Lady Owls playing with new approach

On the surface, not much has changed with the Ooltewah girls' basketball program, but a closer look reveals something else. The players are actually practicing, and they feel confident in the games being played.

And the team is winning twice as much as it has been losing.

The Lady Owls are 12-6 this season, including 4-2 in District 5-AAA. The win mark at this point equals that of the past two seasons combined.

Senior forward Kianna Delaney said the difference starts at the top, with second-year head coach Donnie Mullins.

"We've come a long way from where we were a couple of years ago," Delaney said. "We have a coach that cares now and pushes us. Before, we would just do whatever ... nowhere near what all we do now."

During a recent practice, Mullins had his varsity lineup practice against nine players on defense, in an attempt to emulate what their opponent tonight -- the fifth-ranked Bradley Central Bearettes -- will seem like in their press.

"My goal is to try to get the players I have past what was the 'Old Ooltewah,'" Mullins said. "They weren't very good; they didn't work very hard, get after it or go as hard as they could.

"They would show up, practice a little bit, play a couple of weeks and go home. We've had to go back and change their mindset; they hadn't expected to be good, but they've bought into what we've been teaching. They don't always play smart, but they play hard and they play well together."

According to Mullins, Delaney and junior forward Leondra Barrett, the highlight of the season was a 37-35 victory over Walker Valley, which was only the second time a Hamilton County team had defeated a girls' team based in Bradley County in the past 10 seasons. The other was a 64-61 victory by Red Bank over Cleveland in February of 2009.

"It was just the best feeling ever," Barrett said. "We didn't have a chance last year, but this season we felt we all could do it.

"When the game ended, I looked up at the scoreboard and realized, "That's us! We won!'"

Said Delaney: "It meant a lot for us to win that. In years past, those teams were unbeatable, but we were able to go in there and show everybody that we're here and we're here to stay."

The next step for the Lady Owls would be to earn their way into the Region 3-AAA tournament. Before the last classification, there were only four schools in District 6 -- Central, Ooltewah, Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy -- so by default all four advanced to the region. This season, the Lady Owls want the opportunity to advance there by their play in tough District 5-AAA.

"It would be good for the program as a whole," Mullins said. "The freshman girls that are on the team, they could see what it takes and want to take it even a step further.

"They need to expect good things, because if they don't, then they're probably not going to happen."