Defending champs going about business as usual
Published 9:02 pm Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Like most schools in the Alabama High School Athletic Association state tournament, the weather watch was on for Dallas County Tuesday, but the Hornets also had other concerns as well.
Head coach Willie Moore wasn’t in Birmingham Tuesday, as he was in bed and not feeling well with flu-like symptoms. Hornets’ assistant coach Marty Smith said he talked to Moore several times Monday, but that the team was operating as if he was there.
“The players, the coaches, and everybody have circled the wagons,” Smith said. “We’ve already got marching orders and we know what we have to do if we are going to be successful.”
The Hornets were originally scheduled to play their 5A semifinal game against Ramsay Wednesday afternoon, but the AHSAA announced no games will be played on Wednesday due to the threat of snow.
Instead, the Hornets will play Thursday at 4:30 at the Bill Harris Arena at the CrossPlex. The team will stay in Birmingham overnight.
Smith, who coached John Carroll Catholic to two 6A basketball championships, said the team will treat Wednesday like a normal day.
“We are going to get up in the morning and go on our regular schedule as we normally would for school,” Smith said. “We will eat at our normal time, get up and have some form of class and then go to lunch, practice at our normal time, have Bible study, probably go to a movie and keep it as normal as possible.”
Smith said the BJCC is about five miles from his house and in close proximity to his church, Crosspoint Baptist Church, which has two 94-foot basketball courts. He said the team will hold its practice there.
Smith said he’s never been through a situation in the state tournament like this but that he is familiar with the CrossPlex. He said Ramsay played two of its regular season games at the CrossPlex earlier this season.
“They are going to have a little bit of a comfort level from being in the arena before,” Smith said.
“Their kids have played multiple games in that arena because that’s where the city of Birmingham hosts its city tournament, so we are actually on the road.”
