The high school basketball season is winding down with the postseason upon us.
Who better to know what kind of talent Cincinnati offers than the players themselves?
The Cincinnati Enquirer sought opinions from players across multiple conferences on opponents who were impressive on the court this season.
Check Cincinnati.com each week to see which boys and girls basketball players left an impression on their opponents this year. Last week's offering had been delayed because of Bengals coverage.You'll find another at the end of the week.
Want to give an opponent for his or her stellar play this season? Contact Shelby Dermer at sdermer@enquirer or on Twitter @EnquirerShelby.
More:Nothing but respect: Cincinnati athletes offer shoutouts to opponents who impress, Feb. 4
Cecelia Hilgefort, Turpin
"Cecelia Hilgefort had great games both times we played Turpin (this season). She is extremely fast for how tall she is and gets up the floor like a guard. She is a very humble player and has unstoppable post moves. Cecelia was able to take over the game even when the first half didn't go her way."
—Mara Briscoe, Little Miami
Turpin trailed Briscoe's Little Miami Panthers at halftime Jan. 12, but the Spartans battled back for a 45-38 win. That night, Hilgefort showed how she can take over a game, going 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line for a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks.
More:'Best-kept secret around:' Turpin's Cecelia Hilgefort dominates basketball court, stats
The 6-foot center led the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in rebounding (12.2 per game) and was scoring in scoring (17.7 per game). The junior was also second in the ECC in steals and fifth in field-goal percentage.
Hilgefort has 44 career high school double-doubles. A three-year starter, Hilgefort surpassed 1,000 points in December and has a chance to join the 1,000-1,000 club with 792 total rebounds. That total is still climbing with Turpin still in the dance.
The Spartans are 20-3 this season and finished second in the ECC during the regular season. Turpin was the only team to beat Winton Woods this year, with Hilgefort putting up 22 points, 11 rebounds and four steals in a 60-37 win Nov. 29.
In the sectional opener, Turpin jumped out to a 22-6 lead over Fairfield after one quarter and cruised to a 57-46 victory behind Hilgefort's season-high 27 points.
Kylee Fears, Talawanda
"This year I played against Kylee Fears from Talawanda High School. She is deadly from the paint because she has a variety of post moves. She is also a great shot-blocker with good post defense. She is also really good on defense and offensive rebounds."
—Cadence Boyd, Monroe
Fears, a 6-foot junior, was instrumental in Talawanda's three-year rebuild, helping lead the Braves this season to their first Southwest Ohio Conference championship since 2016. Fears was the SWOC's leading scorer (19 points per game) and rebounder (13.9). The junior also led the league in field goal percentage (56.9) and was third in blocks (30). As Boyd mentioned, Fears was dominant on the offensive glass, collecting a league-best 104 offensive rebounds. No other player in the SWOC topped 80.
More:'You had to stay positive': Talawanda girls basketball goes from SWOC cellar to summit
Talawanda finished the year 19-3 after a first-round playoff loss to Loveland in the sectional tournament.
Fears will be one of the top area players for the 2022-2023 season. She surpassed 1,000 career points in a January win over Badin and also has a chance to join the 1,000-1,000 club as she enters her senior year with 876 career rebounds. Fears has posted a double-double in 52 of 65 career prep contests.
Deborah Davenport, Woodward
"I choose Deb Davenport. She knows how to bring the ball down well and, with her being left-handed, it makes things better. What makes her tough is she is not only a point guard. She plays all positions from 1-through-5 and she is a sharp-shooter."
—Teliyah Dickerson, Withrow
Davenport, a senior, put up a good case this season to be named Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference player of the year, or at the very least the league's defensive player of the year.
Davenport ranked fourth in the CMAC in rebounds (9.4), was fifth in steals (four) and led the conference in blocks (5.8). Davenport still put up excellent numbers on the offensive end, as well. The 6-foot-2-inch guard was seventh in the league in scoring at 16.8 points per game and was fifth in assists (3.4).
Davenport helped Woodward produce its first winning season since 2008 when the Bulldogs won the CMAC at 17-4. Woodward went 14-7 — finishing second in the CMAC-Red division — before falling in the first round of the sectional tournament to Goshen, 48-32.
Davenport, who set a school-record (boys or girls) with 47 points last season as a junior in a win over Aiken, finished the year with 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks against Goshen. Davenport had two triple-doubles on the year. She had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 14 blocks against Scott Nov. 30 and 12 points, 14 rebounds and 11 blocks against Trotwood-Madison Dec. 8.
Sophie Huffman, Wilmington
"One of the players I have played against that is a very tough competitor is Sophie Huffman. She is one of the best defenders around and is a true point guard. She moves well (and) is very fast with and without the ball. She always finds the open person when driving and she is very good at finishing around the basket."
—Sadie Foster, Western Brown
This is the second time Huffman has earned praise from a Southern Buckeye Conference-rival after being mentioned by Goshen's Peyton Shafer in January. Huffman was a true point guard this season as the SBAAC's assists leader, averaging 5.5 per game. The junior guard also averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Huffman helped lead Wilmington to a 12-9 record and a second-place finish in the SBAAC-American division behind Western Brown. The Hurricane suffered a season-ending loss to Milford in the first round of the sectional tournament Feb. 8.
Peyton Shafer, Goshen
"Peyton Shafer from Goshen High school has given me the most competition. She is a very humble player who doesn’t have any problem using her guard size to get to the basket. She finishes very well through contact and makes her free throws when fouled. When left open, she isn’t afraid to shoot it and will make it when contested."
—Sophie Huffman, Wilmington
Shafer is the SBAAC's leading scorer this season at 18.1 points per game. She has a well-rounded game as the league's steals leader (5.4 per game) and ranks third in the conference in assists (2.9). Shafer helped lead Goshen to the sectional finals before falling to top-seeded Summit Country Day. The Warriors are 14-8 and finished third in the SBAAC-American division.
