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o o Barrow’s only award-winning local sports section as judged by Georgia Press Association and Georgia Sports Writers Association INSIDE THIS SECTION •The Game Plan — 2B •Football signees — 2B •High School Track — 7B •Lady Doggs soccer — 8B March 2, 2016 Phone: 770-867-6397 Fax:706-621-4115 cbridges@barrowjournal. com Section B ★★★★ 2016 High School Baseball Scoreboard: Winder-Barrow 10 Lakeside 2 Saturday, Feb. 20 Madison County 15 Winder-Barrow 5 Thursday, Feb. 25 Winder-Barrow 10 Walnut Grove 6 Friday Feb. 26 AHS 9 Dawson County 10 Saturday, Feb. 27 AHS 1 Pickens 12 Saturday, Feb. 27 BCA 2 Piedmont 3 Monday, Feb. 29 CLASS AAAAA STATE TOURNAMENT: STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WINDER-BARROW VS. SOUTHWEST DEKALB • FRIDAY. MARCH 4, 7 P.M. • MACON CENTREPLEX HpiiiTf /■ 33 1 i its \i 17 |jq il S-L BASKETBALL SUCCESS The Winder-Barrow High School Lady Bulldoggs have surprised many this season advancing all the way to the Class AAAAA state champion ship game. WBHS will face Southwest DeKalb Friday at 7 p.m. in Macon. The Lady Bulldoggs have defeated two region champions and two region runners-up in the state tournament. Photo by Jessica Brown Lone senior Mayweather provides valuable leadership SENIOR LEADER Tiera Mayweather is a leader on and off the court for the Winder-Barrow High School varsi ty girls basketball team. Photo by Jessica Brown By Chris Bridges Journal Sports Editor In terms of senior lead ership, Tiera Mayweath er stands alone. As the lone member of the Class of 2016 on this year’s Winder-Bar row High School’s Lady Bulldogg basketball team, Mayweather has had to take on the lead ership role, regardless of whether she wanted to or not. The job has proven to fit Mayweather well and her leadership approach for her teammates has been a key link in the chain to the surprising success in 2015-2016. Mayweather is not always the team’s lead ing scorer. In fact, in some games she does not register a single point. However, her impact goes behind what might show up in the scorebook on any particular night. At no time during the Lady Bulldoggs' first four state tournament games —all victories — has Mayweather allowed her teammates to become blinded on high school basketball’s big stage. WBHS has looked completely at ease while recording its wins. See Senior on Page 5B Magical season continues all the way to title contest By Chris Bridges Journal Sports Editor The Winder-Barrow High School Lady Bulldoggs have surprised just about everyone this season and that probably includes themselves. A season which began with hopes of simply breaking a two-decades plus state tournament drought has turned into much more, so much more, as the Lady Bulldoggs are now preparing for the Georgia High School Associ ation Class AAAAA state champion ship game. WBHS (26-6 overall) has just one more obstacle in its way of claiming the state championship trophy as a Friday matchup with Southwest DeKalb High School (26-6) looms. At its core, this Cinderella story is one that may be a season or two ahead of schedule. With just one senior on this year’s roster, few gave the team much hope of advancing deep in the state tournament, if it got there at all. “This team believes they can win,” said coach Brandon Thomas, now in his fifth season with the program. “They just needed something to confirm it.” Thomas said that “something” occurred when the Lady Bulldoggs Inside Today: •Lady Bulldogg coach Brandon Thomas makes himself at home at WBHS — Page 4B •Members of WBHS coaching staff each vital part of program’s success — Page 4B •Tough to accurately describe remarkable season — Page 4B •A game by game recap of the 2015-2016 season — Page 5B defeated Gainesville High School 43-32 during a Feb. 5 Senior Night con test. And while WBHS would eventu ally be the No. 4 (and final) team from 8-AAAAA in the state tournament, it is now the last remaining representative of the region. “The coaching staff has told this team they can beat anyone,” Thomas said. “Now, they believe they can be successful.” Believing victory is possible and going out and defeating some of the top teams in the state are, of course, entirely different things. See Championship on Page 5B
