Timmonsville Lady Whirlwinds Win 1A State Championship

Coach Perry Stokes on the Big Screen at Colonial Life Arena on March 3rd, 2012.
Image Courtesy of Kendra Keels.

  The Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC had a full house as the local community came to watch the Timmonsville Lady Whirlwinds play Abbeville for the state championship on Saturday, March 3, 2012. The Lady Whirlwinds had a 14-11 lead at the end of the first quarter but the Whirlwinds turned up the heat in the second quarter to bring home the win as they defeated Abbeville 50-37 in the state competition.

Sade Eli was the leading scorer with 20 points, Arnesha Brown had 15 points and 8th grader Justice Gee scored 12.  Mikayla Wright also scored 3 points.

Timmonsville wins the state title with just nine players on the varsity roster,

three of the nine are in the 7th or 8th grade. The Whirlwinds are a young team. They will only lose one senior from this years state championship team.

2012 Timmonsville State Champion Lady Whirlwind Team: (in alphabetical order)Arnesha Brown, Sade Eli, Erica Ervin, Justice Gee, Alex Small,Alaya Woods, Mikayla Wright, Shania Wright, and Sade Zimmerman

Coach Perry Stokes with his young gun
coaching staff the Keels boys.

 Head coach Perry Stokes is no newbie with this championship stuff, his 2003 Lady Whirlwind team won the state championship under his leadership too. Stokes is beloved by the players and the community who stepped up to petition the Florence Four School Board to re-think the decision to change coaches.

Thank goodness they did because today Coach Stokes proved them all right as he brought home another Timmonsville state championship trophy.

 

A special thanks also goes out to the to the THS Coaching staff: Perry Stokes, Heath Stokes, Ree Dubose, Kim Depugh, and Crystal Coleman.

March 4, 2012

Crystal Coleman posted to the Lady Whirlwind Face book page:

"The Lady Winds are the 2011-12 1A Girls State Champions!! Not only did they go out on the floor and win games this year; they did it with a sense of humility and drive that is at times unheard of in sports. These young women have been together collectively for 3 years and through the turmoil, late injuries, evening practices, and weekend conditionings they stayed the course, decided who they were and brought a championship to their community. And what a community it is!! Basketball would have been played at the Colonial Life Arena yesterday, but to do it for what looked like the ENTIRE community meant more to them than you all will ever know. From the THS coaching staff and the girls we thank you!!"

 

Final SCORING

Timmonsville (50)

            Sade Eli 20

Arnesha Brown 15
      Justice Gee 12
  Mikayla Wright  3

Abbeville (37)