Lady Rams Add More Rings to Their Fingers

Sojourner’s Truth Staff

Rogers High School Lady Rams accepted championship rings for the second year in a row this month in a celebration at the school that also featured a special honor for Head Coach Lamar Smith. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced that the Rogers street will be temporarily named Lamar Smith Drive.

“You can’t tell me you’re not a legend now,” shouted Zia Cooke from her seat in the front row. Cooke, a national player of the year finalist, the Ohio state Division II player of the year and a McDonald’s All-American, led the Lady Rams to their second title in a row, the first Toledo basketball team, boys or girls, to achieve that feat.

In the Final Four, Cooke had 37 points in the semifinal game against Sheridan, to go with 13 rebounds. She added 13 points and 11 rebounds in the championship game against No. 1 ranked Dayton Carroll. All-Ohio guard Madison Royal Davis led the team in the championship game with 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Senior center Tanaziah Hines added eight points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots against Carroll.
 

For Smith, the title game was his 200^th victory during his nine years as the school’s head coach and a tribute to the success he has had instilling a team-oriented atmosphere in the program. He has led the team to eight consecutive City League championships.

They team maintained a 3.2 overall team GPA; they ran the hills during the off-season; they overcame the tragedy of two classmates passing away – one during Final Four week. They stayed focused on their goals despite their own personal battles outside of basketball and the pressure of having to deal with all the media hype due to Moore’s growing stature as one of the best players in the nation – she has also earned two gold medals with USA Basketball and has committed to the University of South Carolina in the fall.

This year’s championship was never a foregone conclusion. The team had to fight their way to a City League Championship against Start High School by knocking down free throws in the final minute and go to the wire against Central Catholic and Napoleon in the District Championship and Regional semifinal, respectively. The tough matches prepared them for monster games against Bellevue in the Regional finals and much easier victories in the Final Four, even against the number one seed Carroll.

For the three seniors on the team – Cooke, Hines and Kearrah Peace – the matching jewelry was a perfect way to ring out their high school careers.

Copyright © 2019 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 06/23/19 16:30:17 -0400.

More Articles....

Let’s Take It From the Top

Hicks-Hudson Announces Release of over $1,900,000 in State Support for the Northwest Ohio Psychiatric Hospital

Sobecki Votes to Address Drug Overdoses, Children’s Behavioral Health Issues

Toledo Museum of Art Film Series Begins June 27

In West Mills by De’Shawn Charles Winslow

St. Paul MBC Vacation Bible School

Rarefied Air
 

Back to Home Page