Friday March 29th, 2024 9:27AM

Q&A: 'Dreamer' Newton looks to push Lady Falcons to new heights

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

Almost from its inception in 2002, the Flowery Branch girls basketball program has been a consistent winner. The Lady Falcons managed a Lanierland Tournament title and a state playoff berth in just their second campaign, 2003-04.

Yet the last two seasons have seen the Lady Falcons soar to new heights. Former standout player Courtney Newton -- now Courtney Gonzalez -- returned to coach her alma mater three years ago and has guided the Branch to its first semifinal appearances in back-to-back campaigns.

Led by senior standouts Taniyah Worth and Lexie Sengkhemmee, the Lady Falcons are in the 2018 Class 5A Final Four after impressive playoff defeats of Rome (78-63), Lithia Springs (68-39), and Dutchtown (70-56) the last two on the road. Worth turned in a dominant performance in the quarterfinals: 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. 

Now the Branch heads to Fort Valley State University on Saturday to take on Harris County (6 p.m. tip) sitting exactly where it did a year ago, and Newton said it is poised to take the next step. AccessWDUN’s Jeff Hart sat down with Newton on the eve of what she hopes will be a new program milestone in search of a first-ever championship game appearance.


QUESTION: Coach, it’s the second straight trip to the Final Four for the team, which had none until last season. What does that mean for the program as far as generating interest for future players inside the building and in the middle school?

ANSWER: It means a lot to us and the program. People around here know that this is a rich basketball (area) with a lot of history for both boys and girls teams with a lot of state titles so making a name for ourselves is important to us. Making the Final Four in back-to-back years is something that we talked about and are very proud of. The exposure has been good for the program inside the school but also for the younger kids who come to the games and see that they can be a part of something special. I think the run we’ve had the last couple of years is having an effect for the younger girls already in the program in that they see the success and what it takes to get here and we see them working a little harder to try to get up (to the varsity level) and be a part of this environment.


Q: This is your third year back at your alma mater. You have watched, coached, and mentored this group of seniors, which includes Taniyah and Lexie, and Jenna Sutton and Carly Shaw. What has it been like watching them grow and progress, and what have they meant to the program's continued rise over the last couple of seasons?

A: It’s been special to watch them grow and get better each year since I’ve been here. To see the sacrifice they have put in as players to help themselves and the program has been special. They have been leaders off the court in the classroom as well, helping out the younger girls, helping in the community. It has been fun for me to be able to watch and coach a group like that and see all the hard work they have put in pay off. When you have a couple of classes like we’ve had, the tendency is that there will be a drop-off. These girls have helped by setting the bar high for future classes and generate interest and help attract future players. They’ve done a great job of that. What we’re aiming for is to keep that consistency every year and put multiple seasons of deep playoff runs back-to-back and be able to challenge for titles. They are leaving their imprint on the program.


Q: Last year's Final Four loss to Southwest DeKalb (66-63) was a disappointment, especially with how the last few minutes of the game played out. What did y'all learn from that experience to help you in this year's playoffs?

A: We talk a lot about basketball as a team and talked about that game in particular coming into the season about being a life experience. The conversation wasn’t so much about the game itself but what can we learn from it. We talked about how you’re always going to face adversity and disappointment, that’s an everyday part of life. We talked about what it felt like to have that particular emotion -- it’s how you respond to things and trying to have a different outcome in the same situation later on. But I do think coming into these playoffs there has been a different level of focus because of that game, because they’ve been to this spot before. Two years ago we made the Elite Eight and lost and we got past that last year because we knew what to expect. Now we’re in the semifinals again and we’ve been here before. Every year is a growing opportunity, and we’re going to try and use that experience to our advantage this time.


Q: Harris County leads Class 5A in wins (28-2) and is riding a 20-game win streak behind 6-foot-5 senior post Jessika Carter (20.2 points per game, 14.1 rebounds per game, 4.6 blocks per game) and 6-foot junior Taziha Fanning (15.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg). What will it take to have a different outcome in this year semifinals?

A: Well, first it’s a different team so that will make it different. Harris County is a great team with great post play. They will give us matchup problems like they have everyone they’ve played so far. They are solid on both ends of the floor. But we’ve played a great schedule with Lanierland and teams like Carrollton, Winder-Barrow, Northview [a Class 6A semifinalist], Buford three times [a Class 5A semifinalist] so we’ve seen just about everything you can see from styles to post players like (Winder-Barrow’s) Olivia Nelson-Ododa, a UConn-signee, so we feel prepared from that standpoint. But I think a big difference (this year) is our focus and the experience this time around. I can look in their eyes and see it on their faces that there is a hunger and a quiet, calm focus that wasn’t quite there last year. You can’t recreate the kind of environment that you see in a Final Four so that was an important thing for us to experience. We celebrated getting back to the Final Four, but, for the seniors in particular, I think there is a different drive to them this time. We want these opportunities, the chance to be in a position to get us where we want to go, which for us is a state title game and, hopefully, a championship.


Q: After having played for Flowery Branch and now as coach, have you pictured it in your mind what it would be like to get into the championship game at the school where it all started for you?

A: I admit, I want it bad for the kids. I want to see them reach their dreams and reach their potential. As a player I was the dreamer. I could see every single play; I could picture the scoreboard; I could see the celebration. I want the kids to be dreamers as well. But as a coach it’s different. I’m just so focused on trying to get them prepared I don’t have time to see that yet. But I take pride in being a Lady Falcon. This program means so much to me. That’s what chokes me up more than anything else. I played here and I think about (former Flowery Branch) Principal Marc Coleman, who, when I played here, would come to the games and sit in the office and we would talk basketball. Those are things that mean a lot to me. To be able to come full-circle now and be a coach here is special for me. My goal is to put Flowery Branch in a position that when you think of the school you think girls basketball.

  • Associated Categories: Sports, High School Sports
  • Associated Tags: High school basketball, Flowery Branch girls basketball
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