AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USDrama queens reign in girls bracket
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Maybe it was growing up witnessing the respect my father had for my mother.
Maybe it’s because I have a sister and a daughter. Whatever the reason, I have an affinity for girls’ basketball.
It makes my skin crawl when the chauvinists — you know who you are — sound off about how they do not see the value of females playing hoops. They complain about the pace of the game and that they are no prospects for dunks — weak attempts to hide their prejudices.
That clear, how about this: the best basketball in this state tournament will be played by the girls. The boys Norcross-Meadowcreek matchup Thursday should be exciting and worth witnessing. The winner should be AAAAA champions, although Peachtree Ridge might weigh in on that.
In AAAA, if Columbia doesn’t win it all, it’ll be a significant upset. That’s about all the drama in boys.
With the girls, there is much more suspense. Will Maya Moore’s brilliant career end with another title for No. 1 Collins Hill? Or will No. 2 Stephenson or No. 3 South Gwinnett wrest away the AAAAA title?
Will Kelley Cain reign queen of AAAA once more? Or will upstart SW DeKalb make a big push?
And probably most exciting will be the AA battle between No. 1 Greater Atlanta Christian, last year’s AAA titlist Avondale and two-time champion Wesleyan.
Barring upsets in their next games, Avondale and GAC should meet this weekend in a must-see confrontation.
There will not be any dunks in the girls game, but then who said basketball was all about dunking. You can rest assured the competition will be fierce and the quality of play as high as any boys game. One of the best games I ever saw was Stephenson’s championship win over Collins Hill three years ago. It was so hotly contested and emotional the I felt drained when it was over.
This year’s tournament promises more of the same. Most all the girls’ action merits your attention, far more so than the boys — no matter what the chauvinists might tell you.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Curtis Bunn
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By B Ball Fan
February 28, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this
I think the ajc should do a better job of reporting girls basketball in the state. It always seem like the focus is on the popular teams like, sgw, step, etc. Others schools have good teams and players and coaches.
By ehall1987
February 28, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this
You forgot about the possible East Hall/Dunwoody game in boys action.
By Ernest
March 1, 2007 7:31 AM | Link to this
Curtis:
Thanks for starting a blog topic on this. Over the past few years, I’ve taken a renewed interest in girls basketball. I consider myself a basketball ‘purist’, meaning appreciating fundamentals, teamwork, passing, moving without the ball, etc. Quite frankly, many of the boys games seem to rely primarily on athleticism. It helps me understand why many suggest that European style basketball is the rave these days.
This year, GA has the #1 team and player in the nation in girls basketball (Collins Hill and Maya Moore). Another is highly ranked (Stephenson) and another with one of the top centers in the county (Kelly Cain of St. Pius). Several years ago, I would not have known this or possibly cared. I agree, the major media outlets in the area need to give the girls their props.
I followed the SWD girls this year and REALLY liked their playing style, emphasized by Coach Kathleen Walton. Their JV girls won the DeKalb championship this past year so we may be seeing the beginning of a dynasty at this school.
By Girls Basketball Mom
March 1, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this
Thanks for the attention that you do give to girls basketball. Being a devoted basketball mom, its upsetting that the girls dont get the support that they deserve. Go Decatur Bulldogs 2008.
By Steve
March 1, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this
SWD, thank you SO MUCH for proving what everyone outside of Athens had known all season - Clarke Central was OVERRATED!!!!!!
By Steve
March 1, 2007 5:33 PM | Link to this
The little guys (and girls) tend to get overlooked in coverage come tournament time. But I’m anxiously waiting to see how tiny Hebron Christian out of Dacula does in the Class A version of the Big Dance. The Lions dismantled their first-round opponent with ease. Hebron is deceptively quick, has DEADLY long-ball shooters, and despite a lack of real height, plays very tough in the paint. The big schools bring big bandwagons, but folks tend to forget that there is some hellaciously good basketball being played in small gyms all over this state.
By m e sue
March 1, 2007 11:56 PM | Link to this
Curtis you finally did it. You finally wrote a coloumn that I have to agree with 100% - I too believe the Best Basketball to be played is in the Girls or Ladies Basketball. The upcoming game between Steohensin and Collins Hill, baring some unforseen upset, will be as intense and emotional as that championship game in 2004. Stephenson won the championship in 2004, Collins hill won the State Championship in 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2006. What a game that should be. All the while South Gwinnett waiting on the otherside to try to claim the title they believe they should have. It’s gonna be Great whatever the outcome.
May everyone stay healthy and play clean and fair and remember to have a great time for it may never come around again.
Good Luck Ladies - All of you!
By Karl Bryant
March 4, 2007 12:18 PM | Link to this
This is primarily for Gwinnetians and any others that may want to get on board since this blog is open to the public. It has to do with the competitiveness within highschool sports. Gwinnett county is known to be leaders in the larger sport venues in the country, (football, basketball, and baseball is right around the corner). Given the ability of the county to have many teams competing for the high school state crown, how about moving it forward into now. What I mean by that is once we have competed with each other, we can demonstrated our ability to see the forest from the trees. I know, what am I saying? I’m saying once we go beyond our playing each other, we look at the higher order of things and continue to offer support for the gwinnett team that does advance to the next stage. For instance, teams A,B,C,and D from Gwinnett play each other competitively and team D advances. What a force we would be if teams A,B,and C cames out to support their Gwinnett representative, team D, trying to bring the state crown back to the county. Can you imagine 3 times the normal amount of fans screaming in the stands to support their representative? Can you imagine how inspiring that would be for team D and how intimidating that would be for the team they would be playing? Can you imagine the talent it would draw both players and coaching. This year’s basketball teams from Gwinnett that made it into the final four will be playing at the Gwinnett Civic Center this Friday and Saturday if they advance to the finals. My team (tree) “P’tree Ridge” did not have it in them last night to advance, but rest assure, I will be there to support the Collins Hill and South Gwinnett girls as well as Norcross boys. Gwinnetians can make Gwinnett the the model county by transforming their thinking and looking at the higher order of things and not get so stuck on their tree, afterall, their is a beautiful forrest out their if you allow yourself the view. If you get it, I’ll see you in the place this weekend. If you did not, one day you will, because as more get it more will get it.
By Jeffrey Reeves
March 4, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this
Curtis, it’s good to see that you have spent a little more time watching true athlete’s with competitive spirit and a true love for the sport. Compared to those who play for fame and fortune. ” But give them a few years and that will change”. Women and Girls basketball has always been exciting to watch. Today High school basketball has become a huge commodity in the media industry! Keep doing what you do…..
By KSShake
March 8, 2007 4:13 PM | Link to this
I’m just now seeing this article and getting a chance to respond. I love basketball and I have been a devote girls/womens basketball fan, coach, supporter, activist whatever you want to call it, for years. I go back to Shante Garrett at Cedar Grove, Deborah Carter, Traci Waites at Rockdale, Traci Sadler and those great Hart County teams, Keisha Brown and Jim Waller’s teams at Woodward Academy, Tasha Butts, Lashonda Stephens, those teams at Morrow, Covosier Grier at Tri-Cities, and I can go on. (Do you remember wondering would Taylor Co. ever lose again? or how State championships in a row would Hart County win). People have been sleeping on girls basketball for years. I knew and I have known this year was going to special for the state with Collins Hill and Maya the Great, Stephenson, South Gwinnett, St. Pius, Kendrick, (really the top 5 in region6 4A), Avondale (before the injuries, GAC (with that well recruited and comprised squad, and Wesleyan. I been following this heavy for a while. This was going to be, and has become the deepest year (talent wise) in my memory. With Maya the Great (UConn), Kelly Cain (Tennessee), Drey Mingo (Maryland), Ashlie Billingslea (South Carolina), the D1 recruits at South Gwinnett, and there are more. But I knew this year was going to be special. Oh, an look out for the class 3 years from now.
But whats amazing is how basketball in the “inner city” has suffered and deteriorated amungst all of the girls basketball boom. I realize Mays is good and Douglass is in the semifinals with hardly a senior. But as a girls basketball coach in the city I’m gonna tell you it’s FAR behind everywhere else. Lack of inerest, lack of player and PARENT commitment and support is making girls basketball in the city of Atlanta die a slow death. The Rec. programs are corrupt by shaddy, non-coaching, recruiting, win-at-all cost coaches and directors they look at girls basketball as an afterthought. They lack the commitment as well. Mays wins because they have an assistant coach that really goes out of his to get talent there and develop what comes there from Young and Bunche. Douglass’ success will be short lived. No one takes time to coach and develop girl ball players at an early age (6,7,8,9 years old) in the city.A big part of it is also parent support and cultivating an interest in sports at early age. I’m a firm believer that this is why teen pregnancy is SO high in the inner city. (It’s scary how many girls are pregnant at the MIDDLE SCHOOL I work at. Yet and still you got girls 12, 13 years old 5’8 and never played at all and got no inerest, desire, or work ethic. It’s sad, that their getting left behind during this basketball boom. A good example is, the Atlanta representative for 12 & under girls basketball won the state rec. championship last week blowing out everybody. Only problem is only 3 of the 14 girls on the roster were actually from the city of Atlanta. Yes,this is illegal, but when no one else would allow the coach to bring an AAU team from all over the area, he came to city of Atlanta, where they allow ANYTHING for the sake of winning a trophy. Meanwhile, girls from the city got cheated and neglected because people would rather recruit than coach kids up.