Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Bailey Cooper
School: Ringgold
Year: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Cooper’s week: The Rams’ point guard helped keep Ringgold perfect in Section 4-AAA play with 18 points in a 58-48 win over Thomas Jefferson last Monday and she added 27 points in a victory over previously-unbeaten Brownsville three days later. She made five of six free throws late to seal the 47-43 win over the Falcons.
“If she doesn’t score like that, we lose those games, especially against Brownsville,” Ringgold first-year head coach Erika McCarthy said. “Anytime we’re in a tough situation, I look to get the ball in Bailey’s hands. She’s an experienced player, she’s a tremendous athlete. She’s our leader on the court and she’s one of the key factors for us being undefeated in the section.”
Nothing new: Cooper was a thorn in the side of Ringgold’s opponents since her freshman season. A four-year starter, Cooper led the Rams to three consecutive playoff appearances, including a spot in the WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinals as a sophomore. But she was forced to sit and watch late last season.
A concussion and torn ligament in her pinkey prevented Cooper from making a big impact, but when she was cleared to return to the court following the spring AAU season, Cooper spent countless hours in the gym to perfect her shot. After she averaged 12 points per game last season, she wanted to be able to take on a larger scoring role for the Rams.
“When I was cleared to play basketball after my concussion, I was in the gym just trying to get better and I wanted to work on my shot,” Cooper said. “I was so motivated to just get back on the court because I missed it so much. I’m proud of myself because I’m doing well so far. It’s just a good feeling.”
That work is showing so far. The 5-10 point guard is averaging 19.7 p.p.g. for the Rams (4-0, 5-3), who are sitting in first place in the section, despite averaging just 49 p.p.g. For Cooper, the key has been her knowledge of the sport, which developed during three rigorous seasons of varsity basketball.
That experience has been key for Ringgold, which has a first-year head coach and plays in a competitive section.
“She’s not only a tremendous ball handler and shooter, but her real asset is she understands the game of basketball and that is so rare to find with players today,” McCarthy said. “She understands the game, each situation and she knows what to do with the ball in those situations.”
Playing smaller: Ringgold’s run of success coincided with the progression of Marlena Schmidt, a 6-6 center who averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds per game last season. Having Schmidt gave the Rams freedom on offense and defense, but with her now playing at West Virginia, the gameplan has changed.
They must rely on their quickness and depth to wear teams down late in games. That’s been evident early with the Rams’ defense holding their last three opponents to less than 50 points.
“Our goal is to win the section,” Cooper said. “We’re undefeated so far and I don’t think Ringgold has won a section title in a long time. We’ve had to play tighter defense and more zone defense. Losing our 6-6 center, she did a lot for our defense with blocking shots and rebounding. We just had to play really hard.”
Compiled by Lance Lysowski