Lady Jackets win over East Paulding
Rockmart got their first win of the season over East Paulding in a close 49-45 game over Thanksgiving break.
The Lady Jackets faced the Lady Raiders on Tuesday in a non-region matchup at home, and now have a season record of 1-1 with the win.
Junior Keyarah Berry led the team by putting up a total of 33 points on the board, including by going ten for twelve at the free throw line.
Janaza Hutchins added 10 points and went three for ten with her free throws, while Freshman Brandi Jones added six, going two for four in free throws.
Head Coach Andre Clark stated he was pleased to get the first win of the season, but noted there are several things that need to be improved.
“There are things we did well and things we need to work on, but overall, I’m happy to walk away with a win,” he said.
First, the Lady Jackets are missing two main players. Junior Megan Little is still away from the court due to an injury she sustained during the game against Villa Rica last week. Senior Emma Evans had to stay absent from the
game because of fatigue.
The team saw a new face on the court who Clark felt made a great impression. Junior Anna Claire Sides played basketball in middle school, but joined the high school team this year after her competition and football cheer season ended.
“We saw a lot of effort and energy from her in the JV game, so we decided to give her a shot in the Varsity game when it counted,” Clark said. “It paid off because she got a few rebounds and played good defense for us.”
Clark also stated he was impressed with Jones, a new player who worked to make an impact in the game. He added that he knows he can count on Senior Anbria Daniels to play well on defense and lead the team vocally.
The Lady Jackets practiced two days over the break before hosting Rome for a Saturday game.
Clark mentioned he is looking forward to facing Gordon Central and Bremen at the end of the week after returning to school and more practice.
“With missing two players and still needing to figure out our zone offense, we have some work to do before region play,” Clark said.
Rockmart will host Gordon Central on Friday, Dec. 6 for their first 7-AA games of the season, with JV playing at 4:15 p.m. and Varsity at 7 p.m.