Four Cherokee County teams headed into last weekend with visions of a state title, but the Etowah girls are the only ones left.
The Eagles had little trouble with North Clayton, winning 63-42 on their home court, and notching the team's 100th victory of the past four seasons.
The one common thread for all of those victories has been senior Tagan Hatchett, who has been on the court for every game since the beginning of her freshman year.
That 100 is a number Etowah coach Bob Westbrook says doesn't even sound real.
"After the game, I was looking at Tagan, and I said, 'Twenty years from now, when you tell people that, it's going to sound like a fish story,'" Westbrook said. "It's just one of those things, the number is mind-boggling. To have reached that is just one of those milestones, I bet you're talking about one or two percent of high school basketball players."
While that was a nice mark for Etowah to reach, the Eagles have another goal in mind: back-to-back state titles.
The road there isn't nearly as difficult as it could have been.
With St. Pius X, the team that has gone 3-0 against Etowah each of the past two seasons, on the opposite side of the bracket, the Eagles will not have to face the Lions unless it is in the finals.
Marist, the Region 6-AAAA runner-up, has beaten Etowah both tries this season. But the Eagles have competed well in those games, making Marist a better matchup for Etowah, physically and mentally.
"There's no question we knew how big that game was," said Westbrook, when asked about the game that put St. Pius on the other side of the bracket. "We knew whoever we played in the state tournament would be tough, but we looked over the bracket and realized third place wouldn't hurt us."
What it got them was an overmatched North Clayton team, and now Clarke Central, a team the Eagles beat 50-28 in the first round last season. They will play Friday at Dalton's Northwest Georgia Trade Center at 4 p.m.
The Gladiators (20-6) have no players taller than 5-foot-10, while Etowah has two starters more than 6 feet tall.
"It seems like we play Clarke Central every year at some point in the state tournament," Westbrook said. "I don't think they lost any real players from last year's team. They're going to be very athletic, and they're going to trap. I'm looking for a similar team as to what we played last year."
If the Eagles can get by the Gladiators, they'll face the winner of the Marist-Northwest Whitfield game for a spot in the following weekend's Final Four at the Gwinnett Arena.
THE MATCHUPS
GUARD
• Tagan Hatchett, Etowah (5-9, Sr.) vs. G Cherrelle Pullen, Clarke Central (5-4, Sr.): Hatchett is the heart and soul of the team; she has good size for a guard. Pullen is a very good shooter and has the best range on the team. Advantage: Etowah
• Emily McNeill, Etowah (5-3, Sr.) vs. G Brittni Johnson, Clarke Central (5-5, So.): McNeill is small, but she can defend and shoot the 3. Johnson isn't the quickest player, but her defense is key in getting them going. Advantage: Clarke Central
• Kristie Spivey, Etowah (5-6, Sr.) vs. F Joanna Walters, Clarke Central (5-7, Sr.): Spivey is a solid guard who can score when needed. Walters is probably the Gladiators' most consistent player; her experience definitely shows. Advantage: Clarke Central
FORWARD
• Alicia Manning, Etowah (6-1, So.) vs. P Janice Custis, Clarke Central (5-8, Jr.): Manning creates matchup problems with her size and athleticism. Custis knows how to score in the post and is very solid down low. Advantage: Etowah
POST
• Lindsey Mason, Etowah (6-3, So.) vs. P Veronica Bolds, Clarke Central (5-10, So.): Mason's footwork and defense are better than most at her position. Bolds makes a nice combo forward and knows how to help out on defense. Advantage: Etowah
BENCH
The Eagles run three solid guards (MacKenzie Stiles, Julie Wilt and Courtney Hatchett) and a talented forward (Jeanine Jones) off the bench with regularity. Their bench has gotten better as the year has gone on. Clarke Central brings in some of its better size (5-9 Brittany Smith, 5-8 Nawa Smith and 5-7 Jameica Cooper) to offset some size disadvantages in the starting lineup. Advantage: Etowah
DEFENSE
The Eagles play great defense when they're focused. When they've been beaten, it has been due to a lack of concentration on this end of the floor. Clarke Central is going to have an advantage here. They thrive off a three-quarter press and look to get transition baskets. Advantage: Clarke Central
PREDICTION
Etowah's size alone may be enough to get by. It should give them a big advantage in the half-court offense, while Hatchett and Manning should get them through the press. If Clarke Central doesn't rattle the Eagles with its aggressive press, Etowah should win easily.