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Facing higher-classified teams has proven to be a challenge, but Florala is embracing that challenge with wins.

The Wildcats (4-3) pulled off a 50-49 road win at Geneva on Friday, Dec. 3, and followed that up with a 54-38 home win Monday night against Ashford.

“At Geneva, we played very hard and did a lot of little things well. It was a great team win for our program. With Ashford, we defended the rim well and also had a lot of blocks and deflections. Our defense has been improving. I’m really proud of the effort everyone is giving and proud for the team,” Head Coach Troy Turman said.

The Wildcats led 16-14 after one quarter before the Panthers forced a 25-25 tie at halftime. Geneva took a 40-36 lead into the fourth period before Florala used a late rally for the one-point win. Rayshon Coleman and Elijah McMeans combined for 38 points in the win over GHS. McMeans had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead FHS as Coleman added 17 points.

Florala doubled up Ashford 14-7 after eight minutes and led 26-18 at the break. The Wildcats continued their hot shooting into the fourth with a 43-25 lead. Although the Yellow Jackets were able to outscore their counterparts, they could not overcome their first-half woes. McMeans tallied 15 points, six rebounds, and eight blocks as Dalton Jackson had a double-double with 11 points and 17 rebounds. Coleman tallied 10 points, five assists, and two rebounds. Christian Gresham earned 10 boards, and Dontavious Bradberry was next with nine rebounds.

The Lady Wildcats (5-2) fell to Geneva 69-52 but rebounded for a 48-39 win over Ashford.

“Friday night’s loss was a tough one. We got the lead early on but never had control of the game. We did a poor job of executing and didn’t shoot the ball well. We were outrebounded and did not play to our full capacity. We put together a run later on in the game but never took control. After the tough loss, we regained our focus and executed well tonight. We were able to battle through adversity and injury and had a few young girls step up and contribute. They did everything we asked them to do,” Head Coach David Bass said.

FHS held a 15-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, but GHS rallied for a 27-24 halftime lead. The Lady Panthers upped their lead to 46-34 after three. Despite scoring 18 points in the fourth, the Lady Wildcats fell short. Kyndra Anthony had 23 points, four steals, two rebounds, and one assist. Sharae Coleman chipped in 16 points, four steals, four rebounds, and three steals. Cheyenne Ragan grabbed 10 points, five boards, and two steals as Meagan Odom collected 11 rebounds.

Florala roared to a 16-3 lead and held a 26-14 lead over Ashford halfway through. The Lady Yellow Jackets fought back to make the score 35-27 with eight minutes remaining. The Lady Panthers regained control in the fourth and withstood the visitors’ late push. Coleman was electric for FHS with 31 points and 20 boards while going 13-of-17 at the free-throw line. Odom and Regan also finished in double digits with 20 and 13, respectively.

Next up for both teams is a home county showdown Tuesday, Dec. 7 with Red Level. “We have a really tough game with Red Level who is currently undefeated. Our kids are excited and have a full head of steam rolling into the game,” Bass said.