Catie Embrey grows as coach in first year at Dickson County

George Robinson
Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
Dickson County coach Catie Embrey with her team.

Dickson County coach Catie Embrey isn't always searching for the silver lining in a loss.

Last Friday's 11-point loss to Franklin in a District 11-AAA game moved Dickson out of first in the district and into second.

If a loss this late in the season was inevitable, better for it to be now then in a few days when the District 11 tournament gets under way. Yet, Embrey isn't buying into the "moral victory" that that way of thinking may suggest.

"Really you don't want to finish second or fourth in district," Embrey said. "You want to finish either first or third and avoid having to play those heavyweights in the opposite district when the region tournament rolls around."

Dickson County coach Catie Embrey shouts instruction during Friday's State Farm Classic at Riverdale. The Lady Cougars edged Beech 50-48.

So Embrey has adjusted her message to her Lady Cougars and just in time as Dickson County secured the No. 2 seed in the District 11-AAA tournament where it will place Independence at 7 p.m. Friday in Dickson.

"It's about us," she said. "It's about focusing on us. If we had done the little things correct last week, may be that outcome (against Franklin) would have been different."

Embrey isn't feeling the pressure of making the jump from Class A, where she coached Columbia Academy, to Dickson County in 3A, but she understands what's at stake in Dickson.

"My job is to sort of micromanage this thing at this point," Embrey said. "I need to make sure we are doing every little thing we need to prepare for the next step."

The Lady Cougars have enjoyed three straight years of state tournament appearances. After a pair of quarterfinal exits in Murfreesboro, Dickson reached the state semifinal game last year.

New Dickson County High School Lady Cougars head basketball coach Catie Embrey works with the team during a recent practice.

Embrey has adjusted to life in 3A basketball after guiding Columbia Academy the past three years. And she's learned that depth has been a huge part of Dickson's success.

"Coming from Class A, I had maybe one or two girls who could score," Embrey said. "In 3A basketball, I'm finding out teams have kids one through eight who can score. So that opens things up in terms of offensive schemes for me as a coach."

Embrey also finds herself in chess matches with her counterpart nearly every game night.

"That the other thing about 3A basketball in this district," she said. "The level of coaching is great every single night. I have to be so well versed in what we need to do because if you're not, you're not going to get beat."

Reach Prep writer George Robinson at georgerobinson@theleafchronicle.com or (931) 245-0747 and on Twitter @Cville_Sports.