If anyone predicted Puckett as the best team in South 2A, they might have sorely missed the mark. Puckett was not the best team in Region 5-2A Friday night. The Lady Bulldogs bested the Lady Wolves 67-43 in the girls 5-2A championship game.
Bay Springs answered all questions after the two teams split victories in the regular season. Bay Springs legend and head coach Nedra Hosey has her team in rhythm to make a deep playoff run.
"When we are playing together, and several girls are scoring and getting steals, we are a better team," Hosey answered when asked about this lopsided victory.
For those that may not remember, Hosey was one of the best players in the history of Bay Springs, and maybe the whole state in girls basketball. She won two state championships as a player and might get one as a coach at the same school. Hosey was feared as a scoring threat, and she never met a shot she did not like.
As a coach, you can watch her teams, and it does not take an avid fan to pick up what her style is - defense.
"I'm bad at this. We work on defense for almost two hours at practice. I forget to work on offense because I want to get it perfect. There are going to be days when people will stop us and days where we can't score," said Hosey about her philosophy, "I'm defensive minded [coach]. I'm not into shooting a lot of balls. I want good shots and ball rotation, but mainly defense."
Bay Springs has a rich history of women's basketball, and there were always leaders on the court to take them to a championship. This might be the year the Lady Bulldogs can overcome those tough moments in big games. They have a group of seniors with a wealth of experience under Hosey.
"They have run me crazy (laughing). They don't know how good they can be. They have been with me with seventh grade. They never quit, and we will miss them," Hosey commented about her senior class.
Her style on the court is not far from her playing style. She is a competitor that never backs down and never makes excuses. She hardly ever interacts with a referee, but will not wait a millisecond to hold one of her players accountable. Sometimes it may seem like she is never pleased, but that could not be further from the truth when it comes to her players.Â
"I can't get them away from me. They never leave me alone. People usually see me jumping and stomping my feet at them in games. They don't see what we do outside. We do a lot of things together outside the game, like team trips and dinners. They take a lot from me, and I try to reward them.," said Hosey about her love for this team.
It will take a lot more than love to accomplish what Hosey did as a player. It will take talent, good bounces, and a team that trusts each other and their coaches. Nothing is missing in this 2020 Lady Bulldogs team from winning it all, but it takes one bad game to see their season end abruptly.
The Bulldogs play Wesson at home Monday at 6 p.m. in the first round of the playoffs.
