COVINGTON, Ga. — Over the offseason, head coach Gladys King knew this season would be a rebuilding one for the Eastside Lady Eagles. But that didn’t discourage her or the players from giving it their best shot night in and night out. 

Each player’s dedication to the game of basketball is what King believes made the team better as the year progressed. 

“We never stopped,” King said. “We practice everyday. We don’t take days off. In order to get better you have to stay in the gym. I have a lot of girls that don’t have the experience of playing like some previous players, so every second in the gyms helps them.” 

The Lady Eagles finished the 2021-22 season at 6-16 overall with a 4-10 record in Region 8-AAAAA. 

In the six wins, Eastside downed Johnson High School twice, had a come from behind win at Clarke Central and earned its most decisive win against Apalachee during the play-in round of the region tournament. 

The 70-43 win against Apalachee earned the Lady Eagles a spot in the winner’s bracket facing Walnut Grove on the road. 

Eastside’s season came to an end at the hands of the Lady Warriors losing 64-46 with no state playoff berth. 

Even so, King and her staff are optimistic for the future of the program based on this year’s progress. 

“This group [of players] is unique because of the lack of experience,” King said. “But the growth that I was able to see was overwhelming and rewarding. When you spend days and nights pondering what to do with the different levels of skills it’s challenging. It’s also rewarding to see the improvement. As I say to the girls, ‘all is not lost.’”