--- title: SR 997. North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr997 cite_as: SR 997, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr997 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr997.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr997/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74258 date: 2026-03-20 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr996.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr998.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr997.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 997 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-20 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jason Anavitarte - Timothy Bearden - Matt Brass - Ed Setzler - Bo Hatchett - Billy Hickman - John Albers - Steven McNeel text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR997/2025 upstream_id: 2136406 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - high school sports - girls basketball - Paulding County - legislative recognition --- # SR 997. North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 997 By: Senators Anavitarte of the 31st, Bearden of the 30th, Brass of the 6th, Setzler of the 37th, Hatchett of the 50th and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team for winning the 2026 Georgia High School Association Class 6A State Championship and for their outstanding athletic achievements; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, and teamwork throughout the 2025-2026 season, establishing itself as one of the premier girls basketball programs in the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, on March 14, 2026, the Wolfpack won the Georgia High School Association Class 6A State Championship with a 64-58 victory over Grayson High School at the Macon Coliseum; and WHEREAS, the championship marked the first basketball state championship in school history, whether boys or girls, for North Paulding High School; and WHEREAS, the Wolfpack completed a remarkable season with a 30-2 overall record and held the No. 1 ranking throughout the season, reflecting the consistency, excellence, and championship caliber of the program; and WHEREAS, North Paulding displayed resilience and composure on the sport's biggest stage with a clutch and decisive 17-4 run that helped secure the state title; and WHEREAS, the championship victory carried special significance as the North Paulding Lady Wolfpack demonstrated perseverance, growth, determination, 1 percent leadership, and Blue-collar work ethic; and WHEREAS, the Wolfpack was led by Head Coach Wesley Willis and supported by Assistant Coaches Kelly Nye-Hinkson, Cres Summers, Alicia Smith, Monette Thomas, Melissa McCorvey, Clark Brown, and Tanya Willis; Managers Ariel Coward, Aaliyah Willis, and Aiyanna Qawiyy; Athletic Trainers Hannah Bolin and Jessica Bruner; Principal Gabe Carmona; Athletic Director Dr. Ryan Dyer; and Assistant Athletic Director Dennis Jordan, all of whom played an important role in the success of this championship program; and WHEREAS, the members of the 2026 North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team are Kenzie Hinkson, Kalee Hinkson, Kloi Franklin, Olivia Walton, Kierra Clark, Macy Harmon, Morgan Landrum, Ari Moore, Tayla Arnold, Brooklyn Arnold, Ava Dyer, Kelsey Kuykendall, Amiyah Leacock, and Amirah Howell—these student-athletes have distinguished themselves through discipline, sacrifice, and excellence in bringing home a historic state title; and WHEREAS, the accomplishments of the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team have brought tremendous pride to North Paulding High School, the Paulding County School District, and the entire Paulding County community, while inspiring future student-athletes across this state. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body commend and congratulate the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team for winning the 2026 Georgia High School Association Class 6A State Championship and extend their best wishes for continued success in all future endeavors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team for winning the 2026 Georgia High School Association Class 6A State Championship, the school's first basketball title. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a bill that changes state law. It formally recognizes the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team, known as the Wolfpack, for defeating Grayson High School 64-58 on March 14, 2026 to win the Georgia High School Association Class 6A State Championship, the first basketball title in the school's history for either the boys or girls program. The resolution recounts the team's 30-2 season record and its No. 1 ranking throughout the year, and names the head coach, assistant coaches, managers, trainers, and school administrators who supported the team, along with all the student-athletes on the roster. The Senate resolves to commend and congratulate the team and directs the Secretary of the Senate to provide the team with a copy of the resolution. It carries no funding, penalties, or changes to Georgia law. ### What it does - Formally commends and congratulates the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team for winning the 2026 Class 6A state championship. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to the team. - Creates no changes to Georgia law, imposes no requirements, and provides no state funding. - Names individual coaches, staff, and student-athletes in an official Senate record recognizing their achievement. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors the North Paulding High School Girls Basketball Team, its coaching and support staff, school administrators, and the Paulding County School District; it has no legal effect on anyone outside this recognition. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical or legal effect on Georgians; its significance is symbolic, giving official state recognition to a local high school team's historic championship season and creating a permanent record of the achievement. ### Key provisions - The preamble (WHEREAS clauses) recounts the team's 64-58 championship win over Grayson High School on March 14, 2026 at the Macon Coliseum and its 30-2 season record. - Names Head Coach Wesley Willis, seven assistant coaches, three managers, two athletic trainers, and school administrators for their roles in the team's success. - Lists all fourteen members of the 2026 team roster by name. - The resolving clause has the Senate commend and congratulate the team and wish them continued success. - A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to the team. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-20) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-03-20) - Sponsors: Jason Anavitarte, Timothy Bearden, Matt Brass, Ed Setzler, Bo Hatchett, Billy Hickman, John Albers, Steven McNeel - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74258 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr997.md?full=1