Highland Girls Win Monroe City Tournament Championship
By David Sharp
Host Monroe City scorched the net with three pointers early in their December 12, 2025 Monroe City Tournament girls Championship game. Naaron Hays drilled a three ball, erasing an 8-3 Highland lead in the first period. The Lady Panthers led 10-8 after a hotly contest first quarter.
Highland (5-1) defended like demons. The Lady Cougar man to man defense was a key component in a 49-32 victory. Highland limited the host Lady Panthers to five field goals on the night. Monroe City was 10-23 from the free throw line.
Monroe City sank four three balls on the night, only one home run ball in the final three periods. Highland outscored their hosts in each of the final three quarters of basketball.
The first three minutes of the second quarter were intense on both sides. Keera Rothweiler stole the ball and tied the game at ten with a bucket at the 3:35 mark of period two.
Highland closed the first half on a 10-4 run to a 20-14 halftime lead. Senior Chevie Sharpe tossed in four of Highland’s five third quarter home run balls. Monroe City’s Emily Spaulding and Chevie Sharpe traded three balls around the two minute mark of the third quarter for a 34- 23 Highland lead.
“It feels super good,” Chevie Sharpe told the Edina Sentinel, “For awhile it seemed like I couldn’t make a shot. We have our own tournament and the Palmyra Tournament coming up. This was a big confidence booster for us.”
Highland won the Girls Championship of the 101st Annual Monroe City Tournament for the first time since 1974. “We still have room to improve, but I think we are going to do really well.”
“Our defense was very good. We had confidence. In this game you have to have that.”
The Lady Cougars took a 41-25 lead to the fourth quarter. Keera Rothweiler nailed a Highland three and sank two free throws late in the third quarter.
Chevie Sharpe put Highland up 45-25 with 5:40 to play in the game. Keera Rothweiler took advantage of a Panther turnover for a 47-27 lead at the five minute mark. Lola Smyser scored a Monroe City (4-2) three for a47-30 deficit at the 4:25 mark of the fourth quarter.
“This is a really tough place to play,” Highland coach Ashton Jaco said. “It feels like we didn’t shoot very well except in that third quarter. We had people make plays. Chevie hit those three threes from the exact same spot at the right time. She is the one that guarded Naaron Hays almost all of that game.”
“We take a lot of pride in our defense,” Coach Jaco said. “Even when we aren’t hitting shots, we feel like we give ourselves a chance to stay in games with our defense. I was really pleased with our girls’ focus.”
“They did a really good job with the scouting report. We didn’t really have time to prepare. Their ability to focus and execute our game plan was really good,” Coach Jaco said. “We just wanted to make Naaron Hays uncomfortable (with the Cougar defense). She is a really good player, so she is still going to get hers.”
“I felt we did a really good job of doing that but not giving up too much to everyone else. It’s my philosophy that if I don’t believe in them making shots, who else is? It starts with me,” Ashton Jaco said.
“When we kick that thing out and shoot the ball with confidence, I feel like we have really make a step in the right direction.” Coach Jaco talked about the impact Chevie Sharpe made in the Monroe City Tournament Championship win.
“She exerted a lot of effort on defense,” Ashton Jaco said. “For her to be ready offensively and knock down those shots, the impact was absolutely huge.”
Keera Rothweiler scored a game high 19 Highland points. Chevie Sharpe scored 16. Emma Berry scored six points. Josie Murphy scored four Highland points. Willa Vaughn and Abby Lay added two points each.
Naaron Hays led Monroe City with eight points. Lola Smyser put in six Panther points. Emily Spaulding added five Monroe City points.
