It’s yet another solid season for the Lady Leopards, who sit 14-3 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the ever-tough Region 8-AA. Fresh off a huge win at #4 Rabun County (59-49) on Tuesday night, Banks County head coach Steve Shedd says that the team still takes it “a game at a time” and tries to not look too far ahead.

While winning at this rate isn’t new for this program — the girls won  19 games last season and have gone 121-62 since 2011-12 — something feels different this year.

“It’s easy to feed off of each other…we’ve bonded and gotten so close that we depend and rely on each other,” says senior Allison Smith, who has been a key part of this program that has won now 71 games since her freshman year, making state each season.

“We know that we can trust each other in games a lot more, and that helps us play better as a team than we have in the past.”

The Lady Leopards have become one of the toughest teams to beat in the state in 2A basketball, and it’s not just one or two people who “fly the plane” so to speak.

“We do have a bunch of talented girls on the team, so it makes it hard for other teams to double-team on [just] one player,” says junior guard Maddie Thomas, whose stellar play running the point has been instrumental to the Lady Leopards success.

“There’s a variety of girls who can really step up…any girl [on our team] can step up and have her night.”

She has a point. There are so many weapons Banks County can hit you with, from dominant post player Jaycie Bowen, stretch guard/forward Smith, the electric guard in Thomas, Amber Williams, skilled shooter Kailynn Gilstrap, Lauren Shedd, Melinda Garrison, Layna Parson…we can keep going.

There’s another reason why the program is enjoying so much success, and that reason derives from playing a tough non-region schedule.

“It plays a major role in the way we play,” says Smith of the tough schedule. “We’re not going up and down as far as the competition level, so we’re constantly making ourselves better in every game we play. I’d rather have it that way…those tough games prepare us really well for those tough region games.”

“It kinds of tells you where you are, and sets the bar when you play [tough non-region] games like that,” adds Shedd.

Of course, the region itself might just be the best in the state, where you have #4-ranked Rabun, #6-ranked Banks and #5-ranked Putnam, along with Elbert County, who recently beat Putnam.

“This is one of those regions where if you’re not careful, anyone can beat you on a given night” says Shedd. “I always tell the girls, the next game is the most important game…we’re not going to look past that.”

For the Lady Leopards, the 8-game win streak will be on the line on Friday night against Putnam in a game that provides another litmus test for the girls, while also resulting in someone gaining an inside track on a regular season region top finish.