After losing 19 games as freshmen, can Southwest’s seniors win a state basketball title?

When Southwest girls basketball’s seniors were freshman, the team went 5-19 and was winless in region play. Three seasons later, those same girls want to win a state title.

Ja’Khyla Johnson, a senior guard and the Patriots leading scorer, said a big part of their success has come from the relationships the seniors have built during their four years as teammates and friends. She trusts the others because they have been playing together for so long.

Those seniors include starters Johnson, forward Avrie Grayer and guard Shygeria Williams, along with forwards Shaquandra Haywood and Tamia Burney, who come off the bench.

“The chemistry helps a lot. We play together all year round,” Johnson said. “But it’s more than just basketball. We go to the movies together. We always hang together.”

The Patriots so far this season are 19-2, which shows how much the seniors have worked over the past four years to improve and transform the program.

“It is special because we started them out as ninth graders and you know we had our struggles,” Southwest head coach Willie Goolsby said. “They love each other.”

Group of players improved each season

During the seniors’ time at Southwest, the team has improved each year. As sophomores, they went 13-10. As juniors, they were 18-8 and ended their season with a 59-50 loss to Woodville-Tompkins in the first round of the state playoffs.

One of Goolsby’s challenges this season has been managing the team’s confidence. He doesn’t want them to overlook any opponent as they head into the postseason.

The two losses (63-46 to Baldwin on Dec. 20 and 69-55 to East Laurens on Jan. 4) have been important in the team’s development.

“The coach’s responsibility is to make sure they don’t get too high, too big-headed,” Goolsby said. “I don’t like to lose but sometimes it is for the best and kids can see they aren’t invincible.”

Johnson surrounded by solid teammates

Johnson averages nearly 15 points per game. She also leads the team with 5 steals and 4 assists per game.

In 92 games for the Patriots, she has averaged nearly 10 points per game with five rebounds and four steals. Her playing experience is paying off in her senior season.

Johnson isn’t the only one to carry the load, however, Grayer is the team’s second-leading scorer with 14 points per game. She leads the team with an average of 9 rebounds. Williams scores 10 points per game and averages about three steals. The seniors have also gotten a boost from junior forward Stangious Alford, who is averaging nearly a double-double per game as the team’s third-leading scorer.

Last season’s playoff loss has motivated this year’s team. The seniors wants their final game to be a state title win at the Macon Coliseum.

“If we come out on top that would be such a blessing,” Johnson said. “We have been working so hard on this since our ninth grade year so it would just be great for us. … I feel like this is actually our year.”

This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.