Goldsboro girls headed for season of change

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on November 13, 2013 1:50 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Fourth-year Goldsboro High head varsity girls' basketball coach LaTina Bullock isn't facing a rebuilding year.

She has to reshape a program to compete in the 2-A ranks this winter.

The Cougars won four consecutive regular-season championships and two tournament titles during their short, four-year stay in the Carolina 1-A Conference. They fashioned a 46-2 record against league opposition and made two appearances in eastern regionals during that span.

Maintaining that level of success in a new league with old rivals promises to be a challenge.

"We're looking forward going into a new conference and a lot of people are saying we'll have better competition than 1-A, so we'll see how that goes," Bullock said. "I didn't think the conference last year was too bad. In any conference, there are always going to be some dominant teams and I think this conference will be the same way.

"It should be real interesting."

Goldsboro will renew series against Greene Central, North Lenoir and Kinston -- the reigning 2-A state champion on the boys' and girls' scenes. South Lenoir completes the six-team league.

The Cougars return eight players off of last year's team which posted 18 wins and reached the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. Sophomores Tyona Moses and Destiny Covington have shown some maturity in the preseason, and Bullock is depending on her two seniors -- Nickie Tyler and Sierra Barksdale -- to provide leadership on and off the court.

Tyler was elected team captain and her role isn't expected to change. Barksdale should get more court exposure after seeing limited playing time last season.

Alexus Davis, Deja Moore, Amari Thompson and Markia Garner will be called upon to produce on the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Bullock describes her team as more versatile with speed. She intends to put an aggressive, in-your-face defensive squad on the court that can hopefully disrupt opposing offenses on a consistent basis.

"I have some players who have been with me the past three years, so that's a plus," Bullock said. "We're young talent-wise and learning how to produce that talent. In time, we'll be able to show and capitalize on what we have. We don't have height, but size really isn't an issue for us.

"It's a matter of getting their mental state where it needs to be and transform them into what it's going to take to get there."