Continuity in coaching staff key to Wolves succes

By Neill Kirkpatrick

Special to the HSSR

St. Stephens – The 2023/24 saw eight Timberland high school athletic teams make the playoffs and while no team won a region championship two teams did reach the finals of their tournaments.

The Wolves wrestling team reached the lower state final match in class AA dropping the close match 39-30 to Buford. The previous match saw coach Ryan Rhoades team dominate top seed North Central winning the match 51-18.

Alexis Rio led her softball team in the district 5 finals for the second year in a row. The Lady Wolves caught fire at the end of the year and road that momentum into the playoffs.

Athletic Director LeShonda Reed, who is entering her sixth year at Timberland, said “I have a great staff and they work hard for our athletes. The one thing about coaching as a head coach or assistant is the love of the game each person has, but more importantly they bring something positive to our athletes and program.”

Her vision is not only to keep the Wolves as one of the top-Class AA programs in the state but to find the right coaches for the school and community.

           Reed said, “The shared vision is that we have student/athletes who compete on the field, in the classroom and help within the community. While we may disagree at times as a staff, we still need to maintain that that commitment to our kids and my staff always puts them first.”

           The Wolves cross country teams started the year off right as the girl’s finished 11th and boys team finished in seventh place at the class AA state meet. The boys’ team is coached by Fritz Hodges and the girls’ team is coached by Tracy Hodges.

           Volleyball head coach Shandell (Suzi) McKinney finished fourth in region 7AA play. They upset the number one seed from region 6AA and area rival Woodland in the first round 3-0 to advance into the second round of the playoffs. She also coaches the girls track and field team which finished 19^th.

           Head football coach Greg Wright led his team into the second round of the class AA playoffs. Coach Wright has a good group returning so his Wolves will be looking to have a longer stay in the playoffs.

           Eddie Lambert led the boys’ soccer into the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The girls’ team is coached by Jadin Sorce and while they did not make the playoffs they played their best soccer at the end of the year.

           Long time head boys’ basketball coach Jerome Stewart had a difficult start to the year but his team got better to finish third in region 7AA and grab a playoff spot.

           “Coach Stewart has been a valuable resource for all our coaches because he has been here for a while, and he understands the demands of coaching at Timberland,” coach Reed said.

  Allen Gether’s girls team also made the playoffs after suffering through some growing pains early in the year..

          Baseball head coach Steven Davis’s nine made it into the district 6 bracket.

           Golf is coached by John Potter and the boys’ track and field team is coached by Marcus Haynes and they finished 19^th at the state meet.