By Gene Stanley/Correspondent
Balance is the name of the game this year for Gadsden City High’s girls basketball team.
With Troy University signee Daija Williams scoring on the inside and two great shooters in freshmen Haley Troup and Brooke Burns on the outside, the Titans have it all covered – including “slasher” Takara Blount.
“Haley and Brooke have to be considered two of the best freshmen in the state,” coach Jeremy Brooks said. “They’re both pretty accurate shooters and they keep other teams from being able to collapse inside on Daija.”
The Titans, 18-3 and ranked No. 9 in 6A, have another threat in “Microwave” Taylor Tucker.
“She’s able to come in at times and give us a big boost in points,” Brooks said. “We’ve had five players, if not six, to score in double digits this season. Hopefully the balance will help us in the playoffs.”
The playoffs start Feb. 6, with Gadsden City hosting Pell City in the first round of the Area 9 tournament.
“I think the poll has the right teams in it,” Brooks said. “They may not be in the correct order, but they’re pretty accurate otherwise.”
Brooks said he considers the Northeast Regional Tournament to be pretty even this year, with several teams having a shot at getting to Jacksonville and any of those squads having a good chance at winning the tournament and going to Birmingham for the Final 48.
“Sparkman is maybe the team to beat in 6A,” he said. “But we wouldn’t meet them until the state championship game because they play at Wallace State (in the North Regional).
‘After Sparkman, there’s a whole handful of teams that can win, according to who’s hot and who’s not. There’s not a team like Hoover was that is a huge favorite to win at Jacksonville.”