The Dalton girls finally got healthy with about a month left in the regular season. Since then the Catamounts have shown why they’re capable of winning the school’s first state championship.
Coach Hannah Harris is a homegrown product who graduated from the school in 2008, left to begin her career and returned four years ago. Since going 9-15 in 2021, the Cats have finished 21-8 in 2022, 21-9 in 2023 and are 21-9 this season.
“There are a couple of factors that have put us in good position,” Harris said. “We’re upper-class heavy and our seniors and juniors carry the majority of the load. And this group is just special. Their bonds with each other, their relationships with me and the other coaches, their work ethic … They have all the intangibles to be great.”
And now they’re healthy.
“We were just peppered with some nagging injuries and sicknesses what felt like the entire year,” Harris said. “I was hard pressed to get all my starters on the floor at the same time in some games and definitely in practice. The last month or so we’ve had everybody and we’re kind of hitting our stride.”
The season culminated in a Region 7 championship run for Dalton. Then the Cats beat Northview, No. 7 Creekside and Arabia Mountain in the state playoffs.
It helps that Dalton has a special player in four-year starter Grace Ridley, a 6-foot senior who has signed with North Georgia University. Ridley, the Region 7 Player of the Year, is asked to do many things for her team – and has always succeeded.
“She’s incredible,” Harris said. “I can’t put enough good words together to talk about that kid. She’s the type of kid you want on your team for multiple reasons. She’s an incredible teammate, she’s an incredible leader and she has the talent behind that.”
Harris said Ridley was “not the most polished” player as a freshman, but has combined a natural athleticism with a strong work ethic to become an all-state player.
“What she’s been able to do is remarkable,” Harris said. “She’s almost doubled her skillset each year. She just somehow finds a way to be better each year … and that is huge.”
The point guard is Kemara Washington, a senior who will play basketball at Reinhardt University. She has focused on improving her point guard skills the last two years. Washington has also become a strong defender who is capable of applying pressure. But he’s also a very capable scorer.
The other starters are: Emma Hefner, a senior shooting guard with a good touch; Jolie Wingfield, a junior who has stepped up when the opposition tries to load up on Ridley; and B.B. Bates, who anchors the middle of the defense and also is an outstanding perimeter shooter.
“We don’t have any DI players,” Harris said. “We’ve got a couple who are going to play at the next level and then the rest of them work so insanely hard.”
Dalton will be trying to earn its first trip to the championship game since 2011 when the Catamounts won their first 33 games and lost to Washington County in the final.
A look at the semifinal games, which will be played Friday at West Georgia University.
Girls
No. 2 Maynard Jackson (27-1) vs. Cartersville (18-12), 1 p.m.: Jackson ended its first quarter of its third-round match with No. 1 Union Grove with a 21-0 run and ran away with a 80-55 victory. Four girls were in double figures, including Taliah Cornish with 23 and Shakira Gresham with 19. Coach Maurice Miles’ team showed why it’s going to be a tough out.
Cartersville advanced with a 47-46 win over No. 9 Harris County behind 18 points and nine rebounds from Taff Bradley and 10 points from Ansley Griffin. Bradley scored seven of her team’s nine fourth-quarter points. The Cans won it when Harris County missed two free throws with 0.4 seconds left.
Dalton (21-9) vs. No. 3 Midtown (26-5), 5 p.m.: Midtown has not been challenged in its first three playoff games, winning by an average of 23 points. The Knights beat Jones County 58-39 in the quarterfinals. Midtown is a young team led by sophomores Devin Bockman (14.6 points) and Hailey Wortmann (12.3 points, 8.9 rebounds). Midtown is trying to earn another crack at Region 5 rival Jackson, who has beaten the Knights three times.
Boys
No. 2 Eagle’s Landing (22-7) vs. Maynard Jackson (21-8), 3 p.m.: Eagle’s Landing has won 10 in a row after eliminating Tri-Cities 66-51. Dwight Brown had a big night for the Eagles, posting 23 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two assists. First-team All-Region 2 selections Chris Morris (18 points, five rebounds) and Clark Mastin (eight points, seven rebounds, six steals, six assists) led the way, with Bobby Buggs adding eight points.
Jackson is the only No. 4 seed left in the tournament. The Jaguars have beat Region 8 champion Clarke Central, No. 8 Greater Atlanta Christian and No. 4 Tucker on its journey. In the 77-69 win over Tucker, the Jaguars rallied from a 10-point deficit and led by as many as 14. Jackson had five players in double figures, led by Yusef Bowyer Jr. with 18, Max Young with 16 and Cassius Watkins with 15 points and seven rebounds.
No. 1 Kell (26-3) vs. No. 8 Winder-Barrow (26-4), 7 p.m.: Reigning state champion Kell has won 26 in a row and moved one step away from being able to defend its title. The Longhorns took down No. 3-ranked Dutchtown 55-42 behind Region 6 Player of the Year C.J. Brown, who had 26 points, shot 4-for-5 on 3s, with eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Chris McLavish (13 points) and Jaylen Colon (12 points, 11 assists) also had big nights.
Winder-Barrow has recovered nicely from its upset loss to Clarke Central in the Region 8 final and has won three straight games and eliminated Warner Robins 66-64 on Wednesday. The game was tied 64-64 when Winder guard J.D. Estime made the winning bucket with less than a minute to play. The Double-G Bulldoggs are led by their three all-region players in senior guard Tyrin Sims, 6-foot-7 senior forward Jaden Baskin and dynamic 6-4 sophomore Jerrin Samuel, who scored 13 points in the final quarter against Warner Robins.
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