Providence Christian girls make Sweet 16

February 14, 2008

By Ken Rogers

Providence Christian’s girls basketball program took another big step Thursday night.
The Eagles’ 62-43 victory over Florala sends Providence to the Southeast Regional in Troy next week. Providence is one of Class 1A’s Sweet 16, which is ironic since most of the Eagles are barely 16 or younger.
The team starts one senior, Kelsay Layer, two sophomores—Andrea Charlton and Katie Dowd—and two freshmen—Madison Longchamp and Mackenzie Stewart. Most of the reserves are either underclassmen or in junior high. One of the biggest ovations of the night came when the junior high squad, called the Eaglets, went to the scorer’s bench to check into the game with two minutes remaining.
This week is going to be exciting for the school. It’s going to be an education, too. Top-ranked McIntosh awaits Providence in Troy on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Providence has nothing to lose—and a great learning experience to gain. They are quick, smart and eager to take the next step as an AHSAA basketball program. That makes the young Eagles a dangerous opponent for a team with state championship expectations. It should be fun to watch.