THE TIMES’ ALL-AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM: Cold Springs’ Willoughby earns 2nd straight Player of the Year prize

Published 8:00 am Sunday, March 26, 2017

Life is full of uncertainties … unless, of course, you’re Emme Willoughby.

During her final season with Cold Springs, the senior standout delivered time and time again for a program that’s no stranger to producing some outstanding basketball players. 

Countless teams, coaches and opposing fans have witnessed Willoughby’s greatness dating all the way back to her impactful emergence on the varsity squad as a relatively unknown freshman.

Whatever the game, whatever the venue or whatever the circumstances, two things were likely to happen when Willoughby took the floor.

Emme was going to dominate, and Emme was going to smile while doing it.

Having said all that, it makes perfect sense to name Willoughby The Times’ 2016-17 All-Area Girls Player of the Year. She also earned the same honor last year following a junior campaign that wasn’t nearly as impressive as what she put together for the Blue and Gold during a truly exceptional season — though, it was still pretty strong.

Willoughby averaged 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest for the Lady Eagles, who finished with a stout 28-5 record. She also netted 55 steals, 44 assists and 1,798 career points to go along with her second straight Class 2A All-State second-team selection by the ASWA — she was a third-teamer in 2014.

The UAH signee’s biggest moment of the season came in a 39-36 win over Red Bay in the Northwest Regional Tournament, where she all but outperformed Darby Madden (UNA) and Allie Kennedy (Southern Mississippi) to lift her group to the Elite Eight before losing to Tanner.

By now, most readers know just how highly coach Tammy West thinks of her latest Cold Springs star.

What they might not realize, however, is how much Willoughby’s peers respect her overall game and how she well handles herself both on and off the court.

Among that ever-growing list includes: Teammate Neely Ellison, Fairview’s Taylor Ann Yeager and Holly Pond coach Paige Parker-Adams, who was also a Cold Springs legend and helped the program win back-to-back state championships in 2008-09.

Here’s what they had to say about what makes Willoughby such a special player.

“Emme was just so unselfish, and she is probably one of the most humble girls I’ve ever played with. She’d rather have the assist than the points. She doesn’t care about recognition, but she knew she could play. Against Red Bay, Mrs. West told all of us to spread out and hand the ball to Emme, because she knew whoever was guarding her couldn’t stop her. I was just standing there and watching her take it to the basket time and time again. It was awesome. She showed out.” — Neely Ellison

“She’s really hard to guard, because she doesn’t play for herself. She played for her team. When she got the ball in the paint, we tried our best to stop her, but there was no stopping her at that point. You really couldn’t stop her outside the paint, either. She can shoot and pass over everybody with her size. I really liked playing against her. She was fun to compete against. — Taylor Ann Yeager

“Off the court, she’s one of the best I’ve ever met. I worked with her in the summer when she was an eighth- and ninth-grader, and I knew she was going to be special. She’s unguardable with her build and body. She could easily take over a game when she wanted to do it. As a coach, when you’re preparing to play against her … you know she’s going to get her points. I would put her at the top in terms of talents that have come through Cold Springs. I knew Mrs. West sure did love coaching her.” — Paige Parker-Adams

Mary Hartline was the easy pick for All-Area Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Aggies to a program-best 28-7 season, including a Cullman County Tournament title — first since 1982 — and the school’s first-ever Elite Eight appearance.

Fairview’s Taylor Ann Yeager heads up the All-Area first team following a tremendous junior season. She’s joined on the honorary squad by teammate Abbi Taylor, Addison’s Maison Evans, and Cold Springs’ Camryn Crider and Elizabeth Hill. It was the third consecutive first-team selection for Yeager, while Taylor and Crider both received deserving bumps after last year’s second-team accolades.

The All-Area second team consists of Fairview’s Jada Golden, West Point’s Miriam Oldacre, Holly Pond’s Ruth Horton, Cullman’s Sierra Easterwood and Good Hope’s Kate Kent. Horton was a first-teamer last year, while both Golden and Kent garnered honorable mentions.

See below for the The Times’ complete 2016-17 All-Area Girls Basketball Team, including honorable mentions:

Player of the Year

Emme Willoughby, Cold Springs 

Coach of the Year

Mary Hartline, Fairview 

First Team

Taylor Ann Yeager, Fairview

Camryn Crider, Cold Springs

Elizabeth Hill, Cold Springs

Abbi Taylor, Fairview

Maison Evans, Addison

Second Team

Jada Golden, Fairview

Miriam Oldacre, West Point

Ruth Horton, Holly Pond

Sierra Easterwood, Cullman

Kate Kent, Good Hope 

Honorable Mentions

Addison: Reagan Smothers, Kaylee Brummett

Cold Springs: Neely Ellison, Aubrey Negron

Cullman: Anna Katherine Eastman, Victoria Barker

Fairview: Abby Schnittker, McKinna Yearwood

Good Hope: Savanna Derrick, Erika Woodall

Hanceville: Cassidy Campbell, Kierra Merriweather

Holly Pond: Kolby Holcombe, Taylor Tankersley

St. Bernard: Jaden Edge, Emma Tafazoli

Vinemont: Sadie Stanley, Kelsey Rogers

West Point: Lexi Shadix, Olivia Ball