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Football not the only thing that is good
Not too shabby considering it has never been done in this part of the world before. Unless you count the numerous track championships won by Clarke County High in the 1980's. But back in 2004 when the powers that be hired Jami Barlow to come in and coach the Lady Gators the primary reason was to add stability to the once strong girl's program. The first sport she coached was volleyball. Little did anyone know that the first of three state titles was about to come home to Clarke Prep. It almost all came crashing down after that one title, but a sack full of prayers and the grace of God kept Barlow in the fold after a near-tragic car accident. In the two years since that first title a different group of Lady Gators have been back to Montgomery and each one has brought back the big trophy. The odd thing is that each of the three previous title winners had their own way of winning the championship. The first one was probably the toughest because they were the first ones to get over the hump. That team had talent but had to be taught toughness. That is what Barlow brought to the school. Toughness and the knowledge of how to win the big one. She did several times at Fort Dale. The second title had the bulk of the same players and they did it the hard way. They decided to lose early in the tournament and then have to fight their way back through the loser's bracket. In the end that group of girls got to hoist the big trophy as they brought an improbably second straight title to the Lady Gators. Then last year's Lady Gators made everybody wonder if they were even going to make it back to the state tournament as they finished as runner-up in their own region. But once they hit the floor in Montgomery, they owned the tournament. To say they played in a business-like manner would be an understatement. They dispatched all comers in straight sets, never losing a game as they won their third straight state title. Now consider this. If the first team that won a state championship had been made up of only freshman players, then the argument could be made that it was just a strong group of players. But the fact that each team has graduated several key players, makes the run all that more impressive. When something like that happens, it comes down to one thing- coaching. Ironically the coach that was hired for her basketball skills turned out to be a pretty strong volleyball coach. Forget how the regular season goes because teams do lose games during the season. Just consider how they make their run during the post-season, how they hit their peak at the right time the past three seasons and you see a group that has been prepared to win when it counts. And that is coaching, I don't care what you say. You can't always make everyone happy, but I guarantee that when the dust settles, each and every person associated with the volleyball team at Clarke Prep, be it player, parent or fan, will not care how the season went, but will consume the feeling that comes with the feeling of a fourth straight title. I wish the Lady Gators and Coach Barlow all the luck in the world as they prepare to go to Montgomery this Saturday. Hopefully you can win that fourth title.
That's all folks..........
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