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 2005 |
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Eagles off to a Flying Start
 | |  | | Photo: Ken Caruthers, RN-t |
No. 8 Coosa routs Chattooga in season opener 11/19/05 By Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
The Coosa boys basketball team has no returning full-time starters off last year’s Region 6-AA championship team, but it took just one game to prove that any rumors of the Eagles’ demise have been greatly exaggerated. Getting 10 3-pointers from six different players and scoring 24 or more points in three of four quarters, No. 8 Coosa pasted Chattooga, 95-67, Friday night at the Eagles’ Nest to open its season on an extremely high note. “Overall, for a first game I was very pleased,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing. “We played some solid man-to-man defense and even though we missed some shots, we put together some runs and made some big shots.” Chattooga coach Shane Tucker, whose team faced the Eagles in the finals of the 6-AA tournament last season, came away impressed with Coosa. “We knew we might have a problem dealing with their quickness and they took us out of everything we wanted to do early on,” said Tucker. “Coosa’s quick, well-organized on the offensive end and tough to deal with.” Coosa raced out to a 10-2 lead in the game’s first 3:35 before Chattooga (1-1) closed the opening quarter with an 8-0 run to get to within 17-14 after the first eight minutes. The Indians trailed 22-21 with 5:47 left in the first half after Jeremy Evans hit a 3-pointer, but Coosa scored the next 16 straight points to go up 38-21 and took a 40-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. Corey Edmondson — who would finish with a game-high 27 points in three quarters of action — led the Eagles with 13 points in the first half, but Bing also got contributions from Nick Moore (10 points), Chad Williams (six) and Coleco Kidd (five). “One of the strengths of this team is its balance,” said Bing. “They make the extra pass to take a better shot and they hit it. “Our depth was good tonight. To play the pace we’re going to play, we have to use eight guys and there wasn’t any dropoff with any of the combinations we used.” Edmondson took over the game in the third quarter, scoring 14 in the frame to give the Eagles a 67-40 advantage heading into the final period. “I’m glad to get this first one under our belt,” said Bing, who picked up career win No. 576. “Before the first game of any season, you’re always nervous. You never know how the new kids are going to react in their first varsity game.” Moore finished with 17, Tynoris Foster had 13 and Kidd chipped in 12 for the Eagles, who are at Adairsville Tuesday. Evans’ 16 points paced Chattooga. Antwain White netted 14 and Ryan Hughes finished with 11 for the Indians, who host Model on Tuesday. Eagles hold Tigers at bay
Eagles Hold Tigers at Bay
Boys prep basketball roundup 11/23/05 Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
ADAIRSVILLE — With just 1:20 to go in the fourth quarter, Adairsville and Coosa’s boys were tied at 58 and the Tigers looked like they were primed to knock off the three-time defending Region 6-AA champs. However, the eighth-ranked Eagles — who have four juniors and sophomores in their starting five — made sure there was no upset on this night, scoring the final five points of the contest to hold off Adairsville, 63-58. Coosa coach Larry Bing took credit for the Eagles almost getting beat. “I did a poor job of preparing us to play against Adairsville’s 1-2-2 zone,” said Bing. “It really hurt us and almost cost us this ballgame tonight. “Both teams played hard and either one of us could’ve won it. It was a good early-season game that exposed a lot that both teams need to work on.” Adairsville coach Jason Swiney said while he would’ve liked to have gotten a win, he was happy with his team’s effort. “We played them even in the fourth quarter and it came down to which team made a play and hit their shots,” said Swiney. “I’m very pleased with my team. We have a lot of seniors, but they don’t have a lot of game experience and they got that tonight.” The game was tight most of the way, with Coosa leading by no more than seven and Adairsville owning as much as a four-point lead in the first half. Coosa (2-0) led 48-46 heading to the fourth quarter before Adairsville (1-1) scored the first four points of the frame to gain a 50-48 advantage with seven minutes remaining. The score was tied at 50 and 53 when Corey Edmondson made a layup and converted a 3-point play to put Coosa ahead 58-53 with 2:52 left. Anthony McConnell capped off a 5-0 run by the Tigers with a free throw to tie the game at 58, but Tynoris Foster made a layup with just under a minute to go and Edmondson added a final field goal to make it 62-58 and put the game out of reach. “I’m proud of the way our guys handled themselves at the end,” said Bing. “We’re still a work in progress.” Edmondson scored 21 to lead Coosa, with Nick Moore adding 14 and Coleco Kidd and Foster finishing with 10. Russ Morrow led Adairsville with 13 points. McConnell netted 11 and Michael Frazier pitched in 10. Coosa is at Central-Carroll on Nov. 29, while Adairsville hosts Armuchee.
Eagles Roll Over Ramblers
Rome News-Tribune, Staff Reports
The Coosa Eagles have had their share of go-to players in the past. Mike Dean, Ra’Shun Bryant, Brandon Byars — all were key components to the program’s success, the kind of players who were counted on to provide the big play. The season, the Eagles don’t have a go-to guy. Instead, they have a go-to team. That was evident Friday night on Coosa’s home court when the Eagles followed the textbook style of balance when they handed LaFayette an 87-67 defeat. All told, the No. 8 Eagles placed four players in double figures, with Corey Edmondson and Coleco Kidd leading the way with 21 points apiece, and had six different players combine for 11 three-pointers. “Probably the best thing we do is play well together,” Coosa coach Larry Bing said after the win that improved his team to 4-0. “They’re unselfish — our go-to guy will be different each game.” Nick Moore and Tynoris Foster also ended the game in double digits with 12 points each as Coosa used a fast start in the second half and a 30-point knockout punch in the final quarter to cruise to the win. “We got the transition game going,” Bing said, “but we got a little out of sync at times. “We’re going to be a streaky, emotional team, having to maximize the runs and minimize the other team’s run when he make errors.” Coosa hits the road Tuesday to face Haralson County in a non-region game.
Eagles Down Rebels in Non-Region Contest
Coosa 78, Haralson County 61
Rome-News Tribune, Staff Reports
The Eagles (5-0) remained unbeaten with a convincing win at Tallapoosa. Corey Edmondson led Coosa with 25 points. Tynoris Foster added 14 and Coleco Kidd and Jason Kirk scored 13 each. Coosa is at Central-Carroll on Friday. Eagles Drop First Loss of the Season
Eagles net First Loss of the Season at the Free Throw Line
Central-Carroll 75, Coosa 64
Rome News-Tribune, Staff Reports
Poor free throw shooting haunted Coosa in a loss to Central, which was the Eagles’ first defeat of the year. Coleco Kidd had 22 points, Corey Edmondson 13 and Nick Moore 11. The Eagles were 4-for-16 from the free throw line, while Central was 18-of-24 from the stripe in the fourth quarter. Coosa hosts Adairsville Tuesday.
Eagles Ranked In Pre-Season Poll
Eagles Ranked 6th In Sports Writers Poll
Eagles Back on Track
| |  | | Photo by WT Martin/RN-Tribune |
Eagles back in groove
Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
No. 6 Coosa lost its first game of the season last week, dropping a 75-64 decision at Region 6-AAA member Central-Carroll.
However, anyone who thought the Eagles were in for a prolonged slump were way off the mark, as Coosa used a stifling defense and 24 points from Corey Edmondson to steamroll Adairsville, 78-54, at the Eagles’ Nest on Tuesday night.
“We had a lot of energy out there tonight,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing, who picked up career win No. 581. “We got out and ran the break well. We played solid defense and really shared the ball.”
The sharing was evident in Coosa’s boxscore, as six of the seven Eagles who scored had at least six points in the contest.
Following Edmondson in double figures were starting point guard Nick Moore (15 points), Andre McHenry (13) and Tynoris Foster (11).
“(Moore) really makes us go,” said Bing. “He makes good decisions and takes good shots. For him only to be a sophomore is extremely promising.”
Adairsville (2-6) has lost three straight games, but Tigers coach Jason Swiney isn’t discouraged when it comes to his team.
“We’re just searching for consistency, both from individuals and from the team as a whole,” said Swiney. “We’ve had some good games this season and we’ve had some lousy ones.
“We know what to look for out of our kids and they’re starting to do the things we need them to do.”
Coosa (6-1) trailed 9-4 in the first quarter before going on a 16-2 run and closed the first quarter with a 20-11 lead behind seven points apiece from Moore and Foster.
Adairsville got to within 26-20 with 5:04 to go in the first half, but the Eagles pushed their lead back out to 35-24 by halftime as Edmondson scored six of Coosa’s 15 points in the quarter.
“We got several loose balls and were able to turn those into layups,” said Bing. “It got us the lead and we were able to break their press without us being bothered very much.”
Coosa put the game away with an 11-2 run to start the third quarter and the Tigers got no closer than 14 points the rest of the way.
Michael Frazier led Adairsville with 10 points and Anthony McConnell and Jacob Arp finished with nine each in the loss.
Coosa is at Darlington on Friday, while Adairsville is at Cass.
Eagles Come out Flat and Lose to Weaker Darlington
Darlington topples defending 6-AA champ Coosa 12/17/05
Joseph Myers, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Before his team’s game Friday night, longtime Darlington boys’ basketball coach Jim Van Es told his players to go out and play like they were somebody against No. 6 Coosa.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Tigers not only played like they were somebody, they won like they were somebody.
After trailing by one entering the final period, Darlington used a fourth-quarter run to pull away and post a 70-64 victory over Coosa in front of a packed house at the Huffman Center.
“We played pretty good,” said Darlington guard Corey Roper, who finished with a team-high 21 points. “(Van Es) told us before the game to go out and play like somebody tonight. We did and we won the game.”
Darlington (5-0, 1-0 Region 6-AA South) remained unbeaten with the win and is one of just two Greater Rome teams, along with Cedartown (6-0), to still have a perfect record.
“Our kids played awfully hard tonight,” said Van Es. “There were two good teams out there and it could’ve gone either way. It just happened to fall our way tonight.”
“We never had an answer for Darlington’s inside game,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing. “Darlington is a good team. It was a well-played game and coach Van Es is a great coach.
“We look forward to seeing them down the road.”
Roper had 13 of his 21 in the second half, including 10 in the third quarter to keep Darlington close as Coosa (6-2, 0-1) rallied from a 32-29 halftime deficit to take a 50-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The final frame was when the Tigers’ Shawn Powell and freshman Tyshawn Good took over, as they combined to score 12 of Darlington’s 21 points in the quarter.
Powell finished with 18 points, nine coming in the first quarter and another seven in the fourth, and Good added 15 off the bench, netting five in the fourth quarter and nine in the second half.
“We just try to get everybody involved,” said Roper. “If we get everybody involved, we’re going to play well and win.” Coosa was within 54-53 after three free throws by Corey Edmondson — who had a game-high 25 points — with 6:43 remaining, but Darlington scored 10 of the next 13 to pull out to a 64-56 lead with 3:19 to go. “I’m proud of how our kids and their kids played,” said Van Es. “I always enjoy playing against Coosa because they have a good program and (Bing) does good stuff.” Coleco Kidd also had 15 for the Eagles in the loss.
Darlington hosts No. 2 Buford today, while Coosa faces either Gordon Central or Pepperell in the second round of the Rome News-Tribune Holiday Festival on Wednesday.
Eagles Advance to Semi Finals of RNT Tournament
Coosa 70, Pepperell 63
The Eagles overcame a slow start and some foul trouble to knock off the Dragons and move into the semifinals.
Coosa point guard Nick Moore picked up three fouls in the first half, causing the Eagles’ offense to stutter and allowing Pepperell to build as much as a 10-point lead.
However, the Eagles (7-2) got 18 first-half points from Corey Edmondson to stay within 37-36 at halftime.
Moore scored 10 points in the third quarter to help Coosa go from being down one to up 57-49 heading into the final eight minutes.
Edmondson had 22 points to top Coosa. Chad Williams scored 15, Moore had 14 — all in the second half — and Coleco Kidd added 10.
Steven Pruitt was Pepperell’s leading scorer with 15 points. Tom Hickman finished with 13 and Brandon Lovering tossed in 11.
Coosa takes on Cedartown in the semifinals tonight at 8:30 at Shorter, while Pepperell faces Calhoun in a consolation game at 5:30 at Shorter.
Eagles Down Armuchee
01/14/06
Jim O'Hara, Rome News-Tribune Sports Editor
There must be some kind of switch on the Coosa Eagles’ bench.
If there is, it was clicked on at the start of the second quarter of Friday’s Region 6-AA South game against host Armuchee, and it stayed on for the next 16 minutes of play on the court.
Thanks to a pair of 27-point explosions in the second and third periods, Coosa remained in the upper ranks of the subregion when the Eagles rolled to an 89-61 win over the Indians.
“Armuchee took it to us right away,” Coosa coach Larry Bing said after the Eagles improved to 12-3 overall and 3-1 in 6-AA South. “But we finally got into our transition game and into the tempo we wanted to play.”
That tempo was lightning-fast, with junior Corey Edmondson and Coosa’s nine 3-pointers leading the way.
After the Indians held their own, playing Coosa to a 20-20 deadlock at the end of the first quarter, the light went on when that “hidden” switch was turned on. The Eagles outscored Armuchee 27-15 in the second period.
Providing the spark was Edmondson, who poured in 25 of his game-high 27 points in the first half.
The third quarter was even more one-sided in favor of the Eagles. They outscored Armuchee 27-11, and eventually built as much as a 32-point lead.
“They’re tough when they get into their game,” Armuchee coach Ray Tucker said.
Edmondson paced four Eagles in double figures as Coleco Kidd connected for 19 points, and Jason Kirk and Tynoris Foster added 10 each.
Corey Dowdy led the Indians (4-15, 0-4) with 18 points and Taylor Vaughn had 13.
While Armuchee remains home on Tuesday against Pepperell, Coosa stays on the road, visiting Model.
Coosa Holds Off Dragons
Boys prep basketball roundup 01/10/06
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Off the court, Coosa coach Larry Bing and Pepperell coach Steve Horne are great friends.
On the court, their respective teams always battle it out like property and prize money are on the line.
It was no different on Tuesday night in a 74-73 Eagles home win, which came down to a blocked shot by Nick Moore at the buzzer to secure the victory for eighth-ranked Coosa.
“Both teams played well in stretches and not so well in others,” Bing said. “It was a very well played game and it’s a shame one team had to lose.”
Coosa’s Corey Edmondson led all scorers with 32 points, 13 of which came in the first quarter, and six three pointers.
Coleco Kidd had 14 points, including four 3s, and Moore added 11 for the Eagles (11-3, 2-1).
“Coosa shot lights-out in the first half,” said Horne, “It’s tough on a zone team. We just tried to hang in there when we were 10 down (at halftime). We hoped they couldn’t do it all night.”
Pepperell’s Steven Pruitt led the Dragons with 23 points, including five 3s.
Brandon Lovering had 19 and Alex Tortoso 14 for the Dragons (7-6, 1-2).
In all, the teams combined for 23 three-pointers in the game and used them to stay neck and neck for most of the night.
Coosa’s biggest lead was 10 at halftime (45-35), but the Dragons cut the deficit to four by the 2:20 mark of the third.
By the beginning of the fourth, Coosa’s lead was 62-60. Led by Tortoso and Lovering, the Dragons cut the deficit to 71-70 with 2:52 to go and tied the game at the 1:45 mark.
Coosa’s Moore hit a free throw moments later making it 74-73.
“I probably shouldn’t have used a foul right there, but I thought it would give us some time,” Horne said. “Win or lose the teams played hard and we had the shot we wanted with nine or 10 seconds to go and had a chance to win.”
Pepperell is at Darlington Friday, while Coosa is at Armuchee.
Eagles Rock Rockmart
from Rome News-Tribune Wrapup
No. 8 Coosa 83, Rockmart 66
The Eagles got a big night from Coleco Kidd and Corey Edmondson in a 6-AA South win over visiting Rockmart.
Kidd scored 24 points, while Edmondson added 21 for the Eagles (10-3, 1-1).
Armond Tolbert led Rockmart (3-10, 0-2) with 19 points, while De’Andre Blackmon had 17 and Justin Haynes added 13.
Back on Track Eagles Down Chattooga
Coosa 89, Chattooga 85
Corey Edmondson led six Coosa players in double figures with 20 points in a thriller over Chattooga.
Tynoris Foster added 19 for Coosa (9-3), Nick Moore and Coleco Kidd had 14 apiece, Chad Williams 11, and Andre McHenry 10 for the Eagles.
Ryan Hughes and Will Walker led Chattooga with 20 each, Antwain White had 16 and Jack McCutchins 14. Chattooga trailed 86-83 with 30 seconds left and turned the ball over on the in-bounds pass.
It marked the first time in three years that Chattooga lost back-to-back games.
Eagles Win "Thriller in the Nest" against Darlington
| |  | | Photo by WT Martin, Rome News-Tribune |
Eagles beat No. 5 Tigers at the buzzer
01/21/06
David Dawson, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Coosa sophomore Nick Moore produced the most memorable individual performance of Saturday’s Region 6-AA showdown at the Eagles’ Nest.
And that’s pretty bold acclaim, considering Moore scored only four points.
Moore hit a leaning 10-foot jumper just before the clock expired to lift Coosa to a frantic 85-83 win over Darlington in front of a massive crowd at Coosa’s gym.
“As fast as Nick is in the open floor, I’d take my chances with him every time,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing.
The victory allowed Coosa to get back in the hunt for the 6-AA title. The Eagles (13-4, 4-2) are now one game behind front-runners Darlington (13-3, 5-1) and Model.
Corey Edmondson scored a team-high 26 points and Bobby Smith added 20 in his first game of the season with the Eagles.
Darlington got a terrific outing from Shawn Powell, who scored a game-high 30, while Corey Roper and Tyshawn Good had 14 each.
But Moore upstaged them all.
After Darlington had tied the game at 83 on Good’s double-pump jumper with eight seconds left, Moore took the inbounds pass and went the length of the floor. He pulled up in front of the foul line for his game-winning floater, which swished through just before the horn.
The Coosa students stormed the floor, mobbing Moore and his teammates.
“I just let it go and hoped it would go in,” said Moore. “I didn’t want to go overtime. I wanted to end it there.”
Moore’s only other basket was a buzzer-beating jump shot that ended the first half.
I guess that’s one way to make sure the other team can’t answer,” said Bing.
The hugely-hyped game lived up to its billing, and the packed-out building rocked all evening. Fans were standing shoulder-to-shoulder throughout the concourse area, as there wasn’t a seat to be found.
“This is the way high school basketball ought to be,” said Bing. “As a player, you should feel honored to play in an environment like this.”
“The fans got their money’s worth,” said Darlington coach Jim Van Es. “It was a great ball game, and a tough one to lose. But we’ll keep plugging away.”
The Darlington student section was informed during the week that they wouldn’t be allowed to wear costumes to the game, which is their tradition.
Instead, the Darlington students dressed formally, with the boys wearing coats and ties and the girls wearing cocktail dresses.
The Tiger fans had plenty of reasons to get loud much of the night. With Powell scoring one big basket after the next, Darlington led throughout the first 24 minutes, owning a 32-28 edge at the half and as much as an eight-point lead in the third quarter.
But Coosa roared back in the fourth, eventually building a 79-71 lead with 3:03 to play. Darlington followed with one last push, eventually tying the game on Good’s tough shot.
Then came Moore’s heroics — and the jubilation from the Coosa crowd and players.
I challenged the kids before the game,” said Bing. “I told them that Darlington hadn’t beaten us here in 12 years, and I told them they didn’t want to be the team that stopped the streak.”
Coosa visits Armuchee on Tuesday and Coosa is at Rockmart.
Eagles Down Yellowjackets
Rome News-Tribune Staff Reports
Coosa 86, Rockmart 64
The Eagles had a big night in Rockmart, hitting 11 3-pointers and placing five players in double figures.
Corey Edmondson led all scorers with 29 points for the Eagles (14-4, 5-2) and was aided by Trey Tolbert (13), Chad Williams (12), Coleco Kidd (11) and Tynoris Foster (10).
The Yellow Jackets (4-16, 1-6) were paced by De’Andre Blackmon’s 28 points.
Eagles Hold On to Down Indians
Coosa 67, Armuchee 65
Corey Edmondson’s 3-pointer with 25 seconds left proved to be the game-winner as Coosa edged upset-minded Armuchee in a 6-AA South game at Coosa.
Edmondson finished with a game-high 26 points for Coosa (16-4, 6-3), which moved into a first-place tie with Darlington in 6-AA South. Bobby Smith added 13 points for the Eagles and Chad Williams had 10.
Armuchee (4-20, 0-9) was paced by Corey Dowdy’s 22. Ben Patrick added 21 and Taylor Vaugh scored 10.
Eagles Win Another Region TItle
Boys Prep Basketball: Eagles wrap up top spot
02/04/06
Chris DePew, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Make room on the banner. Coosa has another boys’ basketball title.
The Eagles secured the top spot in Region 6-AA South at home Friday with a convincing 86-58 blowout of Model. Coosa (17-4, 8-2) finished tied with Darlington in the subregion, but took the title thanks to a season sweep over Pepperell.
The Blue Devils were the last team to defeat Coosa, and for a half it looked like Model might pull another upset. The lead changed hands six times and the Eagles led only 32-28 at intermission.
Then Coosa opened the third quarter on a 20-3 run, and the championship celebration was on.
“We’ve had championships for seven years in a row now, and we challenged our kids with that,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing, glancing at the black title banners gracing the rafters.
“This year, it’s really more important for (region tournament) seeding, because this is probably the most balanced the region has been in some time.”
While Model was able to match Coosa’s frantic pace for two quarters, the Devils began to wilt under Coosa’s pressure.
“We got better defense on the press, and we stole a lot of points,” said Coosa’s Corey Edmondson, who finished with a game-high 30 points.
Thanks to Model’s 68-60 upset win on Jan. 17, Bing said his team “didn’t need too much of a pep talk” Friday. And even with the game in doubt at halftime, the Eagles stayed calm.
“I told them I felt like we had missed a bunch of shots we normally make,” said Bing. “Our pressure began to wear on them (in the second half).”
Coleco Kidd finished with 17 points for Coosa, while Nick Moore scored 14 and Bobby Lee Smith added 10.
Model got 17 points from Jack Moss, including four 3-pointers. Matt Gore scored 12 points for the Blue Devils, the No. 4 seed from the South in next week’s region tournament at Georgia Highlands College.
Wednesday, February 15
Eagles Down Dragons
| |  | | Photo by: Ken Caruthers, RN-T |
Erik Green, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
On Friday night in the semifinals of the region tournament at Georgia Highlands College, Coosa and Darlington advanced to the finals after big wins.
Coosa defeated Pepperell 60-55, while sixth-ranked Darlington beat Calhoun 65-56.
The win put Coosa (19-4) in the Region 6-AA finals for the seventh straight year. Darlington (19-4) is making its first appearance in the better part of a decade.
A win in the finals and the Eagles will earn their fourth straight region title and their sixth in the last seven years.
“We’re delighted to play each other,” said Darlington coach Jim Van Es of the Tigers’ showdown with his longtime friend Larry Bing and the Coosa Eagles.
“We like each other and they do a good job over there. We’re fortunate to play them.”
In Coosa’s win, the Dragons battled back from a 14-point halftime deficit to cut it to within two points with 16 seconds to go in the game. Up by three moments later, the Eagles fouled Pepperell’s Brandon Lovering, sending him to the foul line. At worst, Coosa would get the ball back with a one-point lead with nine seconds to go if he made both free throws.
Instead, Lovering missed the front end of the 1-and-1 and Coosa got the ball back with a three-point lead.
Coosa’s Coleco Kidd made the final two points of the night on foul shots to give the Eagles the win.
“You can’t dig yourself in as big a hole as we were in (in the first half) against good teams in the region tournament,” said Pepperell coach Steve Horne. “We have a big consolation game (today). Being third is better than being fourth.”
As the top two seeds from the region, Coosa and Darlington will stay at home in the first round of the tournament while Pepperell (14-10) and Calhoun (17-9) hit the road
“We played a great first half but Pepperell came out and did what they needed to get a nice run going and get after us,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing. “We were lucky to hang on. We missed some free throws but we made the ones we needed to.”
Corey Edmondson led Coosa with 21 points and Bobby Lee Smith and Coleco Kidd had 13 each.
Steven Pruitt scored a game-high 23 points for Pepperell and Lovering had 12 for the Dragons.
Monday, February 20
Eagles Lose Close One in First Round of State Playoffs
| |  | | Photo by Ken Caruthers, Rome News-Tribune |
02/18/06
Chris DePew, Rome News-Tribune Sports Writer
Coosa’s Bobby Smith (right) makes a move around Decatur defender Josh Collington during Friday’s state tournament game. Ken Caruthers, Rome News-Tribune. Coosa picked a bad night to show its age.
With only one senior in the rotation, the Eagles had exceeded expectations this season with 19 wins, a Region 6-AA championship and a No. 2 seed in the state tournament.
But in Friday’s first round matchup against Decatur, Coosa’s young team absorbed a tough lesson. The Bulldogs rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to knock off Coosa 76-71 at the Eagles’ Nest.
Third-seeded Decatur scored 51 points after halftime to advance to a second-round game Thursday in Jonesboro against Putnam County.
The Bulldogs finally exploited their size advantage in the second half, pulling down 13 offensive rebounds over the final two quarters after managing just one in the first half.
Coosa’s cause wasn’t helped when senior post player Chad Williams picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. He spent the next 7:40 on the bench as Decatur melted away Coosa’s lead.
“In the first half, I felt like our 1-3-1 zone really messed their rhythm up,” said Coosa coach Larry Bing. “When Chad got in foul trouble, we couldn’t play our 1-3-1.”
The Eagles (19-6) were able to hang onto the lead into the fourth quarter before an untimely scoring drought. Decatur’s 16-0 run put the Bulldogs ahead 68-58 with two minutes remaining and Coosa never got closer than two possessions the rest of the way.
“We got in too big a hurry at the end when we were only four (points) down,” said Bing.
Corey Edmondson scored 24 points for Coosa, but Bing lamented the Eagles’ inability to feed the ball to him and to Coleco Kidd (12 points) more in the second half.
Bobby Smith scored 16 points for the Eagles, and Williams finished with 10.
Coosa ended the first half on a 16-5 scoring run, aided by a swarming defense that produced multiple turnovers. Kidd’s 15-foot jumper at the horn gave the Eagles a 35-25 lead. But once Decatur stepped up, Coosa didn’t have an answer.
“They’ve been under pressure before. But we made a few inopportune turnovers, and it led to a couple of easy baskets for them,” said Bing. Jerron Stone scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the second half for Decatur.
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