Lady Pats, 9-1, set for weekend of tests

ALBANY — Let it fly!

No, they don’t have bumper stickers and there are no plans to print T-shirts with that slogan, but ask anybody at Westover about this year’s girls basketball team and that’s what you will hear.

“I’ve coached a lot of teams, but I’ve never had a team shoot 3’s like this one,” Westover coach Lewis Smith said. “It’s not one or two girls, it’s a lot of them. They’re firing away. They all shoot threes. I’ve got one girl, she’s shooting 3s from the locker room.”

It’s bombs away for the Lady Patriots, who have surprised everyone with the new wide-open offense.

“A lot of my former players have come back and seen us play,” said Smith, who has coached at Westover since 1994. “‘They all ask me, ‘Since when do you let them shoot at will like that?’ “

Go ahead and criticize. Westover can take it, right along with its 9-1 record.

Not bad for a team that lost six seniors from last year’s group and also saw starter Ashley Johnson transfer to Monroe. The mass exodus left Smith wondering what kind of team he would have this season. He found out last summer during his annual six-week camp.

“What I found out this summer was I had a lot of girls who could shoot 3s,” he said. “It was un-nerving at first, and it took about half the season for me to be able to ride it out.”

Smith may need some Maalox before the season is over, but he’s growing to like the long-range shots — or at least to live with it — while his young team grows up.

These “baby” Lady Patriots have only two seniors. Three sophomores — DyTiesha Dunson, Ieshia Young and Cessily Colwell — start, and three freshmen — Kahler Fletcher, Shantaria Williams and ToiAnnah Campbell — see playing time.

“I’ve had sophomores start before,” Smith said. “But I always had seniors in my second (five). This team is so young, and I don’t have any seniors on the bench. So overall this is the youngest.”

Youth hasn’t changed the vision.

“The goal is to win it all,” said Danielle Glover, one of two seniors who start. “We can go all the way. I’m sure we wouldn’t be the first team with three sophomores starting to win a state title. And if not, then we will lead the way.”

The Lady Patriots’ only loss was to Randolph-Clay and arguably the top girls player in all of Southwest Georgia, Destiny Mitchell. They’ll get a chance to avenge that loss Saturday in Cuthbert, while they meet rival Monroe tonight at Westover to start the big weekend that could define just where this team stands.

Of course, they’ve been standing just fine without Latisha Williams, the team’s most versatile player whom Smith calls his “best” player.

“I say that because she can play all five positions,” Smith said.

Williams, a junior who suffered a dislocated shoulder Dec. 12, wants to return to the court tonight.

“I’m real excited to get back in there,” Williams said. “All I’ve been doing is sitting around and watching my team play. It’s been real tough. My shoulder is good enough to go, but I will have to take it easy. I’ve got plenty of time left in the season, but I’m really going to try to come back this week.”

Smith said he wasn’t sure if Williams would play against Monroe.

“She hasn’t practiced at all. I really can’t see playing her if she hasn’t practiced,” Smith said. “It’s been five weeks.”

Still, Westover has flourished despite the youth movement, the long 3s and the absence of Williams.

Dunson has emerged as a force. She is coming off a 31-point night in a region win against Perry and has become the go-to-player for Westover.

“I had to step up,” Dunson said. “I know we are young but we have time to grow.”

They do, but there are still 11 games left in the Regiion 1-AAA season, and then the region tournament and a possible run at a state title.

By then, everyone will be a little older.

And when Williams returns?

“That will be great,” Dunson said. “She’s coming back and that’s relieving. It will be less stress, and it will open up a lot of opportunities for all of us.”

In the meantime, Westover will keep firing those 3s.

“You’ve got to go with what you’ve got,” Smith said.

Let it fly!