COVINGTON, Ga. — During an after school practice, dozens of Newton Lady Rams scrimmage against each other. Smiles are evident on the players' faces, laughter echoes through the gym and they celebrate after every point scored. 

That is just what first year head coach Brandi McCreary ordered for the 2023 season. 

"When there’s negative energy and attitudes, that can be poisonous. We really want to foster more positive energy, positive attitude and more camaraderie," McCreary said. "Even when we do make mistakes, it’s ‘How do we rebound from those mistakes?’ If we beat each other up and tear each other down — especially in the middle of a game — it’s going to affect everyone mentally." 

Along with regular squad practices, Newton competed in a team camp at Kennesaw State. It played against multiple teams in a tournament style. 

All of the effort is working toward bringing the team closer together, according to McCreary. 

"We've been talking about different ways we can continue beyond the season just to build that community and bond," McCreary said. "We’ve also been working on our playability. Not what we bring individually to the floor, but how we make up the cohesive unit for our gameplan." 

Last season, the Lady Rams finished 1-18 overall with their win coming against Salem High School. 

When asked who she expects to lead the group this go round, McCreary couldn't narrow the list to a few. Instead, she's looking to the entire team to take the lead. 

"Not to single anyone out, but I've observed the work and effort put in by the players throughout the summer and into the beginning of fall practices," McCreary said. "I'm clear on what these players bring, and I trust they'll continue to stay true to what they've shown throughout the season. It's all about character."

Newton's season began on Aug. 10 at home against Arabia Mountain. Its inaugural Region 4-AAAAAAA match will be at Brookwood on Sept. 12. 

After watching her team prepare all summer and in the preseason, McCreary has great anticipation to see her team take the floor for the first time. 

"What’s most exciting is we did summer differently with the addition of the camp for them to get some plays in before the season," McCreary said. "We were able to see where we needed to put in some work. Then we implemented them in practice. I’m excited about really seeing that work and effort come to fruition in gameplay."