BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The Brunswick Lady Pirates want to win it all for Coach Maria Mangram’s dad.
The Lady Pirates are back in the GHSA 6A final four for the second time under head coach Maria Mangram. Coach Mangram would want nothing more than to win the state title. She was born and raised in Brunswick and graduated from the school. Last season her squad went 27-2 and lost in the elite eight to Rockdale County. Coach Mangram says this year’s squad is special and these girls have been working hard.
Coach Mangram will admit their playoff run has been a bit emotional because her dad, former Brunswick football coach John Willis has not been present.
“He's still sick. He's improving slowly but that's been one of the things that's been tough for me this year. He hasn't been able to be at my games and normally he's at all of them," Mangram said.
Her dad became sick on December 11, 2022. He spent two months in the hospital before doctors released him. Coach Mangram says her mom has been a trooper. She's been to all of her team’s games, while also taking care of her dad. Coach Mangram says she and her mom have had some sentimental moments during the Lady Pirates playoff run. The first was when they won the regional championship. The other, when Brunswick advanced to the final four.
“We were just crying tears of joy in their own little area because everyone comes, and they sit in their normal spots, but my dad is not there. Everybody knows I'm a daddy's girl. I mean I love my mom but I'm a daddy's girl. My team knows and they've been playing hard, and they call him Paw Paw and they've been playing hard for Paw Paw and trying to get it done for him," Mangram said.
The Brunswick Lady Pirates will face Lovejoy Saturday at 2pm in the GHSA 6A Final Four at the University of West Georgia.