State Champions

Fort Dale JV girls win state championship

 

Fort Dale’s JV girls basketball team capped off a perfect 15-0 season by winning the AA State Championship Tournament Saturday Jan. 25.

The tournament, hosted by Fort Dale, consisted of the top eight teams in the AISA division AA.

It has been a magical year for the JV Lady Eagles, and they had one of the most dominating seasons in memory.

Coached by Glenn Branum and Abbie Ballew, the team consisted of 18 players, five ninth graders, nine eighth graders and four seventh graders.

They were very deep in talent and could play multiple groups of players without much change in the product on the court. In fact, they were able to play all 18 players in all but two games this season.

“This group of girls is truly special. It is rare to get a group so big that is also so packed with talent. They are athletic, coachable, and so cohesive,” said Ballew. She added, “The way they attacked each game was something amazing to watch”.

Basketball is a rich tradition at Fort Dale and 10 of the players have one or both parents that played basketball for Fort Dale.

This group knows the importance of hard work and the expectations of those that came before them.

Averaging 40 points a game, they held their opponents to only 11 points. The pride and measure of this team is their smothering defense and full court pressure.

With grit and hustle, Fort Dale forced opposing teams to an average of 31 turnovers a game, while committing only 12 turnovers themselves.

They are refined and gentle young ladies during the day, but when they cross the lines onto the basketball court, there is a dramatic transformation.

There are many scrapes and bruises among this team, a product of the unselfish effort and reckless abandon that they bring to their defense.

Whether it is diving for loose balls or fighting to get a rebound, they are relentless and intense, traits that cannot be taught. It was truly a team effort.

“We have been playing together since peewee,” said Izzy Anderson. “This team is a hard-working group. We encourage each other and help each other reach the goals we set,” she added. “We all get along and when we get on the court, we don’t play selfish, and we play as a team striving to get better every day”.

This talented group is not dominated by one player but instead has spread its offensive and defensive production among multiple players.

Only eight points separate the top four leading scorers for the year. And only thee rebounds separate the top two rebounders.

In fact, each of the five starters who are Izzy Anderson, Julia Ballew, Ella Ealum, Allie Newton and Sarah Catherine Skipper, led the team in at least one statistical category.

It is evident to any observer that there is spiritual strength in this team. Whether it is in their prayer after every practice, or before every game, or in how they conduct themselves on and off the court, one can tell by their daily walk that this is a group of young ladies that are strong in their faith.

The five ninth graders provided outstanding leadership this season, a common denominator in all great teams.

Julia Ballew provided insight into that leadership. “The ninth graders on the team tried hard to lead by example and to hustle, compete, practice and play at 100% every day,” she said.

“It was also important for us to lead the team spiritually as well, both on the court and in the locker room,” she continued. “We were challenged with Joshua 1:9 to be strong and courageous during the state tournament and I hope it is something we will always remember.”

Fort Dale’s undefeated record allowed them to be the number one seed going into the tournament and they had to win three games in a row to secure the championship.

The opening game was a 29-15 win against Morgan Academy. In the semi-finals, the JV Lady Eagles faced Lowndes Academy and came away with a 32-19 victory.

The championship game pitted Fort Dale against Springwood. After a close first half, the JV lady Eagles blew the game open in the opening minutes of the third quarter and cruised to a 39-17 victory.

The final horn saw the JV lady Eagles erupted into a joyous celebration of hugs and tears, along with the jubilant home crowd.

Julia Ballew and Izzy Anderson were named to the All-Tournament Team and Ella Ealum was named tournament most valuable player.

For Ella Ealum, the championship was impactful. “Ever since I started basketball in the third grade, I dreamed about being a state champion one day, she said.

She added, “The path was never easy. There were many practices that were so tough, but I realize in the long run those are the ones that molded me into the player I am now. Being a state champion is one of the greatest feelings ever!”

The ninth graders will be moving up after the season but there is a strong nucleus of 13 younger players returning and the expectations are still high for next year.

There are good days ahead for Fort Dale girls basketball.