Coolidge at ALA-Ironwood: JV Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Friday, February 3rd I attended the 3A JV game with the&nbsp;<strong>ALA-Ironwood Warriors&nbsp;</strong>hosting the 3A&nbsp;<strong>Coolidge Bears</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams had good JV players who may even start next year on varsity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Here were the Junior Varsity standouts</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781790' first='Blake' last='Anderson'] ALA Ironwood (Pictured) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A decent sized PG with a smoother handle. He will blow by his defender for layups with a nice burst and is smart off the pick and roll game. He has a good spin on his ball with his shooting from the three point line. He is quick on defense with good hands and feet and can get up on the break above the rim. He will drive and kick it and throw up the court passes and is a sneaky good rebounder for position.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781791' first='Marques' last='Dorsey'] ALA Ironwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A combo guard is comfortable playing on or off the ball. He gives quick ball fakes and can get to the basket. He has a stronger upper body to handle the contact and plays with a big IQ. He sees the court well and he will find a teammate. Anderson and Dorsey form a nice 2025 back court duo.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781818' first='Pearson' last='Wiggins'] ALA Ironwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long lefty post player is somewhat raw on offense but will rebound and block or alter shots. He made two nice dunks in traffic with one being a poster dunk. He sprung up quickly and flushed it down above the defender. He grabs rebounds at its highest point and although he favors his left hand, he is just scratching the surface of how good he can be. Look for him to make a splash next year on varsity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781801' first='Rusty' last='Harper'] ALA Ironwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A burly framed power forward can step out and hit the three and works well inside the paint with his stronger upper body. He slips after he sets the pick and finishes in traffic. He is rugged to bang inside and doesn't mind the contact plus he boxes out his man like you should.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2353006' first='Ethan' last='Buckner'] SF 6'2 2024 ALA Ironwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He does a little bit of everything for the team. He just started playing more seriously as he is a baseball player. But he can shoot it, he has nice length, he takes long strides into the lane and moves the ball. He handles it fairly well and makes many subtle winning plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781819' first='Blake' last='Jones'] Coolidge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long post player who moves well. He is a quick leaper to attack the glass and block shots. He had one volleyball type of block that was impressive. He does not score much yet but will make layups and point blank shots near the basket. He is a good passer out of the double team and has a nice hook shot and is a solid free throw shooter. He literally just started playing the game and shows a ton of potential.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kelshawn Dixon PG 5'5 2026 Coolidge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undersized PG with a tight handle and real speed. He can make tough contested shots and move the ball to the open man. He is a good post entry passer and brings energy to the game. He is super quick on defense to collect steals. He can slither into the lane and dime a teammate. He can progress his shooting long term but has nice upside for the Bears. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2786904' first='Adarius' last='Miguel'] SG 5'9 2026 Coolidge&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A catch and shoot three point gunner like his older bother, who is a senior on varsity. He has deep range and no conscious. He will keep shooting regardless of if he made or missed the last few.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->