FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. – It’s not uncommon for high school sports teams to say they’re family.
In the case of the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe girls’ basketball program, those ties are very real – and they’re a special part of the turnaround that has taken the Lady Warriors from 0-19 last season to legitimate contenders for the GHSA Class AAA state championship this year.
LFO is 24-1 and has a bye into the Region 6-AAA tournament semifinals this week, meaning the Lady Warriors will finish no worse than fourth and already have a state berth locked up. Their only loss this season is to Tennessee power Bradley Central, and the highlights have included a dominant title run at the Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament in late December.
Of 19 players on coach Dewayne Watkins’ roster, 10 are sisters – there are five sets – including junior Angel Simmons, who has led LFO’s extraordinary press defense, and senior point guard Princess Simmons, who has averaged seven assists and more than five steals per game. The Simmons sisters have made the most of their opportunity after having to sit out last season due to transferring in from Lookout Valley.
“When the season started, Coach Watkins said you are either all the way in or you’re out,” Princess said. “We took some hits last year, but we all kept working knowing this year we had a chance to do something special. Our focus from day one has been to play hard together on the court and to get to the state tournament.”