The Craig County girls saw their basketball season come to an end with a loss in the first round of the Region 1C tournament last week. The Rockets lost to George Wythe High in Wytheville, 71-22.
“We knew the region game would be tough and the girls impressed me tremendously,” said Rocket coach Erica Crabtree. “We played the game with six and learned a new defense the day before the game and the girls handled it amazingly well.”
Wythe came into the tournament with a 19-4 record and was a big favorite to advance against the 7-10 Rockets. Emily Smith led Craig County with 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals while Kallie Fisher had five points, four rebounds and four steals. Daileigh Donithan had three points, Natalie Fisher had two points and two boards and Kammie Fisher and Jenna Boitnotte had three rebounds each.
Wythe advanced to the Region 1C semifinal with the win, where the Maroons hammered Grayson County, 83-37, to clinch a spot in the Class 1 state tournament. On Saturday they played Galax at Pulaski County High School for the Region 1C championship and lost to the Maroon Tide, 76-68. As region runner-up Wythe, now 21-5, was scheduled to play at Honaker in a state Class 1 quarterfinal game on Tuesday of this week.
Craig finished the season with a 7-11 record, improving by six wins from the previous season. The Rockets had four seniors on the roster, Kallie and Kammie Fisher, Jenna Boitnotte and Daileigh Donithan. Two All-Pioneer players will return as freshman Emily Smith was named to the first team and Natalie Fisher, a sophomore, is a second team selection.
“This season has been an interesting one to say the least,” said Crabtree. “We missed two weeks of the season due to weather, didn’t have a normal senior night and finished with six players. But even with all the ups and downs the girls always played with heart and never gave up no matter what the situation was. I couldn’t be more thankful to coach such an amazing group of girls, I’m so proud of how far we came.
“Last year we won one game. This year we made it to regions, so even though it didn’t go as well as we hoped it was still one to be proud of.”