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Bill Iezzi: Paulsboro's Fantastic Forward

Here we are, three days before the state group finals in girls' basketball, when most area teams have been eliminated, and who am I thinking about?

Lavon Childress.

Childress, a Paulsboro forward, stands tall in my memory bank because I've never seen a big girl move better with and without the ball since I started covering Jersey high school sports in 2006.

Sure, I've seen some excellent tall girls in the last five years, but not big girls who can move their feet and hands the way Childress can.

Listed at 5-11, but more like 6 feet or more, Childress was an indominatable force against Salem in the South Jersey Group 1 final on March 9.

By the fourth period she had 24 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, four blocks.

Unfortunately for Paulsboro, the big girl fouled out with 6 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the game. Paulsboro had a 41-33 lead at the time, but by the end Salem came back to win, 54-52.

The good news for Paulsboro is that Childress is only a junior.