Sports

SUPER 6: Courtney Mitchell, Worth County

• Courtney Mitchell carved a beautiful life for herself at Sherwood Christian Academy, but after the Lady Eagles basketball program fell on hard times this summer and decided not to field a varsity team, Mitchell transferred to Worth County and these days is literally …

Moving with the basketball

Paul Dehner Jr.

SYLVESTER — For four years, Courtney Mitchell not only played basketball at Sherwood Christian Academy, but she became the face of the program.

Her mother, Gina, was the head coach. Mitchell was the star player and averaged 20 points a game. The Lady Eagles advanced to the state Final Four with Mitchell at the forefront. The hallways were packed with her friends.

Life was good.

But when the basketball team was facing the possibility of not even fielding a varsity team or playing a varsity schedule due to graduation and transfers this year, Mitchell was forced to make a decision.

Stay at Sherwood — where she spent the last four years building a rewarding life — or transfer to Worth County and build a new one along with her basketball reputation.

“It was a hard decision,” Mitchell said.

Happily sweating during another long day of practicing the game she loves at the Worth County gym Wednesday, Mitchell refused to claim any other reason behind why she traded red for black.

“It was pretty much all about basketball,” she said. “People say I can’t believe you would leave a good school and the education for basketball. Not only would we have struggled, when I left I thought we were just going to be playing a ‘B’ team; that played a big part.

“I miss the school and all the students and teachers, but I know this is for the best.”

Worth County coach John Cooper would certainly agree.

In his first year, the 26-year-old former assistant took over the girls team needing to replace a talented core of departed players which produced the highest win total in school history, going 25-5.

When he heard he added another girl to the team he was happy. When he heard she was 5-foot-10, could handle the ball, defend relentlessly, battle inside and piled up a career-high 38 points in a game against First Presbyterian last season, Cooper couldn’t move fast enough.

“When I finally found out who she was, I was very excited,” he said. “I was just looking forward to getting her here and getting all the paperwork done and getting her going.”

A curiosity still exists of the difference between playing GISA and GHSA.

Even Cooper wondered if her domination would transfer between Georgia athletics associations.

It only took two weeks of summer basketball to clear up any questions.

“We played a couple of teams in our region in the summer,” Cooper said. “I got to find out right then how she was going to do against our competition.    “She can play.”

Competing against teams like Lowndes, Cairo and Westover this summer, Mitchell played with the same authority and confidence which built her sterling reputation at Sherwood.

So far this season — like most of her team — she has struggled from the field. She still scored 17 points despite going just 6-of-17 from the free-throw line in a double overtime win against Lee County on Tuesday. It was her highest total of the young season.

“I think we still don’t know each other as good, but we are working on it,” said Mitchell of her team, which started the season 2-1. “Hopefully by the (region) season we will get it going.”

Even though the transition may be off to an uneven start, she has already earned the respect of teammates like returning starter Ann Walker.

“I admire her hustle and defense,” Walker said. “There haven’t been any problems with chemistry.”

While Mitchell thrives on the block, she has shown her versatility to her new  coaching staff in assisting a backcourt currently starting two sophomores in dealing with defensive pressure.

“She is not afraid to get in there and rebound or take it to the rack,” Cooper said. “For her size, she can handle it pretty good. As young as our guards are, she has had to.”

About the only thing Mitchell isn’t doing these days is questioning her decision to transfer. Though she admits to accidentally referencing her new team as the Lady Eagles on occasion, Mitchell has contentedly moved on.

Her next difficult decision will be who to play for next. She has received letters from colleges, but will wait to make a decision on her future in collegiate basketball until after the season.

No worries, though.

She’s used to making tough decisions.

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