Sometimes experience earns notice, and in the case of second-ranked Johnson-Savannah, that fact could not be any truer.
The Lady Atomsmashers, under head coach Brandon Lindsey, are the second-ranked team in the class with 14 victories and seven losses. Lindsey has led his girls to the state-title game each of the last two seasons. Last year, it defeated Greater Atlanta Christian 62-50. In 2016-17, it lost to Beach 59-44.
For perspective, top-ranked Jefferson is 20-2. Third-ranked Beach is 20-4. The next team in the top 10 with seven losses is No. 7 Dawson County (16-7). Then there's No. 9 North Murray at 17-7, and even No. 10 Pace Academy has more victories (15) and fewer losses (6).
So why the consideration and the high ranking in the latest poll?
Because the defending champion Atomsmashers are in familiar territory -- experienced -- and could be mirroring last year's championship season after Johnson entered the playoffs with six losses and won it all.
This season, Johnson fought through injuries during the early schedule and went 1-5 out of the gate because of it.
"Through the first couple of games, maybe nine or ten games, we only had six-or-so girls available," said Lindsey. "Then around Christmas-time, we began to get healthy, and that's when we began to hit our stride, so to speak."
Against region rival Beach last season, Johnson split four contests, including a 58-39 loss in the region championship game. This year, Johnson lost to Beach in overtime, 55-53 Nov. 27, but avenged the loss Jan. 8 with a 55-42 victory against Beach at home. The teams likely will meet again in the region tournament for the third time this season.
Lindsey recently discussed the state of his team and what it expects to accomplish in the region and state tournaments:
Q. Tell me about your guard J'Mya Cutter. She impressed last year and seems to be continuing the success. What is it about her?
A. She has been playing all season with a chip on her shoulder. She has gone under-recruited. When she steps out there, she just wants to prove that she is the best on the floor, bar-none, against anyone. She has done that against all quality competition. Against Glynn Academy, she's the leading scorer. Against Beach ... leading scorer that game. She's just a gritty young lady. In my opinion -- and we've seen some great competition and, I'm her coach so I may seem a bit biased -- I'd say she's the best AAA player in the state. She absolutely can lock up and defend anyone. She can score; she can distribute. I don't know what else this young lady has to prove. She's playing with a chip on her shoulder, and she has a lot more gas in that tank, I can tell you.
Q. How do your three leading scorers – Cutter (15 points), Antalazia 'LayLay' Baker (15.6 points) and Jasmine Thompson (13.6 points) – help you coach from the floor?
A. Those three young ladies are just confident leaders. They lead by example. They're vocal leaders. I guess when you are in a situation you don't really see the benefits of what you've built a little bit until you step away for a bit. But these young ladies here, you don't have to tell them. All three are self-starters. All of the underclassmen look up to them like, "That's the level of play we need to be on, and if we do this, just like them, we will see those results." It sounds cliché, but that's just what they do. They are focused. They have laser-like precision. They don't want to be that team to not get back to the state finals. We've been there twice, back-to-back, and they want to leave a legacy of making it three straight trips. They're so business-like and workman like, it's just unbelievable.
Q. Closing the regular season, what's the plan?
A. When looking at the end of the regular season we know that we need to focus on the little things. The details. What do we need to improve on? Going into the final stretch we want to make sure that everything is sharp and everyone is on the same page. As I mentioned, I know it sounds cliché, and coaches will say this "one game at a time" stuff. But we are beginning to drill down into that state tournament mentality ... that "win-or-go-home" mentality. And we are doing it early. In practice, we are going against our boys, and we have "win or go home" scenarios. That way, when its time, the girls are already used to it. Like I've told them: when you get in an airplane you aren't at 30,000 feet immediately. It's gradual. You have to take off, then you have to ascend. Once you get there, everything kind of levels off and you are used to the atmosphere up there. And so that's where we are now. We are making sure their mentality is intact now. That state tournament "win-or-go-home" mentality.
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