Abbeville High girls basketball players are cheered in the hallway of Abbeville Elementary School on Friday. Shortly after the players, again with a police escort, moved down to the Henry County School Board offices for a pep talk from Superintendent Lori Beasley. The players are getting the well wishes and cheers in advance of their state semifinal game on Monday afternoon in Birmingham. The Jackets , ranked fifth in the state rankings, face top-ranked Decatur Heritage at 3 p.
Brooks, who is in his 21st season as coach at Abbeville, said the Jackets feature a balanced team with no true superstars. To me that is what makes it difficult for opponents.
In the past, teams have been able to key on one player and stop us. Now, we have the total package. Assistant coach Tiara Knight also played for that team. We have to get the ball out of our hands fast. Brooks echoed the same thought, noting the Eagles play both a man and a press and also feature half-court presses.
The Eagles have posted 21 games out of 34 with 60 or more points, including two point efforts and two in the 90s. She is a point guard, but she can play every position on the floor. The Eagles also feature 6-foot-1 post player Layla Hanvy, a sophomore, and 5-foot guard Leslie Hames, who accounted for 42 points and 14 rebounds at the regional tournament.
For the season, McGhee averages Emma Eastman, a guard, averages Hames has hit 98 3-pointers on the season, Eastman 54 and Bri Tyson off the bench has 60 threes. All three are shooting better than 32 percent on 3-pointers. The Abbeville-Decatur Heritage winner advances to the state championship on Friday morning at 9 a.
