Marcus Hawkins awarded Coach of the Year
In addition to being the coach of the 2016 Class 1A girl’s Basketball State Champs, Madison County High School Cowgirls' Head Coach Marcus Hawkins has been declared as the Dairy Farmers 1A Coach of the Year (COY) as well as the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's (FACA) District 3 1A COY.
This is Hawkins' first year as the Dairy Farmers 1A COY and his third consecutive year as FACA's COY.
“I'm honored,” said Hawkins about his awards. “God has allowed me to taste some of the fruit of [my] labor. Both awards are a testament to the young ladies and coaches that are in this program. When things go wrong the head coach gets all of the blame and rightfully so, because the decision making rests on that person. When the program is successful the head coach gets the honor, when so much has been poured into the program.”
Hawkins would especially like to thank his Assistant Coaches, Chris Neal and LaShon Arnold. “Receiving this honor is a highlight on our assistant coaches,” said Hawkins. “They have poured alot into this program and share this with me. To also take into account the coaches within this classification and the great seasons they have had, I am truly honored.”
Hawkins notes that he owes his awards to such an exciting but busy season.
“This year we played what I thought was a very challenging schedule,” said Hawkins. “Out of Florida, we played three 7A schools (Leon, Lincoln and Niceville) finishing 3-1 and two 5A schools (Wakulla and Santa Fe), finishing 4-0. We played two 6A schools out of Georgia and finished 1-2. I think going through our schedule and winning the district, the region and then defeating undefeated Trenton in the state championship game played a part in getting these honors.”
Hawkins has been coaching for many years. He coached the JV Cowgirls basketball team from 1999 to 2000 and went on to coach the MCHS JV Cowboys basketball team from 2003 to 2004. He has also coached women's basketball at NFCC from 2006 to 2008. He coached the MCHS Varsity girls basketball team from 2004 to 2006 and returned in 2009 and has been coaching ever since.
“I love coaching and impacting these young ladies,” said Hawkins. “I want to build upon [these achievements.]
Hawkins says his deepest desire “is to establish a program of consistency where not only are the Cowgirls winning on the court but where they are graduating and becoming successful in life.
“I think these last two years and the successes we have had on the court and in the classroom have shown our community what these young ladies who come through this program are capable of. I don't intend to stop that,” said Hawkins. “The returning and upcoming young ladies need to know that we have built a program on hard work, dedication and discipline. Those are the things that have been poured in and we are seeing the results of that. These young ladies go to class, they do their school work and they compete on the court.”
As a coach, Hawkins states that he is away from his family often but he would not be where he is without the undying support of his wife, Montrell. “I cannot thank her enough,” said Hawkins about his wife. Hawkins is also very excited that his oldest daughter, Makeela, is playing basketball on the JV Cowgirls team.
“I also want to thank this community for all of the support they have shown during this year,” said Hawkins. “This has been a wonderful year and I am looking forward to another great year.”
Hawkins currently serves as pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church and District 4 City Commissioner. He and his wife have four children: Makeela, Mahogani, Marcus, Jr. and Maliyah.
Jameica Cobb declared Dairy Farmers 1A Player of the Year
Since being declared Class 1A State Champions, it has been a momentous time for the Madison County High School Cowgirls, with achievement after achievement stacking up for the team members, including Jameica Cobb. Cobb plays as guard for her team and averages at 24.3 points, 6.8 rebounds,1.7 assists and 5.0 steals per game.
Cobb is a senior at MCHS and has been voted Dairy Farmers 1A Player of the Year.
“I'm ecstatic about receiving this award because now I'm able to play one last game before I head off to college,” said Cobb. “It's amazing to say I have this opportunity, which doesn't come by often.”
She will play at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) All Star game on Saturday, March 19 in Fort Pierce, Fl. and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches (FABC) game on Saturday, March 12 in Orlando. She is also one of the eight finalists for the Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball Award.
Cobb signed off with Alabama A & M last summer and has a full scholarship. She wants to become a forensic scientist while playing college-level basketball.
“My favorite thing about basketball is laughing and spending time with [my teammates],” said Cobb.
Cobb is 17 years old and from Greenville. She is the daughter of Mijanvo Cobb and Ramon Cobb.
Cobb will find out whether or not she won Miss Basketball at the FABC Coach/Player of the Year awards banquet on Friday, March 12.
Tamiera Mobley declared FACA Player of the Year
On top of her contribution to the Madison County High School Cowgirls basketball team being declared Class 1A State Champions, Cowgirls player Tamiera Mobley has much more to celebrate, as she has been declared as the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) District B 1A Player of the Year.
Mobley is a senior at MCHS and plans to attend college to play basketball. She has many offers from colleges and is currently still deciding which college she would like to attend. She wants to become a physical therapist.
Mobley is 17 years old and the daughter of Lakenya Jackson. She resides in Madison.