For a moment there, Fayetteville’s boys basketball team gave the Central Coosa faithful a scare.
The Cougars had previously beaten by 80 combined points in two regular-season matchups. So there was certainly a bit of overconfidence going into Tuesday’s Class 2A Area 8 semifinal.
kAm%92E D9@H65 62C=J @? 2D u2J6EE6G:==6 3FDE65 @FE 2? 62C=J =625 2D E96 r@F82CD =@@<65 2 3:E =24<252:D:42= E@ 368:?]k^Am
kAm“x 925 E@ AFE E96 D64@?5 E62> :? E@ 86E E96 6?6C8J FA[” r@@D2 4@249 #:492C5 q6== D2:5] “%96 WDE2CE6CDX H6C6?’E AFEE:?8 @FE E96 :?E6?D:EJ H96C6 :E D9@F=5 36[ D@ E96 D64@?5 E62> 3C@F89E 2 =@E @7 6?6C8J] (6 ?66565 E92E 2?5 :E 42CC:65 @G6C]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C E96 DE2CE6CD 5:5 86E E9:?8D 324< @? EC24< 2?5 ;F>A @FE E@ 2 5@F3=6\5:8:E =625[ q6== E@@< E96> @FE E@ 8:G6 @E96C 8FJD 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ] %96 DE2CE6CD 5:5 ?@E A=2J 7@C E96 D64@?5 92=7 @7 E96 7:CDE BF2CE6C @C E96 6?E:C6 D64@?5 BF2CE6C[ 2?5 E96 8FJD @77 E96 36?49 4=62C=J 42>6 E@ A=2J] %96:C 5676?D6 H2D @? A@:?E 2D E96J DE:7=65 u2J6EE6G:==6 2?5 E92E 42CC:65 @? E@ 2? gf\ca G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 2 =:EE=6 E2=< H:E9 E96 7:CDE E62> 2E 92=7E:>6 2?5 E96J 42>6 @FE :? E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C 2?5 A=2J65 2 H9@=6 =@E 36EE6C[” q6== D2:5] “~FC J@F?8 WDE2CE6CDX A=2J65 E@ E96 4@>A6E:E:@? =6G6=] x E9@F89E @FC 6?6C8J 2E Wq6?;2>:? #FDD6==X H2D C62= 9:89j E9:D E:>6[ E96J 42>6 5@H?] !2CE @7 36:?8 2 8@@5 32D<6E32== A=2J6C :D 2=H2JD A=2J:?8 92C5 ?@ >2EE6C H9@ J@FC 4@>A6E:E:@? :D]”k^Am
kAm}@E @?=J 5:5 E96 36?49 A=2J6CD AC@G:56 2 >F49\?66565 DA2C<[ :E H2D 2 8@@5 492?46 7@C 6G6CJ@?6 @? E96 C@DE6C E@ 86E :?G@=G65] !=2J:?8 ?@ DE2CE6CD :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C[ r6?EC2= r@@D2 W`a\hX 5:5?’E >:DD 2 362E] %96 r@F82CD H6C6 2== @G6C E96 A=246 5676?D:G6=J[ 7:?:D9:?8 H:E9 `_ DE62=D :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C 2=@?6] %96J 4@>3:?65 7@C a` @? E96 ?:89E]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6?’E AC6DD65 E9:D H9@=6 J62C 2?5 H6’C6 ?@E 2 G6CJ 8@@5 AC6DD:?8 E62>[” q6== D2:5] “$@ W%F6D52JX H6 5:5 2 =@E @7 a\`\a AC6DD E@ 86E E96> H@C<:?8 @? E92E] (6 >:89E ?665 E92E D@>6E:>6 5@H? E96 C@25[ D@ E92E’D H92E H6 C62==J 7@4FD65 @?] (6 7@4FD65 @? E92E 2?5 5@:?8 2 =:EE=6 9:89\=@H A=2J]”k^Am
kAmp?5 6G6CJ A=2J6C 4@?EC:3FE65] u:G6 r@F82CD 7:?:D965 :? 5@F3=6 7:8FC6D 2?5 EH@ @E96CD 4@?EC:3FE65 D6G6? A@:?ED] %C6 qFE=6C =65 H:E9 `e A@:?ED H9:=6 )2G:6C |@@? 42>6 @77 E96 36?49 E@ D4@C6 `c] s6BF2=@? %9@>2D[ |2C<FD $2?5=:? 2?5 "F:? qC@@<D DA=:E b_ 6G6?=J] s2HD@? sF?42? =65 E96 r@F82CD H:E9 `_ C63@F?5D 2?5 H2D E9C66 A@:?ED D9J @7 2 5@F3=6\5@F3=6 56DA:E6 4@>:?8 @77 E96 36?49] r@CJ $2?5=:?[ 2?@E96C 36?49 A=2J6C[ 925 D6G6? C63@F?5D 2?5 |@@? =65 E96 H2J H:E9 7:G6 DE62=D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@@5 E92E 6G6CJ3@5J 8@E 2 492?46 E@ A=2J[” q6== D2:5] “uC@> 96C6 @? @FE[ H6 <?@H :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 86E 2 H9@=6 =@E 92C56C 2?5 D@>6 @7 E9@D6 8FJD H9@ 92G6 366? H:E9 E96 AC@8C2> 7@C 2 H9:=6 >:89E ?@E 86E 2 492?46 E@ 86E :?[ D@ x’> 8=25 E96J 2== 8@E 2 492?46 E@ 86E @? E96 7=@@C]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 E96 G:4E@CJ[ r6?EC2= r@@D2 25G2?46D E@ 7246 %9@CD3J :? E96 2C62 492>A:@?D9:A @? %9FCD52J ?:89E] %96 #636=D H6C6 2 cd\c_ G:4E@C @G6C #66=E@H? :? E96 D6>:7:?2=D 2?5 3@E9 %9@CD3J 2?5 r@@D2 AF?4965 E96:C E:4<6ED E@ DF3\C68:@?2=D C682C5=6DD @7 9@H %9FCD52J ?:89E EFC?D @FE]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?[ r6?EC2= r@@D2 DA=:E H:E9 %9@CD3J[ 72==:?8 E96 7:CDE E:>6[ ec\da[ 3FE 2G6?8:?8 E96 =@DD[ e`\ca[ :? E96:C >@DE C646?E >66E:?8]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 2 =@E @7 D6?:@CD @G6C E96C6 2?5 x <?@H E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ ECJ E@ D=@H :E 5@H? @? FD 2?5 <66A E96 D4@C6 23@FE E96 c_D @C E96 d_D[” q6== D2:5] “$@ H6 8@EE2 36 A2E:6?E H:E9 @FC D9@@ED] (6 42?’E >2<6 2 =@E @7 >:DE2<6D =:<6 H6 925 W%F6D52JX D@ H6 8@EE2 C62==J 86E :E E@86E96C 36EH66? ?@H 2?5 %9FCD52J]”k^Am