2007-2009 Stories
Lady Eagles make History with 2nd Consecutive 1st
Round win.
by David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Editor
The No. 3-seeded Coosa girls built a
14-point lead in the second half and then held off a late comeback bid by Fannin County
to grab a 56-52 win. Senior guard Ieshia Alexander scored a game-high 29 points
for the Lady Eagles, who reached the Elite Eight last season.“We are fortunate
to get out (tonight) with a win, and we’re excited to be moving on,” said Coosa
coach Connie Guinn.Coosa (21-9) and Darlington (13-15) will now both try to
play the role of giant killer in the second round on Tuesday night.Coosa will
travel to Duluth to face the top-ranked Buford Lady Wolves, and Darlington will
visit top-ranked Wesleyan. “Our reward for winning tonight is getting to play
the 17-time champion — or however many titles they’ve won,” laughed Hembree,
referring to a Wesleyan team that established a dynasty in Class AA before
moving to A this year. “It’s a huge challenge, obviously. But it’s like I told
the girls: You really have to relish this chance. We are getting an opportunity
to play (against) the best; to face a team that is one of the best in the state
in any classification.”In Coosa’s win, the
Lady Eagles forced 15 first-half turnovers and built a 24-16 lead at the break.
They stretched the advantage to 14 points in the fourth quarter before Fannin County
(17-10) made a late surge that came up just short. “I’m very frustrated that we
let them get back in the game the way we did,” said Guinn. “We made some silly
mistakes on offense, and we also left some girls wide open for 3-pointers.”
Monea Ware had 12 points for Coosa, which has now posted opening-round
wins in consecutive years for the first time in school history.
First hurdle cleared: Gordon Central, Coosa,
Pepperell advance in 7-AA region tourney
by David Dawson, Rome
News-Tribune Sports Editor, Photo: Ryan Smith, Rome News-Tribune.com
The
road to the state tournament is demanding and hazardous, but Pepperell, Coosa and Gordon Central are halfway there.
Gordon
Central’s Tori Sexton (26 points), Coosa’s
Ieshia Alexander (19) and Pepperell’s Sparkle Cheeks (22) each had strong
performances while helping their respective teams register the first-round
victories at Georgia Highlands.Coosa will face Sonoraville on Wednesday at
8:30.
Coosa 74, Adairsville 42
Somewhere around mid-season, the Coosa offense
disappeared. But it returned in this game — and wow, was it impressive.
With Alexander leading the charge, the third-seeded Lady Eagles (18-8) exploded
for 48 first-half points to build a 29-point lead, and then rolled to a
mercy-rule victory over fifth-seeded Adairsville (1-24).
“That was nice to see,”
said Coosa coach Connie Guinn with a huge
smile on her face, referring to her team’s hot start. “We talked about how this
tournament is a new season for us, and I felt like we were able to show these
fans what Coosa basketball can be.”
Coosa led by as many as 42 points late in the third quarter, and by game’s end,
12 players had scored for the Lady Eagles.
“We came out more confident tonight,” said Alexander, the point guard. “We just
all kind of connected.”
Monea Ware finished with 11 points for the Lady Eagles, who reached the AA
Elite Eight last season but have endured up-and-down results this year.
“We’re starting over now,” said Alexander. “It’s time for the seniors to go out
and get it done.”
Eagles fall to Model in
Classic
By
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Photo, Rome News-Tribune
It was only the opening
round of the Holiday Festival, but Wednesday’s game at Berry College
had a championship-game feel to it.
And the Model girls
definitely treated it as such — before, during and after their contest against Coosa.
Following the lead of
their battle-tested upperclassmen, the Lady Devils showed complete focus prior
to tip-off and unwavering poise in the later stages of the game while earning a
52-49 win in a first-round Festival thriller. Senior point guard Alexa Evans
hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final 40 seconds, enabling the Lady Devils (8-0)
to maintain the narrow lead they had built midway through the fourth quarter.
When it was over, the
Model players celebrated with championship-style jubilation — knowing they had
cleared one huge hurdle in their pursuit of winning the tournament’s Gold Ball
trophy for the first time since 1999.“There was sheer excitement in that locker
room,” said Model coach Sally Echols, motioning behind her to the Model
dressing room. “This absolutely was a championship-caliber game … and I’m proud
of the way the girls played.”Although both offenses struggled, the contest was
nonetheless riveting. It featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes, and the teams
were never separated by more than six points at any stage.
Janaye Jasper finished
with a game-high 18 points for Model. Coosa
(5-2) was led by senior Ieshia Alexander with 12 points, although she spent
much of the night on the bench with foul trouble and eventually fouled out in
the final minute.
“It was a disappointing
result for us,” said Coosa coach Connie Guinn.
“We have eight seniors, and this was their last chance to win a Gold Ball.”The
game, played before a vibrant and near-capacity crowd, was a rematch of last
year’s 7-AA title game last February. In that one, the Lady Devils used a big
performance from the now-graduated Kiara Smith to beat the Lady Eagles and earn
their third straight 7-AA title.
This time, it was two
other upperclassmen — junior Janaye Jasper and Evans — who came up big at
crunch time. Jasper scored seven of her game-high 18 points in the first seven
minutes of the fourth quarter, and Evans did the rest in the final 60 seconds.
She hit two free throws with 40 seconds left and then added two more 18 seconds
later. On each occasion, she extended Model’s two-point lead into a four-point cushion.
She was then fouled one
last time with four seconds left. After making the first one, she finally
missed — but Coosa was unable to get off a
shot on its final possession. “I wasn’t really that nervous,” said Evans. “We
shoot 300 free throws each week at practice, and I feel pretty (confident) in
games.” Despite the pressure, Evans said she enjoys having the ball in her
hands in late-game situations. “I like being put on the line, and being put to
the test. I feel like that is my chance to step up and be a leader,” said
Evans. Model finished 18-of-26 from the line overall. Coosa, conversely,
finished just 4-of-14. “People that watched this game probably think we don’t
practice our shooting at all,” said Guinn. “They probably think we just work on
defense. But I promise you, we do work on shooting, too.” Coosa
led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter after Alyssa Eubanks connected on a
long 3-pointer with six seconds remaining in the period. Model then outscored Coosa 11-6 in a rugged second quarter for a 19-17
halftime lead. Both teams located some offensive flow in the second half,
combining for 33 points in the third quarter and 32 in the fourth. Alexander
looked to be taking the game over early in the fourth period, when she scored
three quick buckets to give Coosa a
short-lived lead. But she soon picked up her fourth foul, and was again sent to
the bench. After that, Model produced the night’s decisive plays and showed the
looked of a Gold Ball contender. Echols said the only drawback of Wednesday’s game
was that it occurred too early in the tournament. “It’s unfortunate that this
was a first-round game,” she said, “because I believe both teams could have
gone a long way in this tournament (if the pairings were different).”
Lady
Eagles use Defense to Gain Win
by David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Editor
Although the Coosa
offense created some bursts of excitement Friday night, it was the Lady Eagles’
defense that literally stole the show. Effectively executing both their
full-court press and half-court trap, the Lady Eagles forced a staggering 43
turnovers — including snatching up 26 steals — while racing to a 70-27 win over
Chattooga in a Region 7-AA crossover game at the Eagles’ Nest. It was the same
type of smothering defense that the Lady Eagles so often displayed last season,
when they set a school record for wins and advanced to the Elite Eight of the
Class AA state tournament. “Defensively, this was our best game of the year,”
said Coosa coach Connie Guinn of the Lady
Eagles, who improved to 3-1. “I was very pleased with our effort and intensity.
At one point, it seemed the girls were having a contest to see who could get on
the floor the most — and I loved seeing that.” Hannah Gaham finished with a
team-high 11 points, and Kirsten Walker added 10 for the Lady Eagles. Coosa’s
dynamic point guard Ieshia Alexander finished with nine steals and 10 points,
though she spent most of the second half on the bench after the Lady Eagles had
built a huge lead. Alyssa Eubanks, who sat out all of last season with an ACL
injury, also helped spur Coosa’s aggressive
defensive showing by forcing several turnovers.
Eubanks scored seven points, including ripping a long 3-pointer during
the Lady Eagles’ 11-0 game-opening run that set the
tone for the night.
“Alyssa
really has a knack for making things happen, and being in the right place to
come up with steals,” said Guinn. “She can score some points, but where we
really missed her (when she was injured) was on the defensive end of the
floor.”
After
sitting out last season, Eubanks feels she doesn’t have a minute to lose this
year — her senior season.
“I’m
so excited about being back,” said Eubanks, “and if it was up to me, I would
play every minute of all four quarters to make up for the time I missed.”
Fueled by the early 11-0 run, Coosa led 16-1
at the end of the first quarter, and the advantage swelled to 21-2 early in the
second quarter and 38-11 at the half. Coosa
then opened the third quarter with a 12-0 spurt to build a 50-11 lead. By
night’s end, a total of 12 players had scored for Coosa,
and half of them scored five or more points. Monea Ware finished with seven,
and Johna Collete and Melanie McLean added five each. “I was very happy to see
that several players were looking for their shots tonight,” said Guinn. “That’s
the mind-set we want.” Despite the final score, Eubanks said the Lady Eagles
weren’t pleased with their offensive output. “We missed way too many easy
shots,” said Eubanks. “We did a great job of making steals, and then we
couldn’t convert.” For Chattooga, Coranda Hayes finished with a team-high nine
points, and Simone Chapman had six points and 10 rebounds.
Coosa
hosts Dade County on Tuesday. Chattooga visits
Armuchee on Tuesday.
Coosa
Finishes Third in Thanksgiving Classic
by
By David Dawson, Rome
News-Tribune Sports Writer
The Coosa girls claimed the Classic’s third-place trophy by
downing Darlington, 64-47. The Lady Eagles
opened the game with a 21-0 run, and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of
the way.Coosa’s Ieshia Alexander finished with a game-high 16 points. Kirsten
Walker and Monea Ware added seven each.The victory gave Coosa its second
consecutive third-place finish at the Classic, which wasn’t especially
satisfying for the Lady Eagles.“Third place was not what we wanted,” said Coosa coach Connie Guinn, “One of our early-season goals
was to come here and win this tournament.”The Lady Eagles, who advanced to
Class AA Elite Eight last season, went 2-1 at the Classic. They beat Creekview
in the opening round, then lost to Kennesaw
Mountain in Friday’s
semifinals.“It was disappointing (not to win it), but
I was pleased with the way we were able to rebound (from Friday’s loss)
tonight.”
Lady Eagles fall in
overtime
by Rome News-Tribune Staff
reports
Coosa’s Lady Eagles will
have to settle for playing in the consolation game of the Adairsville
Thanksgiving Classic today at 4:30 p.m. after falling to Kennesaw Mountain
68-61 in overtime on Friday. The Lady Eagles (1-1) jumped out to a quick lead
in the overtime period, which began with the teams tied 57-57, but they
couldn’t hold on for the win, scoring only four points to Kennesaw Mountain’s
11. “We hustled and played hard,” Coosa head
coach Connie Guinn said. “We just made some mental mistakes that hurt us.”The
Lady Eagles will play either Darlington or Rome in the consolation game.
Coosa
grateful for win
Rome
News-Tribune Staff Reports
ADAIRSVILLE — As the opening round of the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving
Classic unfolded Monday night, Coosa basketball fans were reminded of how
thankful they are to have Ieshia Alexander on their side.Despite sitting out
for extended stretches due to foul trouble, Alexander poured in a game-high 27
points to fuel Coosa’s 60-45 season-opening win over Creekview at Adairsville
High.Alexander, the Lady Eagles’ senior point guard, did most of her scoring at
bookend intervals — she had 10 points in the first quarter and nine more in the
fourth — to help Coosa overcome some sloppiness and earn the win.“For it to be
our first game, I was pretty happy with it,” said Alexander. “We weren’t
perfect, but we’re going to keep working and keep improving. We came out a
little raggedy tonight, but we played pretty good some of the time.”In keeping
with the tournament’s Thanksgiving theme, Alexander carved up the Creekview defense
throughout the night, scoring the majority of her points in transition. She
also went 7-for-7 at the foul line.“It’s wonderful to
have a player like Ieshia,” said Coosa coach
Connie Guinn. “As a coach, it’s a good feeling to know that you have a player
that the other team is dying to stop.”The Lady Eagles, who have lofty
expectations this season after advancing to the Elite Eight of the AA state
tourney last year, will face Kennesaw Mountain in the Classic’s semifinals on
Friday at 5:30 p.m. (Kennesaw Mountain downed East Paulding 64-55 on Monday).
Coosa lost to Rome High in the Classic finals last year, and could potentially
face the Lady Wolves again this year’s title game. Rome received a first-round bye in this
year’s event, and gained an automatic berth in the semifinals. The Lady Wolves
(0-1) will face the winner of tonight’s Darlington-Adairsville game in the
semis.Guinn, meanwhile, said she wasn’t thrilled with her team’s performance
Monday, but she was at least content with the outcome.“It’s a win and we’ll
take it,” said Guinn. “Obviously we have plenty of work to do. It was
definitely easy to tell that this was our first game.”The biggest challenge
facing the Lady Eagles this year is trying to compensate for the graduation of
Robyn Foster, a four-year starter and last season’s Rome News-Tribune Co-Player
of the Year.“We certainly need for some other players to step forward and
score,” said Guinn. “And tonight, we saw that happen at times.”Coosa’s Maya
Boyett finished with 10 points, including two big baskets in the final three
minutes to help Coosa fend off a late surge by
Creekview. Monea Ware added eight points for the Lady Eagles.Creekview, a
member of 7-AAA, was paced by Danielle Tidwell’s 10 points. Jordan Arthur and
Hillary Turner added nine apiece for the Lady Grizzlies (0-1), who fell behind
early but didn’t let the game get away.Coosa opened the night with a 10-0 run
and owned a 12-1 lead just 3½ minutes after tipoff. Alexander scored 10 points
during the early spurt.“For us to come out like that —
especially considering we hadn’t even played a scrimmage game or anything — was
exciting to see,” said Guinn.But Creekview, which won only seven games last
season, answered with a 16-2 flurry to build a surprising 17-14 lead early in
the second quarter before the Lady Eagles closed the period with a 13-3 run to
take a 27-20 lead at the half. Hannah Graham and Alyssa Eubanks each hit
3-pointers during the surge, giving Coosa a boost of momentum just before the
break.e Lady Eagles stretched the lead to as many as 15 points late in the
third quarter, and then withstood a late Creekview charge to register the win.
EAGLE STANDOUT ROBYN FOSTER SIGNS WITH ROANE
By David Dawson, Rome
News-Tribune, Photo by William T.
Martin
Now that Robyn Foster’s storybook career at Coosa
High has ended, it’s time for her to begin working on the sequel. She’ll start
the first chapter next fall at Roane State College in Harriman, Tenn. Foster,
the all-time leading female scorer in Coosa history, signed a letter of intent
Tuesday to play basketball at Roane State, a junior college located about 2½
hours from Rome. “I’m very excited about going there,” said Foster, who amassed
1,607 career points at Coosa. “It will be
different to be playing with new teammates and a new coach, but I am looking
forward to the challenges.” Foster recently completed a sensational senior
season at Coosa, culminating with her being named the Rome News-Tribune Co-Player of the Year. 
The
5-foot-3 guard averaged a team-high 15.8 points per game, and helped steer the
Lady Eagles to their best-ever season, which included a trip to the Class AA
Elite Eight. Now, Foster is looking to produce similar stats at the next level
–– and one of her soon-to-be coaches believes she can do it. “She is a dynamic player,”
said Roane State assistant coach Monica Boles. “She
is a great passer, great shooter and has good floor presence. We think she can
make an immediate impact.” Foster left an indelible mark on the Coosa program. In addition to becoming the Lady Eagles’
all-time leading scorer, she also set school records for career 3-pointers
(195), single-season 3-pointers (63) and single-game 3s (seven). She was a
three-time member of both the All-Area and All-Region teams. “It’s always a
coach’s dream to have a player like Robyn; a player that makes such a
tremendous impact on your program,” said Coosa
coach Connie Guinn. “I was very fortunate to be able to coach her for the past
three years.” With Foster leading the way, the Lady Eagles went undefeated in
subregion play this season, and also were unbeaten on their home floor.
Although she had countless clutch performances, Foster’s most memorable effort
came in the second round of the this year’s state tournament, when she scored
28 points in Coosa’s upset of No. 3-ranked GAC. The victory enabled Coosa to atone for a 55-point loss to GAC in 2007. “She
took it upon herself to make sure we won that game,” said Guinn. “That night
really demonstrated the confidence she has developed as a player.” While
visiting Roane State a few weeks ago, Foster played
pick-up games with her future teammates. “It was almost like we had played
together before or something,” said Foster. “I believe I will be able to fit in
pretty well and help the team.” If so, the sequel could be just as good as the
original.
LADY EAGLES DOWN
DEFENDING STATE CHAMPS
!!!!
Rome News-Tribune Article, David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports
Writer
Photo by James
Cistrunk, Gwinnett Daily Post
NORCROSS — The Coosa girls went to a
haunted house on Wednesday night and punched out the goblins and drop-kicked
the ghosts. Returning to a venue where they had absorbed a humiliating 55-point
loss just last season, the No. 7-ranked Lady Eagles sent shock waves through
the state by dethroning defending AA champion Greater Atlanta Christian, 60-56,
in the second round of the state tournament. Senior Robyn Foster, playing
perhaps the finest game of her fine career, scored 28 points to help Coosa
(25-3) earn the stunning win and complete an absolutely unfathomable reversal
of fortune.
Coosa had lost at GAC in the state tournament in two
of the past three years by one-sided scores of 77-22 (last year) and 62-28 (in
2005). But they got their revenge this time by ending the title hopes of the
No. 3 Lady Spartans (24-5). “This is greatest win I’ve ever known,” said
Foster, who put Coosa on top for good with a
layup with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter. “After getting killed in this
building twice, I was (determined) to come in here tonight and play my best
game.” Coosa is now headed to the Elite Eight to face Paideia on Saturday at
The Forum at 4 p.m. Coosa’s boys will also be playing at The Forum on Saturday
when the Eagles, who beat GAC on Tuesday, face Lovett in a quarterfinal game at
8:30 p.m.
“This is the
farthest I’ve ever taken a team in my career,” said Coosa third-year coach
Connie Guinn, who previously coached at Berry College,
UAH and in the professional ranks. “And tonight’s win was, by far, the sweetest
I’ve ever had.” Those words were the polar opposite from Guinn’s feelings a
year ago, when she said the loss to GAC was “the most
embarrassed I’ve ever been in my life.”
This time, of
course, she was all smiles during the postgame interview, which came amid a
backdrop of jubilant Coosa players and fans.
Junior guard Ieshia Alexander finished with 12 points for Coosa, the Region
7-AA champs. GAC was paced by sophomore Briana Jordan, who was hampered by foul
trouble much of the night but scored 13 points. GAC finished just 1-for-19 from
3-point land.
“For our girls
to come down here to this gym, and block all that negative stuff out of their
minds really shows the mental toughness of this team,” Guinn said. “I know I
keep saying this, but I am going to say it again anyway — we felt like this was
our chance to make a statement, and we did it.”
Actually, it
was more like a shout. And Foster was the one holding the megaphone.
She drained
five 3-pointers while scoring 17 first-half points to help Coosa build a 38-34
lead, and then was the unquestioned difference-maker in the fourth quarter.
After GAC had
erased Coosa’s eight-point lead and taken a
56-55 lead with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter, Foster immediately answered on
the other end by hitting a contested layup with 1:29 to go. Coosa
never trailed again.
GAC missed a
free throw on its ensuing possession, and Coosa’s Johna Collette hit 1-of-2 at the line to push the
lead to 58-55.
GAC then missed
two 3-pointers the next trip down the floor, and was forced to foul Foster with
seven seconds left, sending her to the line for two free throws.
Swish. Swish. Game over.
“Robyn was more
of a senior tonight than any player I’ve ever coached,” said Guinn.
Alexander, who
missed most of last season with a torn ACL, was also a key factor. She kept the
Lady Eagles composed during several rough patches.
“It was kind of
hard getting everyone to believe we could come down here and win,” said
Alexander, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL. “But we knew if we
played our game, we could do it. We wanted this one so bad.”
Burning down
the haunted house was just an added bonus.
GWINNETT DAILY
POST ARTICLE
Defending state
champs downed
By Guy
Curtright
Staff
Correspondent, Photo by James Cistrunk
NORCROSS - The Coosa
girls staged a wild celebration at midcourt when the final buzzer sounded and
who could question their show of emotion.
In 2005,
Greater Atlanta
Christian beat the Eagles by 34 points in the state tournament. Last year it
was even worse, GAC won by 55 en route to the Class AA state championship.
"They'd
killed us two times," Coosa senior
standout Robyn Foster said. "This is my last year. We couldn't let it
happen again."It didn't.
The visiting
Eagles took advantage of Foster's 28-point effort and GAC's awful shooting to
advance to the Class AA quarterfinals with a 60-56 victory Wednesday night at Bradford Gymnasium.
"We
couldn't buy a basket," GAC coach Chan Means, who saw his team go 1-for-19
on 3-pointers and shoot less than 30 percent overall.
GAC (24-5) led
by eight points midway through the second quarter. But after that, Coosa (25-3) held the upper hand thanks to Foster and
GAC's own struggles.
"Everyone
knew what happened last year," Coosa
coach Connie Guinn said. "We wanted some payback. We've been getting it
all year."
The victory was
the 18th in the past 19 games for Coosa, the
one loss coming to Model in the Region 7-AA championship game.
That dropped
the Eagles to a No. 2 seed, while GAC grabbed the No. 1 spot from Region 6-AA
with its victory over top-ranked Wesleyan in the region tournament.
"GAC has a
great team," Foster said. "It's the greatest feeling to beat a team
like that."
Coosa's boys team upset GAC
on Tuesday night. A day later, the Coosa girls
pulled a surprise of their own.
Foster was
brilliant from the start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter. The guard
finished 8-for-13 from the floor - hitting five 3-pointers in eight attempts -
and was 7-for-8 from the foul line.
Coosa took a 38-34 lead at halftime with a 14-2 run
and led 53-44 early in the fourth quarter before GAC scored nine straight to
tie the game.
Briana Jordan
gave the Spartans a 56-55 lead on the team's lone 3-pointer with 1:45
remaining. But Foster put Coosa back on top
with a driving lay-up at 1:29 and the Eagles were 3-for-4 at the foul line in
the final minute.
Foster iced the
victory on a pair of foul shots with 7.4 seconds remaining after GAC missed two
open shots from the floor.
GAC also
struggled at the foul line, making just seven in 17 attempts.
Jordan and
Anjelica Wilcox had 13 points for GAC, with Chaney Means adding 11 despite
being shadowed by the Coosa defense all night.
Wilcox and Means each had 11 rebounds.
FOSTER LEADS COOSA TO 2nd ROUND
Foster sparks Lady Eagles to 2nd
round
by Jeremy Stewart
Click here for video coverage from the game.
For two quarters Saturday
afternoon, the Coosa Lady Eagles appeared to
struggle for domination of their home court.
But much to the delight of their fans and head coach, they spent the final two
quarters making up for it.
After staggering to a 28-26 halftime lead, the seventh-ranked Coosa girls
exploded for 50 points in the second half to defeat Heard County
78-41 in the first round of the Class AA state tournament.
With the victory, the Lady Eagles (24-3) advance to the Sweet 16 after being
eliminated in the first round the past three seasons.
“It feels great,” Coosa coach Connie Guinn
said. “I’m proud of the girls because they’ve worked extremely hard.”
Robyn Foster, the senior guard who has been a big part of the Lady Eagles’ push
into the upper reaches of Region 7-AA, provided the highlight of the evening as
she made seven 3-pointers.
The total gives her the school record for most treys in a girls game as she
scored a game-high 34 points against the Lady Braves.
“Everybody was telling me that I should do it today since it might be my last
time playing at home,” said Foster, who had tied the record with six earlier
this year.
Junior Ieshia Alexander had 16 points and freshman Monea Ware stepped up inside
the paint with 12.
Foster sank a trio of 3s in the first half, her only points of the opening 16
minutes, and then had four in the second half.
That included a two-minute stretch in the fourth quarter where she hit three
shots from behind the arc to put her over the top.
Coosa held a wary 13-7 lead going into the
second quarter.
Heard County (17-11) pressed its physicality on the Lady Eagles and went on a
9-0 run in the final two minutes of the half to cut their deficit to two.“They
came out and had a goal to try to upset us and they were doing that the first
half,” Guinn said of the Lady Braves, who were the No. 3 seed from Region
5-AA.“They pretty much shook us up and took us out of our game and we regrouped
in the second half and played a much better game.”
After Heard tied the game at 30-30 with 6:09 to go in the third quarter, Ware
completed a three-point play to spark a 21-1 run that covered the final 5:29 of
the period.“Robyn and Ieshia both picked up the intensity on defense and got
some big steals at the half line and got some lay-ups,” Guinn said.“That’s our game. That’s the way we like to play and when
they started doing that, it gave us a little bit of confidence.”Now with a
51-31 lead, a more familiar Lady Eagles team continued to make the right moves
and started the fourth quarter with a 14-2 run.“I just told them that this is
it,” Guinn said of her halftime speech to the girls. “We lose this game and we
are done and we had a goal to make it further. We’re playing at home and there
was no excuse for us not to be able to do that here.”
Coosa has gone undefeated on their home court
all year long and won 17 of their last 18 games.
Now, Foster, the lone senior on the team, will look to lead the Lady Eagles on
the road Wednesday when they face No. 3 Greater Atlanta Christian.
“We’re used to getting put out in the first round,” Foster said. “But it feels
good to get past it in my senior year. We’re all excited about it. It’s been a
great senior year for me.”
LADY EAGLES FALL TO
DEVILS
In spite of a gallant
effort by Ieshia Alexander (33 pts), Coosa
fell to Model 65-58 in the Region Championship. The Eagles will host Heard County
Saturday night at Coosa.
Lady Eagles Head for Region Championship
Rome News-Tribune
Coosa
girls 58, Calhoun 35
It’s been
a memorable season for Coosa. It could be
historic, too. The Lady Eagles today will be playing for their first region
tourney title in 18 years after using a game-high 20 points from Robyn Foster
to beat Calhoun. It’s pretty awesome to be in this position,” said Coosa guard Hannah Graham. “But we know we’re going to
have to play our hearts out against Model.”The Lady Eagles (23-2) played well
in spurts against Calhoun. They opened the second quarter with an 11-0 run to
take a 23-10 lead, and used a 21-4 surge in the first five minutes of the third
quarter to break it open. Ieshia Alexander finished with 14 points,
and Monea Ware added eight points and nine rebounds. “We’re happy to be in the
championship game,” said Coosa coach Connie
Guinn, “but at the same time, we aren’t satisfied with just getting there. At
least I hope we’re not.” Bre Johnson had seven points and 11 rebounds for
Calhoun (14-13), which plays Armuchee in tonight’s third-place game at 7 p.m.
Eagles Leave Jackets Behind
No. 6 Coosa 74, Rockmart 11 Racing to a 45-7 halftime lead, the
Lady Eagles breezed to a road win in 7-AA South action. Ieshia Alexander scored
15 points to lead the Lady Eagles (20-2, 11-0), who have clinched the top seed
for next week’s 7-AA tourney. Robyn Foster added 14 and Maya Boyett scored 12. Coosa and Rockmart finish regular season play Friday with
South contests. The Lady Eagles host Temple and
Rockmart (1-21, 1-10) is at Darlington.
Lady Eagles Foster Pride
Prep basketball roundup: Eagles surge
ahead Lady Eagles
foster pride
Click Here for Rome News-Tribune Video of Coosa-Pepperell
Game
02/03/08 David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer , Photo by Ken Caruthers
Coosa’s Robyn Foster (right) drives around
Pepperell defender Cassadee Ainsworth during Saturday’s game. Ken Caruthers / Rome News-Tribune Click here to se a video from Saturday's Pepperell-Coosa
girls game. It’s official now: The perennial underdogs
have become the top dogs in Region 7-AA South. And their bite is worse 
than their
bark. The Coosa girls, who aren’t exactly a
flamboyant or braggadocios bunch, ended the program’s extended stretch of
banner-less seasons by clinching the subregion title Saturday with a 66-48 win
over Pepperell at home. Robyn Foster scored 17 points and Haley Couey had 15
for the No. 6-ranked Lady Eagles (19-2, 10-0), who notched their 11th straight
win and secured the No. 1 seed for the region tourney. “I think this says a lot
for our team and for the work ethic these girls have had over the past three
years,” said Coosa third-year coach Connie
Guinn. “We’re not celebrating anything yet because we still have so many goals
we want to reach. But (clinching the top seed) is special.” This is believed to
be Coosa’s first regular-season title — either
region or subregion — in at least two decades, according to those closely
associated with the program. “It’s a good feeling,” said star guard Robyn
Foster, who finished with a team-high 17 points. “We’ve known for a long time
where we want to be, and we’ve just kept working to get there.” It’s been a
historic weekend for Foster, who became the team’s all-time leading scorer on
Friday night while helping guide the Lady Eagles to their first win at Model in
six years. Foster had 15 points in the victory, including scoring her 1,427th
career point early in the first quarter to surpass Dee Dee Barnett for the
all-time lead. “Robyn has done so much for this program, and I was delighted to
see her get this,” said Guinn, who presented Foster with a commemorative
basketball Saturday. “Just being able to coach a player like her makes me feel
special.” Foster is the lone senior on the Coosa roster, and she — along with
her partner in crime, Ieshia Alexander — have been the main catalysts in
helping the Lady Eagles transform from being an average team into something
much more. The team’s evolution hasn’t come as a surprise to those inside the
program. “We could see this coming as soon as Coach Guinn got here,” said
injured junior guard Alyssa Eubanks, who has been on the varsity since Guinn’s
arrival. “We knew we were just going to get better and better with her here.”
Although Coosa has made the state tournament
in each of the past four seasons, it wasn’t until this year that the Lady
Eagles came into their own. The players credit Guinn’s
intensity and determination for spurring the turnaround. “We could beat a team
by 100 points and she would still talk about what we did wrong,” laughed
Foster. “But whew, she’s a great coach. I wouldn’t trade her for anyone.”
Guinn, who admits to being theoretical, was as animated as ever during
Saturday’s game, as Coosa struggled to break
away from a stubborn Pepperell team. The Lady Eagles didn’t officially pull
away until the final five minutes of the third quarter, when they used a 14-3
run to build a 22-point lead. “I felt like we competed today, and I was proud
to see that,” said Pepperell coach Jeff Rickman. “Coosa
has a great basketball. And they just had too many weapons for us.” Mimi Price
had a team-high 11 points and eight rebounds for the Lady Dragons (12-5, 7-3).
Cassadee Ainsworth had nine points, five rebounds and two steals, and Jordan
Marsh had 12 rebounds. Coosa was aided by Alexander’s 12 points, along with a
five-point, seven-rebound effort from freshman Monea Ware, who had 15 points
and 19 rebounds Friday night. “I think Monea is going to take my spot (as the
school’s all-time leading scorer),” said Foster. Maybe.
But for now, Ware is just happy to be along for the ride during this thrilling
year for the Lady Eagles. “For all this to be happening my freshman year has
been a great experience,” Ware said. Her teammates would certainly second that.
Coosa cruisin’: Lady Eagles top Model at packed
M-Dome
02/02/08
David Dawson, Rome
News-Tribune Sports Writer
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO COOSA WIN OVER MODEL
Senior Night at the M-Dome proved to be exceedingly memorable and
meaningful — for the visiting team. Dressed in their menacing all-black
uniforms, the Coosa girls achieved not just one, but two, major
accomplishments: Senior Robyn Foster moved atop the school’s all-time scoring
list, and the Lady Eagles remained atop the subregion standings. Paced by
Ieshia Alexander’s electric 33-point performance, No. 6-ranked Coosa downed No.
8 Model 77-65 in front of a jammed-packed house in Shannon.
Freshman Monea Ware had a double-double with 15 points and a staggering 19
rebounds for Coosa, which used a 17-7 run over
the final 4:26 to break open what had been a highly-competitive game. 
The
victory was Coosa’s second over Model in the span of three weeks, and it pushed
the Lady Eagles to 18-2 overall and 9-0 in 7-AA South. They need only to win
one of their three remaining games to clinch the No. 1 seed for the region
tourney. Model fell to 17-5, 8-2. “When I first got the job at Coosa, I told
the newspaper that my goal was for us to get to where Model and Armuchee always
are,” said Coosa coach Connie Gun. “And I
believe we are starting to get there.” Foster finished with 15 points,
including a layup midway through the first quarter that gave her 1,727 career
points and made her the program’s all-time scoring leader, passing Dee Dee Barnett.
“I’ve been telling Coach Guinn (for the past few weeks) not to tell me where I
was on the list,” said Foster. “I wanted it to be a surprise. (Becoming the
record-holder) is not something I ever thought about when I first started
playing basketball.” Foster’s backcourt mate, Alexander, played perhaps the
finest game of her career. She finished 13-of-23 from the floor, with many of
the shots being heavily-contested jumpers or hard drives to the basket. “Our
game plan was to keep her out of the paint,” said Model coach Sally Echols.
“You can see how well that worked.” Model’s Kiara Smith scored a team-high 18 points, Lyndsey Choate had 12 and Maci Siniard 11. Shelby
Farrer had nine points and 10 rebounds, and Janaye
Jasper had eight points and 10 boards.
Coosa, which will try to clinch the No. 1 seed with a win at home
over Pepperell today, owned narrow leads at the end of each quarter — 16-11
after the first, 35-29 after the second and 49-47 after the third. In the
fourth quarter, there were three ties and six lead changes in the first 3½
minutes before Coosa put together the
game-sealing surge that began with three straight buckets by Foster. “I think
this shows we have what it takes to win big games and beat excellent teams like
Model,” said Coosa’s Johna Collette. Model is
at Temple on
Tuesday.
Number 7 Eagles Dump Darlington
The Coosa
girls flew out to an 18-2 lead at the start of their 7-AA South game against Darlington Tuesday night and never looked back.With Robyn
Foster scoring 36 points and tying a school record with six 3-pointers, the No.
7 Lady Eagles coasted to an 89-45 win at The Eagles’ Nest. “I was actually
concerned because we haven’t played since last Tuesday,” Coosa
coach Connie Guinn said. The Lady Eagles’ non-region contest at Dalton last Saturday was
cancelled due to the weather. “But I was really impressed with how they came
out and their intensity,” Guinn said. Haley Couey had 15 for Coosa
while Monea Ware scored 11. Darlington was led
by Brittany Hightower’s 16. Ahead 22-7, the Lady Eagles (15-2, 6-0) kicked off
the second quarter with a 16-0 run in the first 2:25 for a 38-7 lead. Darlington countered with an 11-2 stretch but was unable
to cut it any closer. Coosa is in the lead in
the subregion race and will face a rising Pepperell team on Friday in Lindale. Darlington will play Model at the M-Dome.
Lady Eagles get state poll spot
back
01/18/08 Rome
News-Tribune Staff reports
Fans
of the Coosa girls basketball team thought there had to be a mistake when they
learned that the Lady Eagles had fallen out of the Top 10 in the latest Georgia
Sportswriters Association prep poll. And as it turns out, there was one. A
tabulation error occurred while the votes were being counted, and the
miscalculation resulted in the Lady Eagles dropping out of the rankings. The
mistake has since been corrected, and Coosa
has regained its status among the Top-10, coming in at No. 7 for the second
straight week. Coosa (14-2, 5-0), which is all
alone in first place in Region 7-AA South, went undefeated last week, winning
three straight games. Two of the victories came by margins of 50-plus points.
The Lady Eagles are joined in the AA girls poll by
Model, which dropped one notch to No. 10.
Lady Eagles Desecrate Temple
ROME NEWS-TRIBUNE STAFF
REPORTS
No. 7 Coosa 80, Temple 34 Coosa jumped out to a 33-10 lead at the end of
the first quarter and cruised to a win away from home over 7-AA South rival Temple. Maya Boyett
scored 13 points to lead the seventh-ranked Lady Eagles (14-2, 5-0). Hannah
Graham added 11 points and Ieshia Alexander had 10 points and 10 assists. Coosa
travels to Dalton
Saturday.
EAGLES SWAT JACKETS
ROME NEWS-TRIBUNE STAFF
REPORTS
No. 7 Coosa
82, Rockmart 22 The Lady Eagles romped to their sixth
straight win by handing visiting Rockmart a 7-AA South defeat. Robyn Foster led
the Lady Eagles (13-2, 4-0) with 15 points while Ieshia Alexander had 10.
Rockmart (0-13, 0-5) was led by Lacy Herring’s six points. Coosa visits Temple
Tuesday, while Rockmart hosts Darlington.
MIRACLE EAGLES EXORCISE DEVILS
Lady Eagles
rally to knock off Model, 68-61 01/08/08
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer , Photo
by Ryan Smith
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO OF COOSA DEFEAT OF
MODEL (Rome News-Tribune, Tricia Dillard)
The
Coosa girls aren’t just slaying the giants.
They’re becoming one. Having already posted two wins over long-time nemesis
Armuchee and one against state-power Dalton,
the Lady Eagles added to their resume on Tuesday by earning a long-awaited win
over Model, 68-61, before a packed house at the Eagles’ Nest. Senior Robyn
Foster scored a game-high 32 points and Monea Ware added 13 for Coosa, which
took over sole possession of first place in Region 7-AA South with a 3-0 record.
The Lady Eagles are 12-2 overall, and are ranked fourth in the coaches’ poll.
“Right now, we’re starting to feel like we can take on anybody,” said Foster
after the Lady Eagles overcame a seven-point third quarter deficit. “We’re very
excited about how we’re playing.” Coosa had not defeated Model (10-4, 3-1) in
roughly six years, dating back to the days when Cori Cason, Haley Oldham,
Christi Hatcher and Tara Alford were the big guns for Coosa.
Most of those players have now graduated from college. But the drought finally
ended Tuesday, thanks 
to a strong
fourth-quarter push by the Lady Eagles. They outscored Model 25-16 in the
period, and ultimately won the game at the foul line, going 7-for-8 in the
final minute to pull away. “I can’t even explain the feelings that I’m having,”
said Coosa third-year coach Connie Guinn after
her first-ever win over Model. “The girls were really pumped in the locker
room. “They said they felt like they’d just won the region.” Model’s Kiara
Smith scored a team-high 25 points during a typically terrific performance, and
forward Janaye Jasper also played big, scoring 13. But the Lady Devils — who
beat Coosa in the Holiday Festival — went cold
late. “I thought we played pretty hard tonight, but we just didn’t play as
smart as we should have down the stretch,” said Model coach Sally Echols. Model
led 39-32 with 2:51 to play in the third quarter, but the Lady Eagles reversed
the momentum with an 11-4 run that tied it at 43-43. The flurry was punctuated
by Hannah Graham’s behind-the-back pass to Foster for a tying lay-up that sent
the Coosa crowd into a deafening frenzy. The
fourth quarter then featured three lead changes and three ties before Coosa took the lead for good on a 3 by Foster with 1:50
to go. Ware finished with a double-double for Coosa,
adding 10 rebounds to her 13 points. Haley Couey, who scored two huge buckets
in the fourth quarter, finished with eight points and nine boards. Star guard
Ieshia Alexander had nine points, four assists and four steals. Coosa hosts Rockmart
on Friday; Model hosts Temple.
Lady
Eagles topple Armuchee
01/05/08 David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune , Photo by
Ryan Smith
Click Here for Video (Rome News-Tribune)
For
those who might not have noticed, there’s been a change in the pecking order in
Region 7-AA South.
The
Coosa girls, who traditionally play second
fiddle behind subregion powers Model and Armuchee, are making a move toward
first chair.
The
Lady Eagles used a game-high 21 points from Ieshia Alexander to down Armuchee,
81-62, on Friday night in a 7-AA South game at the Eagles’ Nest — or perhaps we
should say, the Lady Eagles Nest. The victory was Coosa’s
second over Armuchee in the span of three weeks, and it allowed the Lady Eagles
(10-2, 3-0) to maintain a share of first-place in the subregion and stay
undefeated at home. “I think the girls feel like this was another chance for
them to make a statement,” said Coosa coach
Connie Guinn. “They came into the night believing they had a chance to win —
and getting them just to believe they can beat a team like Armuchee is a big
step.” Guard Hannah Graham exploded for a career-high 20 points for the Lady
Eagles, who outscored Armuchee 45-32 in the second half to open up a tight
game.
“If we can play every game the way we played
tonight, I think we have a great chance at winning this region,” said Graham,
who finished 7-of-13 from the floor. “We came out and had fun tonight, and set
the pace pretty quick.” Haley Couey added 19 points to help Coosa
send Armuchee (9-5, 2-2) to its fourth straight loss after a 9-1 start. “Coosa
has a lot of different players that can burn you, and that’s the mark of a good
team,” said Armuchee coach Tammy Norred. “Tonight we focused on trying to shut
down Alexander and (Robyn) Foster, and look what happened — Graham and Couey
killed us.”
Couey
and Graham combined to go 14-of-15 at the foul line, and they finished with
seven rebounds apiece. For Armuchee, junior wing Anna Catanzano scored a
team-high 21 points and Amanda Parris added 14. But their offensive production
wasn’t enough to allow Armuchee to keep pace with a Coosa
team that shot the ball effectively throughout the night. The Lady Eagles
finished 26-of-47 from the floor (55 percent) and were a sizzling 27-of-33 at
the line (81 percent).
“We
came out with a lot of confidence tonight,” said Graham, “and I think that
showed in the way we (shot the ball).”
Coosa
led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter before Armuchee closed the
first half with an 8-0 run — highlighted by a long 3-pointer from Parris — to
pull within 36-30 at the intermission. Coosa
then opened the third quarter with a 13-4 surge to rebuild a comfortable edge,
49-34, midway through the quarter.
Armuchee
was unable to get closer than 12 points the rest of the way. For Coosa, the victory came despite a rare quiet night from
Foster, who scored only four points and attempted just four shots from the
floor. Coosa visits Chattooga today in a non-subregion game; Armuchee hosts Temple on Tuesday.
LADY EAGLES DOWN INDIANS
Staff Reports
Coosa 88, Chattooga 25 Monea
Ware scored 17 points to lead visiting Coosa
to a win. Robyn Foster added 15 points (11-2) and Haley Couey scored 12.
The
Lady Indians were led by Joy Hoskins’ 13. Coosa
hosts Model Tuesday; Chattooga hosts Calhoun.
Lady Eagles Defeat Calhoun
Rome News-Tribune
Staff Reports..
Photo by Rick Winters, Rome News-Tribune
Coosa
57, Calhoun 45
The Lady Eagles outscored host Calhoun
30-16 over the second and third quarters to break open a close game and earn a
non-subregion win.
Four
players reached double figures for Coosa
(10-2): Ieshia Alexander and Monea Ware scored 14 points apiece,
Haley Couey added 11 and Hannah Graham had 10. The Lady Eagles are off to a
great start with a strong bench presence and solid starting five. Coach Connie Guinn seemed very satisfied with
the result while maintaining her usual serious demeanor on the bench.
Bre
Johnson and Presley Nance scored 18 each for Calhoun.
Girls Consolation: Lady Eagles get back into win
column
12/23/07
Jeremy Stewart, Rome News-Tribune Sports
Writer
Photo by Ken Caruthers
After coming up short against Model the
night before, the Coosa Lady Eagles were
anxious to nip their one-game losing streak in the bud. Against Darlington
Saturday afternoon at Georgia 
Highlands, they did just that,
defeating the Lady Tigers 60-33 and earning third place in the 54th annual Rome News-Tribune Holiday
Festival. While Ieshia Alexander led the team with 12 points and Hannah Graham
added 10, five other Lady Eagles scored seven points apiece to keep the team
ahead of their Region 7-AA South foes
the entire game. Coosa (8-2) began with an 11-2 run in the opening 4:08 but Darlington was quick to regroup and put together an 11-1 run that lasted into the second quarter and put them within
two of the Lady Eagles. “Offensively, we came out flat,” Coosa
coach Connie Guinn said. “We’ve got a lot of work to
do over the break to be ready for the second part of the season. We just
haven’t got it put together yet.” However, the Lady Eagles ended the second
quarter with a 16-2 stretch and coasted comfortably from there, holding
Darlington to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters and only
five field goals in that span. “We didn’t start off well and came back to play
well the last couple minutes of the first quarter and the first couple minutes
of the second quarter,” Darlington coach Josh Hembree said. “And, to be honest
with you, I just felt like we lost our motivation and we lost our intensity.” Darlington (5-6) was paced by Brittany Hightower’s 12
points and went 14-of-21 at the line. Both teams scored 16 in the final eight
minutes and Coosa held steadily onto a
27-point lead to finish the game. “We finally got back-to-back defensive steals
and got some layups out of it and that’s what gets them pumped up … and we
didn’t have that in the first quarter,” Guinn said. “My main thing is that we
just need to be more consistent on offense.”
Coosa 60, Darlington
33
Third Place
Game at Georgia Highlands
DARLINGTON
(33)
Hightower 12, Waters 6, Pate 5, Dulaney
3, Mauer 2, Carter 2, Shea 2, Sidwell 1. Totals: 9 14-21 33.
COOSA
(60)
Alexander 12, Graham 10, Couey 7, Doegg
7, Foster 7, Ware 7, Boyett 5, Walker 4, Little 1. Totals: 23 9-20 60.
Darlington
8 6 3 16 - 33
Coosa
14 16 14 16 - 60
3-point goals — Darlington 1 (Dulaney 1),
Coosa 5 (Alexander 2, Foster 1, Boyett 1,
Graham 1). Team fouls — Darlington 15, Coosa 22. Fouled out — Doegg (C). Technical fouls — None. Records — Darlington 5-6, Coosa 8-2.
Lady Eagles Fall
to Blue Devils
Jeremy Stewart, Rome News-Tribune Sports
Writer
Photo by Ken Caruthers
Model reclaimed its spot in the Rome News-Tribune Festival finals with a 61-55 win over 
Coosa, setting up a rematch with the Rome Lady
Wolves at 3 p.m. today.
Model was able to keep cool and get a
chance to avenge its past two losses to the Lady Wolves in the tournament
finals. “I think the girls were very focused and their
intensity set the pace early,” Model coach Sally Echols said. “We knew it was
going to be a dogfight so we just wanted to win each quarter and let that
momentum build.” The foundation of the game for the Lady Blue Devils came in an
intense first quarter that saw the two teams combine for 15 fouls and six lead
changes before Model (7-1) came up with a 16-12 lead going into the second
quarter. Coosa
(7-2) struggled to get settled following the frantic first eight minutes but
the Lady Blue Devils would have none of that as they outscored the Lady Eagles
37-15 in the middle two quarters. Coosa took up the momentum in the fourth
period as they pieced together a 21-4 run in the final 4:50 and narrowed a 2
5-point lead to a six-point lead but not a win. “We regrouped in the fourth
quarter and we wanted to make sure everybody knew we weren’t quitters and we
didn’t want to go down like that,” Lady Eagles’ coach Connie Guinn said.
“Hopefully, after this, they’re going to be ready to play and come back and
prove that we’ve got a statement to make.” Lyndsey Choate paced Model with 19
points and four 3’s while Shelby Farrer had 12. Coosa’s
Robyn Foster finished with 17 and four triples as teammate Hannah Graham had
12. Echols said she was glad to see Choate, a senior, come away with such a
productive game, even getting 13 points during a 20-3 run in the third. “I love
to see that because she’s a kid that works hard,” Echols said. “And she’s one
of those kids that you may not notice every time she’s on the court, in terms
of watching, but we always know she’s there.” As for the matchup between the
two 7-AA South powers, Echols was nothing but complimentary to the Lady Eagles.
“Coosa is a great ball team and I think they have nowhere to go but up,” Echols
said. “I was expecting a great ball game and they gave it to us.”
Model 61, Coosa
55
Girls Semifinal
COOSA (55)
Foster 17, Graham 12, Alexander 8, Couey
7, Collette 4, Boyett 2, Walker
2, Ware 2, Doegg 1. Totals: 21 7-14 55.
MODEL (61)
Choate 19, Farrer 12, Smith 9, Siniard 7,
Langley 5,
Phillips 4, Jasper 3, Evans 2. Totals: 19 17-32 61.
Coosa
12 11 5 27 - 55
Model 16 17 20 8 - 61
3-point goals — Coosa
6 (Foster 4, Couey 1, Graham 1), Model 6 (Choate 4, Phillips 1, Smith 1).
Team fouls — Coosa 29, Model 17. Fouled out —
Doegg (C), Ware (C). Technical fouls — Bench (C). Records — Coosa 7-2, Model 7-1.
LADY EAGLES UPSET ARMUCHEE
12/18/07
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports
Writer, Photo by Ken Caruthers
... ...Click here to see a videos
from Monday's games at Georgia Highlands College.
Coosa’s Ieshia Alexander emerged as the biggest heroe during the
first-round action of the 54th annual Rome News-Tribune Holiday
Festival.Alexander came up with a steal and converted it into a lay-up with 22
seconds remaining to help Coosa fend off Armuchee, 72-67, and post their first
victory over the Lady Indians in six years.The game left the crowd breathless
throughout the final frantic minutes — and left the losing team in tears. “I
felt like we just played a championship game,” said Armuchee coach Tammy Norred
after the loss. “It certainly had the intensity of a championship game. And it
has the hurt of one, too.” 
Model
(6-1) and Coosa (7-1) are now set for a showdown in the semifinals on Friday at
7 p.m. at Shorter
College. Armuchee (9-2)
and Pepperell (3-2) will meet in the consolation round on Thursday at 6 p.m. at
Shorter.“We’re fortunate to be going to the
semifinals,” said Coosa coach Connie Guinn.
“We got outplayed tonight, but we had some breaks go our way at the right
times, and we made some big plays when we had to.” Coosa guard Robyn Foster
finished with a team-high 22 points for the Lady Eagles, who trailed throughout
the first half and were clinging to a flimsy 68-67 lead before Alexander made
her game-changing steal — and subsequent lay-up — to give Coosa a three-point
lead. Armuchee then turned the ball over on its ensuing possession,
and Foster hit a pair of throws to clinch it. “One of our goals coming into the
season was to finally beat Armuchee,” said Foster. “Everybody is always talking
about Model and Armuchee. Hopefully people will (soon) be talking about us,
too.” Coosa’s Haley Couey finished with 18 points, and
all of them seemed to come at important junctures. Alexander, who tore her ACL
during last year’s Festival, finished with 14. Hannah Graham supplied seven
points, including a pivotal 3-point play in the fourth quarter. Armuchee’s
Amanda Parris finished with a game-high 23 points and Summer Sutton added 18
for the Lady Indians.
LADY EAGLES DOWN UNDEFEATED DALTON
From
Staff Reports
Dalton Daily
Citizen
Coosa
(6-1), ranked No. 7 in Class 2A by GaSports.com, got a game-high 20 points from
Iesha Alexander and visiting Dalton (5-1) committed 39 turnovers, the most in
coach Jeff McKinney’s tenure at Dalton, and the Lady Eagles defeated the Lady
Catamounts, 65-51, on Saturday.
“They’ve got three or four extremely quick guards and that gave us some
trouble,” McKinney
said. “They’re a very good ball team. Their only loss was to Rome by two points (53-51).”
Robin Foster added 15 points for Coosa.
Liz
Coffey had 15 points and Hannah Mayo added 14 for the Lady Cats.
LADY EAGLES RUN PAST DARLINGTON
David Dawson, ROME
NEWS-TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER, Photo by: William T. Martin
Click here to see a video from Friday’s girls basketball game between Coosa and Darlington.
Ieshia Alexander and Robyn Foster get most of the publicity — and rightfully
so — but they aren’t the only players that make Coosa’s
engine run. Monea Ware, Haley Couey, Hannah Graham, Johna Collette and several
others are stepping up in a big way for the Lady Eagles, who notched their
fourth straight win with a 73-44 victory over Darlington
on Friday night at the Huffman Center.Alexander and Foster
combined for only 14 points in the 7-AA South game. 
Alexander, who came into the night averaging
15 per game, finished with 11, and Foster, who was plagued by foul trouble, had
three for the Lady Eagles (5-1, 2-0). But Ware enjoyed a breakout performance,
scoring a career-high 19, and Couey added 13 to help Coosa
glide to the win. “I was very pleased with the fact that we had so many
different players contribute tonight,” said Coosa
coach Connie Guinn. “The girls are starting to find their roles, and get
comfortable with them.” Collette, a sophomore guard, is a perfect example of
that. Though she didn’t have eye-popping numbers against Darlington (3-5, 0-3), Collette filled out the box score
nicely with five steals, four rebounds and two points. “Johna is one of
those players who does the silent things that a team needs to win games,” said
Guinn. “The casual basketball fan might not notice her, but she makes a
difference when she’s on the floor. She’s a defensive stopper for us.” Collette
picked up three steals in the game’s first four minutes to help the Lady Eagles
break out to an early 9-0 lead. The advantage swelled to 14-2 at the end of the
first period, and gradually grew from there. Monea scored 12 points during the
second and third quarters, and finished 7-of-8 from
the foul line during a splendid performance by the 5-foot-9 freshman. “She
really came alive tonight,” said Guinn. Guard Maya Boyett (listed at 4-foot-9)
and Graham had six points apiece and Kirsten Walker added four for the Lady
Eagles, who led by 15 at the half and pulled away completely in the third
quarter. Darlington, led in scoring by Kate Waters’ 14 points, was bothered by Coosa’s press much of the night. “Athletically, Coosa is
just better than us,” said Darlington
first-year coach Josh Hembree. “And Foster and Alexander are as good as any two
guards in this region. But I didn’t feel like tonight was a step back for us.
Our girls continue to give me everything they have, and I’m pleased with their
improvement.” Darlington has opened its subregion schedule with games against
Model, Armuchee and Coosa — the three teams
that are expected to challenge for the South crown. “We aren’t to their level
yet,” said Hembree. “But we’re working to get there.” Darlington
hosts Calhoun today in a non-subregion game.
LADY EAGLES SINK CALHOUN
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports
Writer
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
The Coosa girls are almost completely healthy now. The
Calhoun girls are a long way from it. The gap between the two extremes was more
than evident Tuesday night, when the Lady Eagles sailed to a 66-31 win over the visiting Lady Jackets in a non-subregion game.
Coosa guard Ieshia Alexander, who missed most of last season with a torn ACL,
teamed up with fellow guard Robyn Foster to spearhead a Coosa
defense that forced 39 Calhoun turnovers. 
“I was pleased with
our defensive intensity tonight, but not so much with our offensive
efficiency,” said Coosa coach Connie Guinn.
“But our goal is to improve every game, and we had some positives tonight.”
Foster and Alexander combined for 18 steals while helping the Lady Eagles
improve to 4-1. Foster finished with a game-high 16 points and 11 steals.
Hannah Graham and Monea Ware had 10 points apiece, and Jeanie Paige Doegg
collected a team-high eight rebounds. Guard Johna Collette, who also missed
much of last season with a knee injury, finished with six points, three
rebounds and two assists for the Lady Eagles. “It’s nice to have almost
everyone back on the floor,” said Guinn. “That does make a difference.” Coosa lost a total of five players to injuries last
season. This year, the Lady Eagles have trimmed that number to one: Starting
guard Alyssa Eubanks is out with an ACL tear, but the Lady Eagles are otherwise
on the mend. Calhoun, conversely, is now dealing with a rash of injuries. The
Lady Jackets are currently without five key players: Christine Olney (ACL),
Shay Padgett (ACL), Emily Brown (stress fracture), Kate Hutchinson (stress
fracture) and Katelyn Poole (stress fracture). Still, Calhoun coach Jerry
Pruett didn’t use the injuries as an excuse Tuesday night. “We just didn’t
compete in the second half tonight, and that really disappoints me,” said
Pruett. “We’re bummed up, yes. But we can’t let that keep us from playing hard.
And tonight, we kind of gave up in the second half.”
Bre Johnson
finished with 11 points for Calhoun.
LADY EAGLES DOWN INDIANS
JEFF GABLE, ROME NEWS-TRIBUNE
11/20/2007 Coosa’s
Lady Eagles picked up a win Tuesday night, beating the Lady Indians 76-37 to
improve to 2-0 on the year. Coosa was in
control from start to finish, using a smothering press to keep Chattooga out of
rhythm all night. The Lady Eagles led 23-11 after one quarter and 45-18 at the
half. A 23-10 spurt in the third quarter built the lead to 40 points at 68-28.
“That’s the way we want to play, with our defense creating offense,” Coosa coach Connie Guinn said. “I’m disappointed in how
many fouls we had, and that comes from being out of position, but I can’t
complain about the effort tonight.” Coosa
showed its depth as well, with 10 players breaking into the scoring column.
“When that’s the style you want to play, it’s nice to have a lot of people to
rotate in,” Guinn said. “Everybody played tonight and everybody contributed to
the win.” Ieshia Alexander led the Lady Eagles with 19 points, while Haley
Couey added 14 and Robyn Foster scored 11. Joy Hoskins was the only player in
double figures for Chattooga (0-2), scoring 14 points. “We just didn’t do a
good job of getting back on defense tonight,” Lady Indians coach Lamar Turner
said. “That hurt us when we’d turn it over and Coosa
would score quickly because we didn’t get back. “Over time, we’ll get there,”
Turner added about his team’s future. “We’ve still got a million things to work
on. It starts with hustle and desire and fundamentals, and we just have to
learn to be a more consistent team.” David Dawson, Rome
News-Tribune
COOSA WINS SEASON OPENER, ADVANCES TO PLAY ROME
DAVID DAWSON,
ROME
NEWS-TRIBUNE, Photo by Ryan Smith
11/19/2007 While
registering season-opening wins Monday night, the Coosa
girls and Rome High girls each put together monster-sized scoring runs. Now,
the teams are set to run into each other. The Floyd County
foes will square off Friday night at 5:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the
Adairsville 
Lady Tiger
Thanksgiving Classic. “Hopefully this one will be more competitive than it has
been the past two times we’ve played,” said Coosa coach Connie Guinn, referring
to blowout losses against Rome
in each of the past two seasons. “(Friday’s game) will obviously be a great
early-season test for us, but we need that.” The Coosa-Rome semifinal match-up
was created after both teams rolled to convincing wins in the opening round on
Monday, with Rome blasting Hiram, 58-20, and Coosa zipping past Kennesaw
Mountain, 58-39. Rome’s Keesha Wise scored a
game-high 26 points, and Coosa’s
Ieshia Alexander — who missed most of last season with a torn ACL — had 23 to
help steer their respective teams to the semifinals.
Coosa fell behind 9-2 in
the opening three minutes before Alexander took over and ignited a 25-4 run
that put the Lady Eagles ahead, 27-13. They eventually carried a 31-16 edge
into the half, and their lead never dipped below nine points during the final
two quarters. “I didn’t realize we had built a (15-point) lead until I glanced
at the scoreboard right before the half,” said Guinn. “It never felt that big to
me. We fell behind by seven points right out of the gate, and after that, it
felt like we had to fight the rest of the half.” Coosa guard Robyn Foster
finished with 13 points and Haley Couey added eight for the Lady Eagles, who
broke the game open in the third quarter by using a 13-2 run to take a 44-24
lead. “It’s always nice to get that first one in the books,” said Guinn. “Now
we can start getting ready for Rome.”