Ooltewah senior guard Jordan McCullough did not hesitate when asked if she knew the Lady Owls would have a strong 2021-22 season.
“Oh yeah. I knew we were good,” said McCullough who has averaged a team-high 16 points per game with her new program. “This summer we went to a play day and we got our first three wins. After that we didn’t look back. We wanted to keep winning.”
Under first-year head coach James Baird the Ooltewah girls’ basketball program has been re-energized.
For the first time since 2003 the program earned a berth in the region tournament. The Lady Owls did so by completing a season sweep of Walker Valley with a 56-51 win in the District 5-4A tournament at McMinn County last Friday. Their 15th win of the season that night matched their previous season-high dating all the way back to the 2004-05 season.
Senior point guard Jada Tharp has helped spur a diverse offense which has had McCullough – a Grundy County transfer – along with senior Faith O’Donnell and junior McKenzie Bernier combine to average more than 40 points per game. All three leading scorers have led Ooltewah (15-14) in scoring on a different night and have scored 22 points or more in a game this season.
McCullough and Bernier have been tough to stop with their quick burst and finishing abilities around the rim, while O’Donnell has been a steady 3-point presence.
“This season has really been exciting,” said Tharp, who had 10 assists in a win over Walker Valley. “I love the culture on this team and to be able to have this much success has been really fun. Getting to the region tournament means so much to us all.”
Win or lose in Friday’s Region 3-4A road matchup against Coffee County (28-3), the year the Lady Owls have had on the court will not soon be forgotten.
“One day back in January we sat down as a team and looked at the records from 2001 until now,” coach Baird said. “There were only a few of those teams that had double digit win seasons. I just kept telling them, ‘Guys, this is special. You are doing something that hasn’t been done here in a really long time.’ They have really left their mark on this program.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.