Douglass Lady Astros Honored at City Hall for Winning Georgia Class AA Basketball Championship

*The Douglass Lady Astros were honored at City Hall for winning the Georgia Class AA State Championship in basketball.*

It’s great to be a Douglass Astro!

With a host of Douglass administrators and alumni in attendance, along with the Marching Astro Band, the Lady Astro basketball team was honored at Atlanta City Hall on Monday (March 18, 2019) for winning the Georgia High Schools Association (GHSA) Class AA championship. It is the first championship in basketball for the Lady Astro program and the second for the school, as the boys’ team won the title in 1984.

Head coach Alana Allen and Principal Dr. Ellis Duncan accepted a proclamation from the Atlanta City Council on behalf of the team and the school, declaring Monday, March 18, 2019 as Frederick Douglass Lady Astro Day in the city.

Dr. Duncan said the championship means more to the school and the community than simply winning a game and earning a trophy.

*The Douglass Marching Astros performed at City Hall during a ceremony declaring March 19, 2019 as Frederick Douglass Lady Astro Day in Atlanta.*

“It brings our community together and it highlights the fact that dedication and effort means a lot,” Dr. Duncan said. “It shows everyone that when you come together for a common goal, and you’re willing to work together, you can accomplish anything. The sky’s the limit. This means wonders for our school and our community.”

Coach Allen agreed.

“This is super big,” she said. “People we don’t even know are sending messages on social media to me and to the team. The whole community just has a great sense of pride. Everybody wants to be a Douglass Astro now, and it’s great because that hasn’t always been the case.”

The Lady Astros defeated the Early County Bobcats, 57-51, back on March 7, to win the Class AA state title. Following their win, the Therrell boys’ team won the championship with a 51-49 victory over Vidalia. It was the first time that APS has swept a class since 1959, when Murphy’s girls and Brown’s boys won in AAA, then the highest class.

Members of the team include assistant coaches Morgan Jennings and Khaalidah Miller. The players include: 1 Ashuntee Weems, #3 Nekiyah Thompson, #4 Ashley McKee, #5 Kayla Sesberry, #10 Kayla Pruitt, #12 Zhaniya Moreland, #21 Shakeria Freeman, #23 Carissa Merryweather, #30 Ikenya King, #33 Elise Griffin.