Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4B
BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
Winder-Barrow High School Lady Bulldoggs basketball: Class AAAAA State Championship Preview
LADY BULLDOGG SUPPORT
Winder-Barrow High School’s Brandon Thomas, now in his fifth season as head coach of the Lady
Bulldoggs, gives instructions to his team during a game this season. WBHS player Latrice Perkins and
assistant coach Kimberly Garren are also shown. Photos by Jessica Brown
Despite being new to area, Thomas
quickly settles in at Winder-Barrow
By Chris Bridges
Journal Sports Editor
Brandon Thomas had heard good
things about the administration while
researching Winder-Barrow High
School.
Thomas, who was an assistant
coach at Pickens County High
School, was interested in the varsity
girls vacancy at WBHS.
“I didn’t know a lot about the
area,” Thomas said. “You have to
convince people you can do the job.
When you are trying to be a first time
head coach, you can’t be that picky
about where you go. If they are will
ing to give you a chance, you have to
be willing to seriously consider it.”
While the Lady Bulldogg program
was stuck in a long drought when it
came to even qualifying for the state
tournament. Thomas felt that would
end eventually. The drought not only
ended in the 2015-2016 season, but
has seen this year’s team go all the
way to the state championship game.
For those who have watched
Thomas guiding the Lady Bulldoggs,
they see a head coach who seemingly
stays in control throughout. Basket
ball coaches come in all descriptions.
You have the Bobby Knight types
who are a danger to receive a techni
cal every minute of every game. You
have some who do get the occasional
technical when a missed call is sim
ply too much to ignore.
Then there are the rare ones who
seemingly never lose their cool on
the bench. Thomas falls in this cat
egory.
“If I am losing it, then they (the
players) might lose it,” the coach
said. “I try not to get on my players’
case or the officials’ case. What hap
pens has happened. We try to focus
on what we can do moving forward.”
Thomas said he would never
publically criticize a player. He does
all of his stern coaching, what there is
of it. in practice.
The WBHS mentor has not
received a technical foul this season
although he does point out he has
received them before.
“My first four years I received
one a season,” Thomas said of his
time as a head coach. “It never helps
really. I’ve learned the nicer you are,
the more you get from officials. The
more you crawl on their case, the less
COACH THOMAS
you get in terms of calls.”
Thomas admitted there have been a
couple of instances in the state tour
nament this season he was told by
game officials to calm down.
“I tell the kids you have to play
through bad calls and you can’t lose
your mind because of something an
official does,” he said. “That’s not
a good example for your players or
your school.”
Lady Doggs coaching staff brings
different elements to team ’s success
By Chris Bridges
Journal Sports Editor
Brandon Thomas is
thankful for the work
provided by his assistant
coaches and credits each
one with helping make the
2015-2016 season so suc
cessful.
The Winder-Barrow
High School Lady Bull
doggs are on the brink of
completing such a remark
able journey and Thomas,
the fifth year head coach,
said his support staff play
a large role.
Kimberly Garren is the
program’s junior varsi
ty coach and key varsity
assistant. A graduate of
WBHS and former Lady
Bulldogg player herself in
the 1990s, Garren brings
a unique perspective to the
team.
“All of the players
respect her.” Thomas said.
“It means a lot to have her
with the program.”
Mark DeFoor is also a
valuable part of the coach-
COACH GARREN
COACH DEFOOR
COACH MUDGE
ing staff.
“Mark brings a positive
voice,” Thomas said. “He
is simply a positive person
by nature.”
Assistant Katie Mudge
was looking for an area
program to work with and
answered an ad to assist
with the Lady Bulldoggs.
“It was actually an old
ad, but when she said she
was interested we brought
her in,” Thomas said. “She
provided another set of
eyes for us which has been
valuable.”
Thomas also has a strong
support staff at home.
Some joke he has a starting
five girls basketball team
under his own roof with his
wife and four daughters,
all of whom can be seen
cheering for the coach and
his team at games.
The state tournament run
has been exciting for the
entire Thomas household
and his daughers haven’t
minded putting some of
their own activities on hold
to attend games during this
historic postseason run.
“The attention is often
on the head coach, but
one person can’t do every
thing,” Thomas said. “It
takes a lot of help and a lot
of working together by all
the coaches. I am appre
ciative for everything each
one does and I am certain
ly thankful for the family
support I receive.”
WHAT DO VOU THINK?
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State tournament victories
difficult to put into words
A s a writer, you look
to words to describe
what you are witnessing.
However, even after
being a sports writer for
more than a quarter of a
century, any of the adjec
tives used to describe the
Winder-Barrow High
School Lady Bulldoggs
simply don’t seem ade
quate enough.
This incredible run the
team has been on during
the state tournament has
defied all of the so-called
experts. It has defied belief
in some ways.
Yet, in other ways maybe
it shouldn’t be surprising.
This is a team that has
always believed in itself
and that belief has now
extended to the entire
school and even the entire
community. Only one step
remains to be taken in this
remarkable journey and let
this serve as a memo to all
observers: don’t bet against
the Lady Bulldoggs.
When ones goes back to
the start of the 2015-2016
season, realistic expecta
tions were the WBHS var
sity girls might be able to
break a state tournament
drought which dated all the
way back to a time before
any of the current players
were born. It’s been that
long. The 1993-1994 sea
son was the last time it
happened. It was the last
time before this season that
is.
As it turns out, this group
of players was not satisfied
simply getting to the state
tournament.
While that certainly was
an accomplishment, these
players wanted to go fur
ther and accomplish more.
Few probably thought
it possible after the team
finished the region tour
nament as the No. 4 seed
from Region 8-AAAAA.
Few except this group of
players that is.
Even as they prepared to
begin the state tournament
against Villa Rica, a No.
1 seed, the consensus was
the Lady Bulldoggs would
be “one and done.” Sure
ly, Villa Rica, which had
won its region tournament,
would send WBHS into the
offseason. Wrong.
After that upset, surely
By Chris Bridges
the Lady Bulldoggs would
not defeat Carver-Colum-
bus on its court. Wrong
again.
Moving into the Elite
Eight, the magical season
simply couldn’t continue
against Mays High School,
could it? Yes, it did.
O.K., so we’re now in
the Final Four and WBHS
had to face Brunswick, a
team with an impressive
30-2 record. The state tour
nament. which is certain
ly incredible, ends at this
point for our local team
right? Hardly.
With only one team left
to defeat, how can any
one possibly pick against
the Lady Bulldoggs at this
point?
They have proven so
much in the last couple of
weeks that one more win
really would not be that
shocking.
In fact, at this point, you
almost expect them to do
it. They have shown the
bright lights of the big
stage are not too bright and
that no matter the opponent
they will not be intimi
dated.
There’s no doubt that
Southwest DeKalb will
present a tough challenge
in the championship game.
WBHS coach Brandon
Thomas said it will be the
toughest opponent for the
Lady Bulldoggs this sea
son and that statement is
not meant to slight anyone
else.
It will take another
impressive team effort
to get it done. However,
this group of players has
shown us all that nothing is
impossible. Look for them
to complete this improba
ble journey Friday night in
Macon.
Chris Bridges is sports
editor of the Barrow Jour
nal. You can reach him at
cbridges@ barrow journal,
com.
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* * *
DESTINATION: MACON
A banner hangs in the Winder-Barrow High School
gym encouraging the Lady Bulldoggs to reach the
championship game in Macon. WBHS has won its
first four state tournament contests and is now set
to play for the championship this Friday.
Photo by Jessica Brown
February 24,2016 ~ Crossword Answers
