SPARTA, Ga. — The road to the GHSA state championships ends at the Macon Coliseum.
Starting Wednesday, 16 teams will strive for a title, and one of those teams hails from Central Georgia. That would be the Hancock Central High School Lady Bulldogs.
Playing in the shadows of the two-time state championship-winning boys program is first-year Head Coach and Mount de Sales alum Kalycia Harrell.
Her girls squad is looking to add to the trophy case just like the fellas.
"I had been following the seniors since they were freshman and when I saw the freshman last year in middle school, I was expecting to see a good crop of girls coming. I knew they were capable and fundamentally sound, so I believed that we would go all the way honestly. [I] had no doubt," Harrell said.
Four seniors helped the region champs knock off Chattahoochee, Bryan and Montgomery County in the post-season before the Lady Bulldogs edged Commerce in a final four showdown at Valdosta State this past weekend.
"Once in a lifetime experience for me just being here, being able to say I can go to the championship, just amazing," said player Tiamber Williams.
"I've been playing since ninth grade and we never won a region or ever been to state playoffs but once, but we were put out in the first round. So, it's very important. Now we have an opportunity to go and to win and we have to take advantage cause it's our last time as seniors," said player Jalexicia Hargrove.
It will be the first time the Lady Bulldogs have reached the finals after a semi finals finish in 1997, but this go 'round the Dogs say they're taking it all the way and they need your support.
"It's been good and nice to know we have support when we do make it as far as we do and that we all come together as a community and everybody comes out no matter how far or how long it takes. They got us like we got them and we're doing something for the county," said player Jychera Fluellen.
State champ play starts Wednesday at 1 p.m. with Hancock Central and Lake Oconee at the Macon Coliseum, and games wrap up late Saturday night.
"Honestly, we're going to have to play our game. We're going to have to make our shots, our layups, our free throws and we're going to have to play our defense, which I know we can do. When we play our defense, we're unbeatable," Harrell said.
Eighteen games will determine nine state champions, both boys and girls teams, across seven classifications with the addition of a co-ed wheelchair basketball state champion.
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