Region lead within sight for Central's girls

Macon's storied basketball tradition includes championships and deep playoff runs from the girls programs at Southwest, Westside and Northeast.

With a win Tuesday night over Kendrick, Central, a program that has been an afterthought compared with its rivals for much of its history, can take a step in carving its own legacy.

"I had a young lady come to me one day last week, and she was just saying that she played at Central, and it was not the best program in the world (when she played)," Central head coach Sheila Toombs said. "She said that she really appreciated the fact that my girls have started to understand what kind of tradition they can start here at Central."

The Chargers enter Tuesday in second place in GHSA Region 2-AAA with a record of 11-5 overall and 9-1. Standing in the way of reaching first place is Kendrick with a 17-1 record, having won all 10 of its region contests. A win by Central would force a tie for first while a loss would give the Cherokees a commanding two-game lead.

Kendrick, ranked fourth in the most recent Score Atlanta Girls AAA poll, is on a path that has became a standard performance during the past few years. With three more wins, Kendrick will have won at least 20 games in the past seven seasons, according to MaxPreps.com. It also won the GHSA Class AA state title in 2014.

"They're a barometer of excellence because they play hard every night, their pressure never stops, they keep playing," Toombs said. "They work hard with what they are doing."

Tuesday begins a stretch that can make or break Central's top-seed aspirations prior to seeding for the region tournament. The Chargers have five regular-season games remaining, including two against Kendrick.

They will look to replicate play on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor that has enabled them to win their past five games. That has been fueled by the backcourt, according to Toombs. It's a group led by JenYa Wilder, who torched Southwest for 23 points Saturday.

"The guard play makes the whole engine start. Defensive-wise, we have started to press a little bit more," Toombs said. "They're starting to press more because they've been getting steals."

But there's more to Central's success than the backcourt. The Chargers' forwards also have forged ahead, taking pressure off the guards. And the more Central can step up in the frontcourt, the more comfortable it is at spreading the ball out on offense. Kamry Hassan, who has scored in double figures in two of Central's past three games, is at the heart of the inside presence.

"They're starting to trust the post a little bit more and not rely so much on the boards," Toombs said. "Kamry and the re-emergence of (Jada) Clower has been key for us to move up to another level."

And the Chargers hope that continues Tuesday against Kendrick.

This story was originally published January 18, 2016 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Region lead within sight for Central's girls ."