Ringgold girls rise through adversity into sweet 16
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Adversity can either tear a team apart or bring it closer together.
Fortunately for Margaret Stockburger and her Ringgold basketball Lady Tigers, a bizarre string of injuries and ailments that would cripple most teams has forged a unit ready to take on any challenge.
Despite two senior starters lost due to knee injuries and another who missed most of the season with a bad ankle, a bout of flu that ran through the team and two other starters battling leg injuries, Ringgold finds itself among the final 16 teams in Georgia’s Class AAA playoffs.
“We’ve been through a lot,” said Stockburger, laughing at her own understatement. “It’s been a very different season than any I’ve had to deal with, with one thing after another hitting us. They’ve done a great job of stepping up and not letting it bother them.
“Younger kids have stepped up and the older girls have taken on even more responsibility to be leaders. I’ve been very proud to overcome everything we did.”
The run of rotten luck began early when senior Mia Clark, the team’s top reserve, injured her ankle and had to undergo surgery. She’s back on a very limited basis.
In November senior starter Hannah Crosland was lost with an ACL injury, the same fate that would befall another senior starter, Kaylee Womack in January. In between the team was set back by the flu bug.
Three other key players — guards Karoline Sholl (knee, hamstring) and Kiwi Dale (shin splints) and post Dare Schley (foot) — have battled through injuries that many seasons would have put them on the bench for extended time.
With this team, especially a group of six seniors — leading scorer Rachel Thomas is the lone one to escape bad luck — giving up on the season was never an option.
“We’ve gotten stronger through adversity and we are so close to each other, which has helped us endure,” Sholl said. “We’ve had so much happen, but at the beginning of the season we dedicated our season to Jesus Christ and we promised each other to keep him as the center of our focus. So throughout injuries and sickness and with several family members having to go through some things, we have always prayed about it and stayed close.”
Obviously, with the injuries, players who might not have been ready had to step up. Sophomore Infinity Foster has become a starter and had her best game in last Saturday’s 53-52 win at Franklin County in the first round of the playoffs. Two freshmen, Rachel Akers and Sydney Pittman, have also become integral members of the rotation.
Pittman provided the winning point against Franklin with a free throw with three seconds to play following a mad scramble for a loose ball, a moment that will stick with senior Sholl forever.
“We made that last turnover and somehow got it back,” Sholl recalled. “Sydney had this look on her face, really terrified, before she went to the free-throw line. Me and Kiana took her aside and told her it was OK, that you’re going to make this free throw. When it went in I’ve never seen anyone so excited to make a free throw.”
The Lady Tigers (226) face another challenge tonight at Tattnall County, an athletic team that again will test Ringgold’s will. That’s one area the team’s veteran coach isn’t worried about.
“These seniors have been such great leaders, and they’ve been in bigtime situations before and come through,” Stockburger said. “I’m sure they will give it everything again Wednesday.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress. com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.