They are professional businesswomen, mothers and wives now. But the members of Rossville's 1986 basketball team, one of the last in that school's history, also have another claim.
They are the last girls' basketball team from our northwestern Georgia area to have claimed a state championship. Dade County and Dalton have each finished runner-up twice, and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe and Northwest Whitfield have each lost in a final once since Rossville's title.
And tonight, between the boys' and girls' games at Ridgeland High, each player, coach and manager from that celebrated team will step onto the court once again, this time to be honored.
Rossville High closed its doors after the 1990 school year, its students consolidating with those from Chattanooga Valley to make up Ridgeland High. Tonight's ceremony should be more than just a few moments for fans to applaud that 26-year-old accomplishment.
Like other small communities in our area, once the high school closed, the town of Rossville lost much of its identity and spirit. Sadly, even the sign that once stood near the town's courthouse proclaiming the Lady Bulldogs' state championship is no longer there. So tonight is a chance for the entire Rossville community, former students and supporters, to fill Ridgeland's gym, puff out their collective chest with pride and relive the memorable moments, because that's what made seasons like the Lady Bulldogs' 1986 title run so special.
"A lot of those players tell me that other than the birth of their children, or their marriage, that game was the biggest moment of their life," said Sharon Vantrease, who was in her fourth year as Rossville's coach when she led the Lady Bulldogs to the title. "There's nothing more special than that, to know I was a part of that moment for so many girls. But it's not just for them -- it's one of the most amazing things that's ever happened to me, too.
"I started that team from the time they were very little and raised those girls in the gym. I coached them from middle school, jayvee and then took over the varsity and they just kept getting better as they got older. The thing that will always stick out to me is how close all those girls were to each other and still are today."
Fittingly, Ridgeland's opponent tonight is Ringgold, the school that Rossville outlasted for the Georgia Class AAA championship. The Lady Bulldogs had never beaten their rivals, including five losses to Ringgold that season, before junior guard Susan Quarles, who was playing in only her fourth game after returning from knee surgery, hit two late free throws for the winning margin at Georgia Tech.
"I remember having to ride down separately with my mom because I had to go see my doctor near Atlanta to get cleared to play," Quarles said. "Even back then I thought it was pretty neat that two teams from the same area were playing for the state championship. I remember how the hallway echoed when we were walking from the locker room to the court, because we were cheering really loud on our way out. And I remember everybody rushing out on the floor after we won.
"Ringgold was a very good team, but I think the one thing we had going for us was how close we were from having played together so many years. We even hung out together away from basketball. We were just determined to do something special together."
Even years removed from their days as high school teammates, the players remain extremely close. They meet every few months at a local restaurant or one of their houses to catch up with one another. And now that two of their own -- state tournment MVP Kim Shropshire and former assistant coach Krista Seckinger -- are battling breast cancer, the former Lady Bulldogs have only grown closer.
"Winning that championship is something we're all very proud of, and I'm glad the community will honor our team," said Kim Sisson, who was a junior guard on the title team. "That was a great accomplishment for us, our school and our community. But as much as that means to me, it's the friendships I made then and still have that mean so much to me."