Olivia Cochran, Carver girls upbeat ahead of ‘nerve wracking’ state playoff quarterfinal
Carver senior Olivia Cochran jogs out of the trainer’s room with a glowing smile across her face. She’s a bit late to practice as her trainer session went a bit long. Cochran runs across the baseline at Carver’s gymnasium laughing and joking as she picks up a small child, while her teammates run through fast break drills to get the blood pumping.
Cochran, a Louisville commit and McDonald’s All-American, doesn’t scoff at the suggestion she’s unusually upbeat. She laughs. Why not?
Carver is in the Elite 8 of the GHSA 4A state basketball playoffs for the third consecutive season. It has not lost since Jan. 10, and hosts Woodward Academy Tuesday at 6 p.m. for a spot in the state semifinals.
There’s not too much to be upset about, from Carver’s perspective. But the competition ramps up on Tuesday, against a Woodward team that has been similarly dominant this season.
“The competition gets better,” Cochran said Tuesday. “So, you just worry about winning or going home. You always want to win, but it’s always that side that you could go home too. It’s nerve wracking.”
NO PUSHOVER
Carver has traveled a fairly easy road in the playoffs, to this point. The Tigers won their playoff opener 85-22 over Thomson, then cruised past White County.
But Woodward boasts a stronger lineup than both of those opponents.
The War Eagles are 27-3 and did not lose a region game this year. Leading scorer, sophomore Sydney Bowles, averages nearly 26 points per game and is rated as an “elite” prospect in the 2022 class, according to ESPN.
The War Eagles boast three players who average double-digit scoring. Bowles, in 30 appearances, averages a double-double.
“They have young girls that know their roles and play them pretty well,” Carver coach Anson Hundley said. “They try to get up and down the floor, like we do. It’ll definitely be a fun game.”
Cochran’s size — she’s 6-1 — typically opens up the rest of the offense since she draws so much attention.
That likely won’t happen this week, since the War Eagles boast several players near the six-foot mark. That means the rest of the lineup will need to step up, just as it did when Cochran was hampered by the flu against White County.
“They (the younger players) got to step up,” Cochran said. “’Cause we need help. The starting five, that’s our upper class, and the rest of them are lower class. So, some of the lowerclassmen got to step up, play tough and be physical.”
CARVER GIRLS ARE ‘READY’
Tuesday’s game will be the last at Carver’s gymnasium for Cochran and the Tiger seniors, regardless of whether they win. They’ve stayed dominant at home this year, but it might take their best effort of the season to advance.
The Tigers have gotten used to the pressure though. Three straight quarterfinal appearances will do that.
The road won’t get much easier. Should the Tigers win Tuesday, they will face the winner of one-loss Troup and McDonough in the Final Four, 2 p.m. Friday at Fort Valley State.
But the Tigers aren’t worried. After all, they’re used to this.
“I’m ready,” Cochran said with a smile. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
OTHER AREA TEAMS IN ACTION THIS WEEK
- GHSA 2A Elite 8: Spencer boys at Glenn Hills (Augusta), 6:30 pm. EST Tuesday.
- AHSAA 7A Final Four: Central girls vs. Hoover (BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama), 10 a.m. EST Thursday.
