Local Sports
TOP 10 STORIES OF 2008: Eagles win 2A state championship
Michael CummingsWhen it comes to the girls basketball team at Cold Springs High, finding the right words can sometimes be a challenge.
Good? Clearly, what with that 36-1 record and all.
Great? Definitely, considering the Eagles won their second Class 2A AHSAA state basketball championship this year.
But here’s another: Memorable.
In the long, proud history of Cullman County basketball, it would be hard to find a team more memorable than the one coached by Tammy West in 2008.
You like offense? You got it, with excellent 3-point shooting up and down West’s roster.
Or maybe you prefer defense — which the Eagles had in abundance, regularly holding top offensive teams to season-low point totals.
And then there’s the fundamentals — which are so good that another county coach recently called them “scary.”
It all added up to a county record for wins in a season, a permanent place atop the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A poll and an one unforgettable finish.
Clinging to a one-point lead against Reeltown late in the title game on Feb. 29, Cold Springs forced a bad shot before Jessi Harbison pulled down the championship-clinching rebound in a 55-54 win.
It was much closer than the Eagles wanted — Cold Springs led by 13 at one point — but that couldn’t do anything to diminish a history-making win for West’s team.
Such a memorable team meant The Times’ top sports story of 2008 could only have one address — up on the mountain in the southwest corner of Cullman County.
“This is something that we’ve worked for all year,” West said during the post-game press conference. “These girls came through until the very end. They did exactly what they had to do to win.”
Georgia Myrex led Cold Springs with 17 points in the title game, while tournament MVP Paige Parker added 16 points on three 3-pointers. Kayla Johnson added three 3-pointers, while Harbison tossed in nine points and Palee Myrex added four.
“We knew it was going to be tough,” West said. “But this was the state championship game, so that’s how it should be. Reeltown has been down here the last two years, and that experience doesn’t go away.”
And now, neither will the Eagles’ place as one of the best teams in the history of Cullman County basketball.
Michael Cummings can be reached by e-mail at michaelc@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 258.
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