The latest NACA National Rankings were released yesterday and our 28-point loss to Bethlehem knocked us out of the #1 position. We dropped to #2. Although being ranked #2 in the Nation is still quite an accomplishment for Covenant to be proud of, it does not get us the first round bye that we REALLY want going into the National Tournament.

Freedom Life Academy from Montgomery, AL (currently #1) has a record of 14-2 with only three games left. If they win all three games, they’ll end their season at 17-2 compared to our record of 17-5 (after we wrap up the regular season against Maranatha). 17-2 vs. 17-5 …that’s pretty much a no-brainer for the NACA to rank.

However, we have the opportunity to finish in the Regional/Final Four tourneys at 21-5 and may get the nod over Freedom Life Academy if they end up dropping a game or two in their post-season tournament.

Let’s not waste the opportunity that still lies before us.

Nobody ever remembers who finished second…except the guy who finished second.

Towel Boy headed to the Final Four?

The seeding for the upcoming East Regional Tournament is pretty much set and there are few (if any) questions surrounding which team will likely blow through the pack to win the East. But there is some mystery as to who will end up accompanying Covenant to Bainbridge for the Final Four.

Now I do not think towel boy deserves much in the way of praise or even discussion, but he may be the only one that can mix things up a bit during the Regional tournament. I fully expect Emmanuel to whip up on Tallavana in the early game, but towel boy will have his work cut out for him in the afternoon match up with Grace. These two teams are pretty evenly matched. Grace defeated Emmanuel in Bainbridge by 10 points (with the hometown refs) and Emmanuel defeated Grace by 4 points in Dothan. So who will have the advantage on a neutral court?
Normally, I would say that Emmanuel has history on it’s side. Over the past few seasons, Emmanuel has entered the tourney and played well-above their seeding. But that was with Christine Spivey (graduated in 2007) and more importantly, that was without “towel boy.” Unless he inspires them with a really cool looking towel or maybe a new way to wave it, Emmanuel will likely be in a dogfight with Grace, until Grace pulls away in the 4th quarter and wins by 10-12 points.

I think Grace is the only team in this tournament with something to prove. They have a handful of girls that have grown up in the shadow of Sarah Flowers (graduated in 2007) and the pedestal she was put on at Grace. Much in the same way that Liz & Jess had to endure the non-stop comments about their upcoming season after Covenant’s dynamic-duo (Samantha & Summer) left. Expect Grace to respond the same way our girls did - with something to prove. In addition to being motivated, they have a new coach that is looking to show that he can win it all with a girls team and he has the coaching pedigree to do it. Keep in mind that his varsity boys teams have spent quite a few year’s perched on top of the Eastern throne and he’s looking to show that he can do it again, but this time with a girl’s team.

Prediction: Covenant & Grace headed to the Final Four. But keep your fingers crossed for towel boy. I’d love to hear his comments if he knows that he’s headed to the Final Four.

GREAT News!

As most of you already know by now, the Lady Lions firmly positioned themselves as the #1 seed in the upcoming Regional Tournament with a dominating 67-23 win over "Towel Boy & the Towelettes."

As good as that news is, I received even better news yesterday before the game. The National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) began a National Ranking of member schools this season and their first poll was just released. Where pray-tell are the Lady Lions in this poll? Why I'm glad you asked....we are ranked at #3 in the Nation (NACA Div IV) and ranked at #2 in their power ranking. The poll has our record listed as 11-4 and since we are currently 15-4, the next poll (due out on Jan 22) should show us moving closer toward that coveted #1 spot.

HOORA!

The Silence is Deafening

As we hit the half-way point on our conference schedule, we’re 6-0 and in 1st place in the PCC East Region. That’s’ a good thing. The down-side is that there’s not much drama to build around as we enter the final stretch leading into the Regional playoffs. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily want a lot of drama, but it sure makes for some great basketball.

Looking back on last season, the most memorable games were the ones with some type of drama attached.

Do you remember the Grace newspaper article where Grace said that PCCS was the best team in the conference because they beat Grace by 15 points? Then we showed Grace that maybe they should keep quiet after we beat them by 36 points (they only scored 37 for the whole game against PCCS).

Or how about the endless drama that always seemed to accompany the PCCS games? Most of the drama with PCCS started in our rotation game where a few of their girls were crying during the game due to fatigue & shin splints. Then Rachel was knocked out cold and they got a 20-minute rest period to catch their breath while the EMT techs loaded her into the ambulance. We made up a 10-point deficit in a minute and a half and ended up losing by 2 points as the clock ran out. To add insult to injury, the newspaper had the front page picture of Sharee towering over Rachel (on the floor). The revenge game was born on that night.

Or how about when Mr. Thompson started running his mouth before the Championship game saying that Covenant would need our best three defenders to triple team Sharee if we wanted to stop her. We put Liz on Sharee to start the game and Liz held her scoreless in the 1st quarter.

And how cool was it to play mind games with PCCS by “occupying” their locker room before the Championship game and then taunting them for 15 minutes from across the hall?

This season, it seems the only drama swirls around the bus breaking down or how horrible the referees are.

As cliché as it probably sounds… I miss the good ‘ol days.

The Road to Recovery

After returning home from the Eufaula trip, Liz finally had a chance to lay down and get some much-needed rest. It happened just in the nick of time, because her pain pump finally ran out last night. When I left her room at about 11:00 PM she was watching TV and feeling fine. I woke up at 2:17 AM this morning to a strange sound coming from her room. Upon opening her door, I found her crying and in considerable pain. So much so that she couldn’t even move her leg to get out of bed to get her pain medication. She said she had tried for over an hour to get our attention by calling out for someone to help her but she had her door closed and we couldn’t hear her calling.

She is about to enter the most difficult part of her recovery...the physical therapy (i.e., torture sessions). Please keep her in your prayers for a pain-free recovery.

When does 413 become 4:13?

On my way out of the gym last night, a woman sitting near the door motioned me over and asked me “what does 413 mean?” As I gave her a brief explanation, she smiled and fired back “I knew it!” With that, the brief conversation was over and I strolled off. It wasn’t until I was replaying the game through my mind on the long drive home that I started wondering what she meant by “I knew it!” Maybe she knew the verse and just wanted to confirm her suspicion. Maybe the design on the back of our shirt made her wonder, or maybe it was the chant “4:13” as we broke each huddle? Although I’ll never really know, I’d like to imagine that she noticed something distinctly different about our team. Something so unique that it made us stand apart from the other teams at the tournament. And although she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that made us different, she recognized that 413, whatever that meant, was at the heart of it.

4:13 is not just a reminder to us, but to all those watching in the stands and on the court, that regardless of the circumstances, regardless of our opponent and regardless of the outcome that we have nothing to fear because Christ is there to strengthen us. It does not mean that we will always win, but when we do, we should win with grace. And if we are to lose, then we should lose with grace.

I am so proud of the way each of you handled yourselves last night not only during the game, but immediately afterward. You showed all those watching what 4:13 is really all about.

HOORA!

Merry Christmas!

hey ladies! i just wanted to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! i love you all so much and im thankful for each one of you. i hope you all get everything you asked for and remember the most important thing about Christmas. . . Jesus. everybody stay well and have a good time with family. love you girls! 4:13...
~Liv #42

In His Name We Play

Hey chikas! =)
It's Sheff...thank you all for your prayers and for being so sweet and concerned with my sprained ankle at Friday's game. I've not actually had any pain (besides that awful ice-bath...WHEW! If you have a random urge for pain, do that! just kidding!) So, the swelling has gone down a lot and I put the crutches down today! Yay! However, the swelling isn't completely gone and it's a beautiful shade of purple (doesn't quite match our uniforms yet...!) So we will have to see how it is by the Christmas Tournament. If I have my way (since I'm already walking on it) I will definitely want to play, but if it puts my ankle in jeopardy for our regular season, it may be wiser for me to allow it longer to heal.

This is not bad news for the team! We have a wonderful team filled with amazing talent! Every single one of our team members is vital to the team and the performance of the game! I absolutely LOVE our team- each one of you girls are my sister in Christ. And I have to say- I'm sure you'll agree- that not only do we have the BEST basketball team ever, but our Coach is awesome! He's not JUST a coach, but he really makes an effort to relate to us and is more like a team-dad! Thanks Coach Ty!

So whether or not I will be able to play in the Cmas Tourney, each one of you has the capability to play to the best of your ability and I pray that God will give you all the strength to play your hardest and to encourage your teammates, building them up spiritually and mentally! Keep that in mind at the practices preceding the tournament and as the Christmas Tournament comes closer. We have the power of Philippians 4:13! =D

I love you all so much- hope you have a WONDERFUL Christmas!

♥ Merry Christmas Ladies!! ♥

The Perfect Ending

If I were to imagine a storybook ending for Liz' final game at Covenant, I don't think I could have scripted it any better than what she experienced last night.

As if three 3-pointers, 4 assists and 1 steal in a nine minute span (with a torn ACL) wasn't enough, the crowd chanting "..we want Liz.." was the icing on the cake for her. Thank you for that memory that Liz (and mom & dad) will remember for quite awhile.

The Last Minute

There is a saying in basketball that a few coaches have used as motivation over the years. It goes “…if you knew that this game would be the last game you would ever play, how would you play?…”. It kind of makes you stop and think about how you usually play versus how you would play if it were indeed your last game. Tomorrow night, Liz will play the final game of her high school basketball career in front of our home crowd. Against my better judgement, I am going to allow her to play for one minute just to be able to say goodbye to the game that she loves so much.

Slaying the Giant

Before I get started, let me be clear about one thing…I HATE TO LOSE MORE THAN I LOVE TO WIN. However, there is on occasion a loss that isn’t necessarily a bad thing and last night’s 6-point loss to Bethlehem was just such a game.

In the eight-year history of the Covenant basketball program, the Lady Lions have never beaten Bethlehem. To give you an idea of how good Bethlehem usually is…last season they lost most of their games and they still beat Covenant by 33-points. Call them our Goliath if you will, but I felt pretty good at the end of last night’s game because we are getting closer to slaying the giant. I saw some good things from our team. From a scoring standpoint, we had four girls with 6-points each, which is an indicator of a well-balanced scoring attack which we have been missing since the season started (meaning that we are starting to find our identity on offense).

I can feel the ‘Mo (momentum for you younger girls) building up and I think we will be primed to unleash some fury against Emmanuel on Friday.

HOORA!

God is REALLY-REALLY in Control - Pt. III

I received a most unexpected e-mail this morning from Coach Jackson at Montreat Christian College in North Carolina. Back in August, he and I had traded a few e-mails back & forth regarding Liz and he had watched some game film on her. His assessment of her game was brutally honest and to the point: She didn’t look exceptionally quick and her size would likely be a detriment. He said she needed to have something that set her apart from the others competing for the same scholarship.

Needless to say, Montreat was no longer interested.

Okay…back to my unexpected e-mail this morning….Coach Jackson wanted to know if Liz had decided on a school or committed to play anywhere yet. Hearing that he was interested made me feel good, but it was too little too late. I reluctantly wrote him back informing him about her injury and fully expecting to receive the “sorry about that” response. But instead, he said they were still interested in her and that he wanted me to forward some additional info to him.

More updates soon!

First-Round...First-Minute.

By the end of their third possession, they knew…and we knew that they knew, and that’s what made it so enjoyable.

Few games in our conference will illicit the passion, intensity, and electric atmosphere that the PCCS vs. Covenant match up usually does. This use to be a great rivalry. You know, the type of game where the fans (or at least the PCCS fans) treat the game as if it were a life and death matter. Where the hatred is so intense that a couple of parents can always be counted on to have an emotional meltdown in the stands and start screaming obscenities at the referees. Well, if last night’s game was any indication, this rivalry is all but over for the next couple of years (or at least from Covenant’s viewpoint).

You see, it’s tough to despise a team that can’t beat you.

God is in Control - Part II

WOW! was my over all impression of the Andrews Institute in Pensacola. I had heard that Dr. Andrews was one of the top sports medicine surgeons in the nation, but I figured some of that was probably just hype. Boy was I wrong!

The waterfall and 15 foot tall palm trees in the lobby should have convinced me that this wasn't your typical doctors office. As a matter of fact, his building was as big as a Wal-Mart, yet I was still skeptical. As we walked though the hallways, we saw autographed picture after autographed picture from athletes that we routinely watch on TV, each with their arm around Dr. Andrews with words of thanks and praise for him for the repair on their ankle or their knee or their wrist. The list was long, but some very notable athletes from the NBA (Chales Barkley and Micheal Jordan), NFL and MLB, as well as some common folk like George Bush Sr. (yep!).

I think God has her in some pretty capable hands!

To Knee or Not to Knee..That is the Question.

Hey the coolest thing happened a couple of days ago. My pastor ran into my mom and I and he asked about my knee. I told him and he put us in touch with Dr. Andrews, who happens to be the team doctor for the Washington Redskins (NFL) and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (MBL). Dr. Andrews is considered by many to be the best orthopedic sports doctor in the South. My mom made an appointment for next Friday. Hopefully, he will be able to get me back on the road to recovery. I'm really hopeful that he will be able to put me into a brace, that I can play in, before I go into surgery. Even if it's just a few minutes off the bench, I really want to be able help our team out. This team is the best thing that has happened to me and I really value our friendship and sisterhood. Each and every single one of you are very special to me. Hopefully, everyone had a good Thanksgiving and I'll see you on Monday.

Liz

GOD is in Control

Of all the challenges that Liz has faced on the basketball court, this is the one that her heart and committment just won't be able to conquer.

Physical pain was quickly overshadowed by the reality that a complete tear of her ACL means she may have played her final game of High School basketball. For Liz, basketball wasn't a hobby or an extra-curricular school activity - it was her world. Since last season, she has spent countless hours in the gym honing her chops by shooting 100, sometimes 200 made shots a day at each end of the floor. It wasn't a part-time thing, she was totally committed to training and preparation to make her Senior season one to remember. Not only for herself, but for her teammates.

As a parent, I hurt for her. But I know that nothing happens without it first going before the throne for God's approval and that He is in total control. Although it is of little comfort to her right now, I know that this injury is the beginning of something wonderful that God is working on for either Liz, the team, or both.