It’s taken only two years for the Haralson County girls to grow accustomed to the fast-paced rat-a-tat style that’s taught by coach Tammy Norred and the results are impressive. The Rebels have opened the season 21-1, reeling off 21 straight wins after losing the opener at Calhoun.
“I kind of expected it to take a couple of years for the girls to buy in and get adjusted to my style,” Norred said. “It’s been a great surprise. I think they really enjoy it.”
Despite having an impressive record, the Rebels have not been able to crack the state rankings.
Norred spent 17 years as head coach at Armuchee and took over last year when the legendary Jane Williamson stepped down after her third sting as Haralson County coach. Norred was able to move closer to her hometown roots in Bowdon and take over a program that has won three state championships, the last in 1995.
In order to play the new style, the Haralson girls had to get in better physical condition and embrace the new attacking style. They’ve become adept at applying pressure on the ball, creating turnovers and transition opportunities. It’s allowed the defense to contribute mightily to the offense and help extricate the team from danger.
“The other night we were down 13 with four minutes to go and won,” Norred said, referring to the 58-56 win over Pepperell on Jan. 19.
The team features a balanced blend of experience and youth.
The top scorer is point guard Alexis Boykin, a sophomore who averages 12 points. Her in-your-face defensive presence on defense also allows her teammates to stay in their passing lanes and gum up the opposition’s offense.
Sophomore Tori Causey averages 12.5 points and is the team’s leading rebounder with 6.5. The other starters are seniors Jada Ross (10 points) and Kaycee McElroy (7.8 points), and junior Dee Harbison (7.7 points).
Haralson County has three games remaining, including tonight’s game at Callaway. The Rebels close the regular season on Feb. 5 against Pepperell before the Region 5-AAA tournament begins at Central Carrollton.
“We’re just trying to get better every day at practice,” Norred said. “I tell the girls, I don’t expect them to be perfect, but I expect them to have perfect effort. That’s definitely been the reason for our success.”
Here is a look at some other important games on the schedule this weekend:
Boys
Banks County at North Hall, Friday: No. 10 Banks County (18-2) will be trying to avenge one its two losses (both two schools from higher classifications) when the Leopards tangle with AAAA North Hall (16-5). Banks County, led by 5-foot-9 guard Zez Steeple, has reeled off six straight wins and has a two-game lead in Region 7-AAA.
Jenkins at Savannah, Saturday: It's been a rare down season for Savannah (10-12), but No. 7 Jenkins knows it can't afford to take the foot off the accelerator, especially since losing its last game to Johnson. Jenkins (16-3) defeated Savannah by 24 in their first meeting. Jenkins coach Bakari Bryant started as an assistant to Savannah's Tim Jordan.
Girls
Sonoraville at Calhoun, Saturday: Second place in Region 6-AAA is at stake when these two meet. Calhoun (14-6, 10-2) won the first meeting two weeks ago by five points and can take the No. 2 seed with a win. Sonoraville (16-4, 9-3) would pull into a tie for second place with a victory.
Johnson Savannah at Tattnall County, Friday: This is an interesting crossover game that matches Johnson, one of the best teams from Region 1-AAA Division A, against Tattnall County, one of the best from Division B. No. 9 Johnson, led by Ashleigh Simmons, is 17-5 and has won four straight, including a 12-point victory over No. 5 Beach. Tattnall (16-4) has won two in a row.
