Sometimes, when a new head coach takes over, something like strips of tape attached to jerseys may be in order to help learn who is who.
That’s not the case when it comes to the Lady Greyhounds and new head coach Takeo Gray. A former JCHS player and assistant himself, Gray has already built up a rapport with many of this team’s upperclassmen given his ties to Jones County.
Gray, previously an assistant coach at Westside Macon, replaces ChoRhonda Gwaltney Harris after her departure in the offseason to take the same job at Northside.
Gray will inherit a roster that’s used to not just winning but doing so in games that hold a heavier weight late in the season.
The past five seasons have seen JCHS make the state tournament each time, earning two quarterfinal berths and winning at least 20 games in every year but one.
“This is a group that believes in each other, that’s really been growing each day,” Gray said.
Sure, players like the graduated Amaris Ridgeway have played key roles in those recent postseason runs. Now, however, those that slowly worked their way into the playing rotation stand to take on even bigger roles. That includes players like Aubrey Norris, Mya Anderson, Autumn Coleman and Kamiyah Adams.
They’ll ease their way in as the Lady Greyhounds key in making defense their calling card.
“We have a lot of talented girls that want to play at a fast pace, but we also want to play hard on defense, too,” Gray said.
That focus will be front and center for Jones County in an enlarged region of nine teams, meaning that more than half the teams in the region will miss the postseason.
The Lady Hounds open region play Dec. 3 at McDonough, a span of nine region games in a row on the road. JCHS won’t play at home against a region opponent until Jan. 11. The flip side? Seven region games in a row at home during a stretch of the season that could prove pivotal in terms of postseason positioning or aspirations.
“You have to be ready to play every night,” Gray said. “Every game will be crucial. If you win on the road, you like your chances more,” Gray said. “If we can get through that stretch in good shape, we’ll have a good chance.”
