Bulldogs' runnerup run reaps all-state rewards

Notre Dame's unexpected run to the Class 4 girls basketball state championship game was rewarded with two all-state selections and recognition for its coach in today's release of the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association's Class 4-5 all-state teams.

The Bulldogs' Ashley Millham and Sommer McCauley were both honored, along with Jenna Leet of Jackson and April Lorenz of Perryville.

Millham, who averaged 20.4 points and five rebounds while taking on the role of point guard her senior season, was placed on the first team.

Leet, honored as the Best Female Player in Southeast Missouri at last week's B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza, was picked for the first team in Class 5. Leet, a 6-foot forward/guard, averaged 18 points and six rebounds during her senior season in helping Jackson to a third-place finish at the state tournament.

McCauley and Lorenz, both juniors, were selected for the Class 4 second team.

Millham and McCauley were instrumental in helping Notre Dame reach the Class 4 final four after graduation took three starters from the school's Class 2 championship team. In a quarterfinal victory over Lutheran South, McCauley hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime. Averaging 11.5 for the season, McCauley, a 5-foot-7 forward, went on to score 28 points in a semifinal victory over Carthage.

Millham, a 5-foot-11 guard, was a driving force throughout the season as Notre Dame put together a 17-game winning streak and won the SEMO Conference title. She became the school's all-time leading scorer during her senior season and finished with a game-high 26 points in the Class 4 championship game.

Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim was awarded the girls coach of the year for his team's 22-8 season. A tribute to the Bulldogs' unlikely run to the state title game, Grim was the only coach among the 10 coach of the year winners whose team did not win their respective class.

Lorenz, a 6-foot center, established herself as one of the more powerful forces in girls basketball in Southeast Missouri. She scored 45 points in her season-opening game and went on to average 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Notre Dame finished second in the final Class 4 poll, while Jackson was fourth in Class 5. Poplar Bluff's boys were also fourth in Class 5.

Others honored from Southeast Missouri: Tyler Hansbrough, Poplar Bluff (Class 5, first team); Tony Webb (Class 5, second team); Chris Hyten, Dexter (Class 4, first team); Lontas McClinton, Sikeston (Class 4, first team); Brandon Robinson, North County (Class 4, second team); and Andy Sides, De Soto (Class 4, second team).