If the Parkview girls don’t reach their goal of winning a state championship it won’t be because of their defense.
The No 2-ranked Panthers once again relied on their pressing, slashing and all-out style to win their opening game in the Class AAAAAA tournament, beating Mill Creek 58-35. The Panthers play again Friday against the winner of the Colquitt County-Newton game.
It was the 13th time that Parkview (24-3) has allowed fewer than 40 points in a game. The Panthers have allowed an opponent to score 50 only three times, once to defending state champion McEachern and twice against nationally ranked teams at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. All the losses came before the Christmas break and Parkview has now won 16 straight.
“Defensively we did some things that we haven’t done a while in a game situation and it showed,” Parkview coach Kirk Call said. “We had a little rust rotating out of traps, but we did a great job getting them into traps and pressing the ball.”
Mill Creek (18-10) actually led the game 10-9 midway in the first period before Parkview went on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and take control. By halftime the lead was 35-15 and the matter was all but settled.
“That run was all keyed by the defense,” Call said. “Just because we play pressure defense doesn’t mean we’re going to turn it over every time. We play it to get to the next play and continue to work and work and work so eventually they can’t keep up and turn it over. And when they do, we’ve got to make it pay off for us.”
Parkview’s depth was on display, too. The Panthers essentially rotate two units in and out of the game and eight different players scored. Junior Raven Johnson had 16 to lead Parkview, 13 of them in the first half. Dominique Leonidas scored nine and Vicki Harris scored eight.
Mill Creek got nine points from Tatum Ragsdale and eight from Meredith Schulte.
“Our girls play hard,” Call said. “We’re very luck that we have kids that no matter what we put them in, they give us everything they’ve got. This is a great bunch.”
Parkview showed no hangover from its Region 8-AAAAAA championship win over No. 3 Archer. It was the third time the Panthers have beaten Archer this season.
“That game was a personal game and we let it be a personal game,” Call said. “We came back on Sunday and focused on our goals. We knew we had bigger goals and our bigger goals begin this week. The way they were committed is what makes this such a special group.”
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