Upon Further Review

Yes, we’re all well aware of what point guard LaToya Diggs brings to the table when it comes to girls basketball at Waynesboro. Heck, since she was a freshman during the Little Giants’ run to the Group AA (Division 3?) championship game last year, coach Secrett Stubblefield has been preaching how good Diggs was and is going to be.

But Diggs is a pure defender who, at times, can light up the scoreboard. (Her 22 points in Tuesday’s loss to Rockbridge shows off her scoring skills.) But Diggs’ strength is a defense that has opponents wishing they could swat her away like a gnat and her ability to find the open shooter and dish the ball off to that girl for the shot.

Did we mention Diggs is only a sophomore? (That’s OK, you know this already, so we’ll let that one slide. Deal? Good.)

But on the Little Giants there’s another sophomore who is making just as big of an impact. And she’s doing it from the outside.

Jolie Dudley, who you may or may not remember was a little-used player on last year’s team, was absolutely lights out against the Wildcats.

Lights. Freaking. Out. Bub.

She drained five 3-pointers Tuesday against Rockbridge and her final one was the catalyst for a 9-2 run that almost gave the Little Giants their first win of the season. Yes, this is the same Dudley girl that, during last year’s Group AA (Division 3?) semifinal against Bruton came into the game ice cold — I’m talking top-o-Afton-at-5 a.m.-on-a-December-morning cold— and sank two free throws when Kiawna Berry’s charlie horse forced her to bench after she was fouled.

Dudley nailed them. Nailed them, folks. Didn’t nail them in a rinky-dink bandbox gym. She didn’t nail them on a blacktop at Basic City Park. Nope. No sir and/or mam. Dudley nailed them under the bright lights of the Siegel Center. Shoot, admit it, you have problems getting out of bed when you’re cold. Dudley had no issues giving the Giants a much-needed pair of points in that game.

But back to here and the now, and it’s quite obvious that Diggs, Dudley and LaShanda Brown absolutely, positively, must be developed together. Diggs, her suffocating defense annoying the blazes out of opponents; Brown, who hit two 3s of her own Tuesday, providing some nice scoring from anywhere on the court; and Dudley, who can, well, just shoot the darned lights out.

This has to happen.

This must happen.

Make this happen.

Now.

Because, everybody knows Waynesboro is going to take its lumps this year (and no, don’t give me that I’m-an-old-man drivel on how, just because this is a different Waynesboro team, all those schools they beat the stuffing out of last year shouldn’t run up the score on them to get revenge. Whatever, welcome to the 2000s, but thanks for playing anyway), but this core group of three players could be something special in the future.

Now, back to the past: When Dudley hit those free throws at the Siegel Center, you had to be blind not to notice a little girl, decked out in purple and gold everything, grinning ear to ear, screaming and clapping her hands like a mad woman. That was Dudley’s little sister, Jilly.

Wonder how she reacts when big sis nails five treys?

Wonder how she’ll react when her sister is part of the next “Big Three” at Waynesboro High School?

You know me, I’m just asking.

Oh, and Ms. Dudley, your table is ready.