SYLVANIA — Things were going well for the Screven County Lady Gamecocks under coach Jennifer Acree. Long vacant from the state playoffs, Acree turned the program around, making the team a staple in the Class AA Elite Eight in just four short years.
When Acree left the position to take over at state-powerhouse Randolph Clay and the Gamecocks lost four starters to graduation, it looked as though the SCHS program was bracing itself for a turn for the worse.
Perhaps most notably, Screven lost Kadedra Evans, whose aggressive post play landed her a spot on the roster at Georgia.
Dominating underneath the basket, Evans led the team in points scored, rebounds and blocked shots. She scored over 1,300 points in her career, and when she eclipsed the 1,000 rebound mark, she shattered the school’s previous record.
It looked like the Gamecocks were about to have to rebuild.
That is, until Roy Cooper put in for the job.
Cooper picked up right where the Lady Gamecocks left off, guiding his team right back into the thick of things at the top of the region. Screven (17-5, 8-2 Region 3-AA) looks to grab the No. 2 seed heading into regionals. A win over Laney tonight will grant it just that.
Cooper — who has spent the last 10 years as an assistant for both the boys and girls teams at SCHS — wasn’t sure what to expect when he inherited the team.
“I didn’t really know who would step up and show me what I was looking for,” said the first-year head coach. “It was a kind of feel out and step-by-step process. I let them know that I was expecting some people to step up and whoever stepped up and showed me what I needed to see —they were the ones that were going to hit the court.”
He was pleased with what he saw. Lacking the size that the 2006-07 team used to dominate underneath, he got help from some players who had not spent much time on the court as a Gamecock.
Bria Lonon, a 6-foot freshman, quickly earned herself a spot with the starting five. Lonon is a good compliment to junior Artavia Zeigler, who spent much of 2006 sidelined with injury. The pair has helped control things underneath, while Cooper has relied on his wings and guards to give opponents multiple looks.
The SCHS coach took senior Stephanie Scott out from the post and moved her out to the wing opposite Jasmine Roundtree, whose contributions on the defensive side of the ball have also played an important part in Screven’s recent success.
Junior point guard Ciera Anderson sets it all up, and leads the multiple threats of the Gamecock offense.
Versatility has been key for Cooper in maintaining the program’s success.
“They can play a running game really good,” said Cooper. “As far as the two posts that I have, they can anchor the post and we can use them and (play) around them. But the way the offense has been going, anybody at any given time can step it up and play a big role. The posts do play a big role because they pull down rebounds and they score fluently, but I don’t have anybody that particularly stands out and takes it on all at one time.
“At times I have had every starter score. I have had all of the reserves score. They’re kind of spreading it around. Nobody can really pin us down and shut one person down.”
With such a drastic change in coaching philosophy, the transition could not have gone more smoothly.
“It was just a matter of getting them acclimated to me and my style, and letting them know what I expect from them and how I wanted them to run things,” Cooper said. “There’s always a little rough going in transition. No more than I expected. … Once we got situated, things started going pretty good.”
Cooper credits his success to his squad’s ability to adapt throughout the transition. He chose the new style of his offense to get the most out of his players.
“I looked at what I had and saw what I could do with it,” he said. “Then I went from there.”
While many Screven fans may be surprised by the success the team has seen under so many new circumstances, Cooper knew that easing the girls into his system and getting them to buy into his philosophy would have them in good shape heading into the postseason.
“This is where I was expecting to be and hoping that we would be. I wasn’t trying to be overconfident — just bringing it along slowly and taking it step by step. (I was) letting the girls build more confidence as I went along.”
In region play, the Lady Gamecocks split a series with Swainsboro, and their only other region loss came to Laney. They have a chance to return the favor tonight when the Lady Wildcats come calling.
The last time the teams met, Laney ran away with the game. Cooper has stressed the importance of fundamentals, knowing that a win over region’s best will put SCHS in a position to grab the No. 2 seed. He has focused on the importance of improving on the mistakes made against the Wildcats the first time they played.
“It kind of got away from us there,” Cooper said. “Turnovers hurt us, and it was hard to get back into it. Hopefully we can cut down on the turnovers and we can make our free throws down the stretch and keep it close. Hopefully that will be the difference.”
With regional implications on the line, the game tips off tonight at 6 p.m. in Sylvania.
Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9404.
When Acree left the position to take over at state-powerhouse Randolph Clay and the Gamecocks lost four starters to graduation, it looked as though the SCHS program was bracing itself for a turn for the worse.
Perhaps most notably, Screven lost Kadedra Evans, whose aggressive post play landed her a spot on the roster at Georgia.
Dominating underneath the basket, Evans led the team in points scored, rebounds and blocked shots. She scored over 1,300 points in her career, and when she eclipsed the 1,000 rebound mark, she shattered the school’s previous record.
It looked like the Gamecocks were about to have to rebuild.
That is, until Roy Cooper put in for the job.
Cooper picked up right where the Lady Gamecocks left off, guiding his team right back into the thick of things at the top of the region. Screven (17-5, 8-2 Region 3-AA) looks to grab the No. 2 seed heading into regionals. A win over Laney tonight will grant it just that.
Cooper — who has spent the last 10 years as an assistant for both the boys and girls teams at SCHS — wasn’t sure what to expect when he inherited the team.
“I didn’t really know who would step up and show me what I was looking for,” said the first-year head coach. “It was a kind of feel out and step-by-step process. I let them know that I was expecting some people to step up and whoever stepped up and showed me what I needed to see —they were the ones that were going to hit the court.”
He was pleased with what he saw. Lacking the size that the 2006-07 team used to dominate underneath, he got help from some players who had not spent much time on the court as a Gamecock.
Bria Lonon, a 6-foot freshman, quickly earned herself a spot with the starting five. Lonon is a good compliment to junior Artavia Zeigler, who spent much of 2006 sidelined with injury. The pair has helped control things underneath, while Cooper has relied on his wings and guards to give opponents multiple looks.
The SCHS coach took senior Stephanie Scott out from the post and moved her out to the wing opposite Jasmine Roundtree, whose contributions on the defensive side of the ball have also played an important part in Screven’s recent success.
Junior point guard Ciera Anderson sets it all up, and leads the multiple threats of the Gamecock offense.
Versatility has been key for Cooper in maintaining the program’s success.
“They can play a running game really good,” said Cooper. “As far as the two posts that I have, they can anchor the post and we can use them and (play) around them. But the way the offense has been going, anybody at any given time can step it up and play a big role. The posts do play a big role because they pull down rebounds and they score fluently, but I don’t have anybody that particularly stands out and takes it on all at one time.
“At times I have had every starter score. I have had all of the reserves score. They’re kind of spreading it around. Nobody can really pin us down and shut one person down.”
With such a drastic change in coaching philosophy, the transition could not have gone more smoothly.
“It was just a matter of getting them acclimated to me and my style, and letting them know what I expect from them and how I wanted them to run things,” Cooper said. “There’s always a little rough going in transition. No more than I expected. … Once we got situated, things started going pretty good.”
Cooper credits his success to his squad’s ability to adapt throughout the transition. He chose the new style of his offense to get the most out of his players.
“I looked at what I had and saw what I could do with it,” he said. “Then I went from there.”
While many Screven fans may be surprised by the success the team has seen under so many new circumstances, Cooper knew that easing the girls into his system and getting them to buy into his philosophy would have them in good shape heading into the postseason.
“This is where I was expecting to be and hoping that we would be. I wasn’t trying to be overconfident — just bringing it along slowly and taking it step by step. (I was) letting the girls build more confidence as I went along.”
In region play, the Lady Gamecocks split a series with Swainsboro, and their only other region loss came to Laney. They have a chance to return the favor tonight when the Lady Wildcats come calling.
The last time the teams met, Laney ran away with the game. Cooper has stressed the importance of fundamentals, knowing that a win over region’s best will put SCHS in a position to grab the No. 2 seed. He has focused on the importance of improving on the mistakes made against the Wildcats the first time they played.
“It kind of got away from us there,” Cooper said. “Turnovers hurt us, and it was hard to get back into it. Hopefully we can cut down on the turnovers and we can make our free throws down the stretch and keep it close. Hopefully that will be the difference.”
With regional implications on the line, the game tips off tonight at 6 p.m. in Sylvania.
Matt Yogus can be reached at (912) 489-9404.
