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Welcome to the Official Website of the Coosa High School Lady
Eagles. Coached by Connie Guinn, a collegiate standout in the coaching and
playing ranks, this years Eagles made several opponents their prey. Most of
the articles on this website are courtesy of the Rome News-Tribune,
however, original material is also included
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 r |
