The North Forsyth girls have been one of the state’s most successful teams over the past decade. Now the Raiders are trying to write a little personal history.
Coach Brad Kudlas’ team is three wins from becoming only the second Forsyth County team to earn a state basketball championship. The Raiders came close a year ago, losing to Marist in the Class 5A final, and carry the No. 1 ranking in Class 6A and a perfect 29-0 record into Tuesday’s semifinal game against No. 10 Carrollton.
“There were several girls who were upset about losing in the state championship game, and they wanted to not have that feeling again,” Kudlas said. “So they’ve been working really hard. They know it’s their last year, and they want to do something special. The biggest thing is not thinking about it too much and putting that kind of pressure on yourself. That’s why I always remind them to enjoy the journey.”
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
Forsyth County’s only state championship came in 1959, when Georgia Sports Hall of Fame coach D.B. Carroll’s Forsyth Central girls went 32-1 and won the Class A championship. North Forsyth’s runner-up finish last year was only the second time a Forsyth County girls program had played for a title. South Forsyth (2014) and West Forsyth (2016) had girls teams reach the semifinal round.
North Forsyth has won 20-plus games for nine consecutive seasons and have won eight consecutive region titles. Kudlas, a Michigan native who teaches chemistry, arrived in Coal Mountain in 2001 and has been the head girls coach since 2007.
North Forsyth is led by 6-foot senior London Weaver, who averages 20.1 points and has signed with Tennessee-Chattanooga. Weaver is a physically strong player who is capable of muscling inside or stepping out to shoot a 3-pointer, as well as handle the ball. Weaver was named the Region 6-6A Player of the Year.
Other starters are junior Gabbie Gliatta, the second-leading scorer at 14.2 points per game, senior Sophia Parks — who set a single-season and career record for blocked shots — and senior Emma Rose. Gliatta and Rose were both named to the first unit of the all-region team.
Freshman Ana Anzola, who starred on the program’s undefeated seventh and eighth grade teams, rounds out the lineup. Junior Jayden Stringer stepped in while Anzola when Anzola was injured in the spring.
“We were returning four starters, but I was nervous we didn’t have the depth we had last year,” Kudlas said. “We’ve played a lot of freshmen, and we had some juniors that came up played on the JV last year. We’ve kind of found our depth and they’ve really meshed together. Our seniors have just embraced everyone, so that’s been great to have.”
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
North Forsyth likes to play a pressing man-to-man style on defense and push the transition game, although that may not be possible in the third-round matchup with an athletic Carrollton team. On offense the Raiders like to play fast and don’t mind running.
“If you want a track meet, we’ll do our best,” Kudlas said. “The girls have shown that in several games. It drives me nuts because I like to get stops and play defense, but the girls are so versatile. They’ve just been able to take what the other team has given us.”
Kudlas said Carrollton, another senior-heavy team, is “probably the best defensive team we’ve played in several years. It’s going to be a battle.”
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
Credit: Lily McGregor Photography
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
