Pep Rally Sends Lady Spartans Off To Today's Semifinals

It’s been an exciting week at as the girls basketball team has readied themselves for this afternoon’s semifinals of the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA state tournament.

“Without question the energy and talent our student-athletes and coaches are displaying is contagious,’’ said CHS Principal, Dr. Grant Rivera. “It has been exciting to watch our staff and student body rally around the team’s success."

The Lady Spartans (25-6) have won 18 of their last 20 games and will face Norcross (27-3) at 4 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. The winner will face the winner of McEachern-Mill Creek second semifinal for the championship on Friday night.

Patch will have a game preview posted here today and complete game coverage from Gwinnett. And check out the accompanying video to hear what coach Randy McClure has to say about his senior players.

After eight previous failures in the elite eight, including six of the past seven years, the Lady Spartans finally last Saturday in beating region rival North Cobb at Fort Valley State University. It is the program’s first final four appearance since the school opened in 1990 as a merger of the old Campbell and Wills high school.

“I’ve got a bunch of seniors that have gone deep in the playoffs three years in a row,’’ McClure said. “We’re not talking about pressure, we’re talking about working hard so we can get to Friday.”

But there’s been much enthusiastic chatter of Lady Spartan hoops in the CHS hallways this week. And on Thursday morning there was a mini-pep rally in the school cafeteria featuring cheerleaders, the band and classmates, all wishing the team good luck.

“The whole school is really with us,’’ said senior forward Angel Foster, a vital player in the team’s drive to reach the final four. “We’re trying to win it, not just for us, but for the coaches and teachers and the whole school.’’

And outside observers are also celebrating McClure, who after coming close so many times before, is now coaching in the state semifinals for the first time in 21 years at the school.

“He has been an exceptional role model, teacher and coach for many years and we are proud for him to have reached this milestone,’’ Rivera said.