total recorded by all-time great Andrea Stinson of North Mecklenburg and N.C. State fame.
Perhaps most notably, Polk County put together a 72-33 record over the past four seasons, including 43-9 the past two years. Only the Chris Mintz-coached teams from 2004-2008 had a better run, posting an 80-34 record in that span.
It’s a Polk County career that will likely not be matched for some time.
Staton has one more high school event to play, taking part in the WNC All-Star Game on March 28 at Warren Wilson College.
UP NEXT: The loss of four seniors, including Staton and Charley Dusenbury, will undoubtedly leave a void in Polk County’s program.
The cupboard, though, is far from bare.
If you’re a Wolverine fan, you have to be excited about the quartet that will be the heart of the program for the next two seasons. Sophomores Sofie Abrahamsen, Reeve Carroll, Honesty Jackson and Amiyah Waters displayed the potential this season to keep Polk’s program on a 20-win pace in seasons to come.
All four players improved throughout the season. All four could easily be double-digit scorers next season, providing the Wolverines a mix of inside and outside ability.
Waters, especially, flashed signs of being a dominant force on both ends of the court. She handled and passed the ball as well as any big in the Western Highlands Conference and displayed the kind of post moves that could make her a challenge to stop down low. Polk coaches say confidence is the biggest trait Waters needs to develop in the offseason – if that happens, big things could await the next two years.
Polk didn’t have a junior on its roster this season, so everyone returning will do so for at least two years. Which will be good given the talent also coming back around the WHC.
Avery’s Marley Jones will head a large group of returnees that will be seniors next season. Hendersonville has almost its entire roster back and will likely be the preseason favorite in the conference. Mountain Heritage, which travels to East Surry Monday evening for a state 3A quarterfinal, has just one senior on its varsity roster, guard Layla Worley.
So expect the WHC to be just as tough next season – and expect Polk County to remain in the league’s upper echelon if its sophomore quartet continues to improve.
SLUGFEST TIME: Saturday should be a great day of baseball and softball at Polk County.
The Slugfest in The Bottoms baseball event and Slugfest in The Foothills softball event will feature seven teams from throughout the area, each playing twice in the day-long event.
The schedule includes:
Softball
10 a.m., Polk County vs. Rosman
12 p.m., East Henderson vs. Rosman
2 p.m., Polk County vs. East Henderson
Baseball
9 a.m., Polk County vs. Tuscola
11 a.m., Brevard vs. Erwin
1 p.m., Erwin vs. Tuscola
3 p.m., Polk County vs. Brevard
