GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH OF THE YEAR: Season made Pelham coach Antonia Tookes dance

ALBANY — They just wanted to see their coach dance.

Before the Region 1-AA title game against Thomasville High School, Pelham coach Antonia Tookes promised she would dance if they could secure a victory.

The result was a 59-25 dismantling in the Georgia High School Association Region 1-AA championship game.

“I told them I was going to do it,” Tookes said with a chuckle. “I had to keep my word. So yeah, they made me dance.”

Pelham’s region title, the Lady Hornets’ third in a row, and the success they saw this year is a major reason Tookes is the Albany Herald Girls Coach of the Year.

“Anytime you win any championship back-to-back-to-back is a great thing,” Tookes said. “I told them, ‘We’ve got to three-peat.’ That was probably the most exciting win this year. I enjoyed it.”

Pelham finished the year 28-2 and made a run into the elite eight where they lost to the eventual state title winner — Holy Innocents Episcopal.

The Lady Hornets opened the season on an 11-game winning streak that saw them win six games by more than 30 points.

“We had players that bought into our system,” Tookes said. “Every year, our goal is to win the state championship. We came short of that this year, but it was a fun ride.”

The lone regular season loss came on a road trip against Class AAAAAA Lowndes. It was the second consecutive year that Pelham lost just two games.

Since arriving in 2010, Tookes has compiled a record of 178-22 and built a team that is a perennial powerhouse.

“Coach Tookes is great,” Pelham’s Quadranique Franklin said. “I can’t say enough about her. She really treats us like we are her kids. She really cares about us and that makes us grind more. We want to win for her.”

After losing last year’s Albany Herald Player of the Year, Briunna Freeman to Arkansas, the Lady Hornets had multiple players contribute this year.

“These kids had to show they could play too,” Tookes said. “When I had Briunna, everyone waited to see what she would do on the floor. It was more of a team concept instead of watching just one great player perform.”

Pelham had three different girls average double digits this year including Franklin, who was named the Region 1-AA Player of the Year after averaging 17 points per game. Destiny Thomas and Mahogany Randall averaged 12 and 10 points respectively and were both named to the Region 1-AA First Team.

In the end, the dancing was worth it.

“I would do it again. It was definitely worth it,” Tookes said.