The Mt. Zion High School girls basketball team is off to an 8-0 start this season, but at Monday’s practice coach Millie Grimes was still vocal on many occasions in pointing out to her players where they can still get better.

That’s because though the unbeaten start is nice, she knows her team is only beginning the toughest tests of its schedule when it plays at Bowdon at 6 p.m. today, and she’s not about to let the Lady Eagles rest on their laurels.

“I’m trying to express to them that our toughest opponents are ahead of us, and hopefully we’ve learned a lot in these first eight ball games,” Grimes said. “But by no means do we think we’re ready and think that we can relax because we’re nowhere near, I don’t think, to what we can become.”

Grimes is one of two local girls coaches who is trying to get such a message across to her players. Haralson County coach Cindy Moore, whose team is 6-0 heading into today’s 6 p.m. home game against Paulding County, is stressing to her team the importance of improving even after victories.

“We’ve had enough scary moments through the first six ball games to realize that, you know, it’s about how you play and not just the fact that you’ve won the night before,” Moore said.

A perfect picture of that for the Rebelettes came in their fifth win, last Tuesday by a 35-34 count in overtime at Bowdon. The team recovered from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, something players and coaches alike said is important progress for a group that in the past didn’t respond well when it got behind.

“In the past it wouldn’t have come together for us because we always go crazy, and our team just splits up,” HC senior guard Casey Cantrell said. “But this year we came together. We didn’t lose our focus on the game.”

And for the pair of teams that are the only two locals still without a loss, not getting too far ahead of themselves is an important focus. MZ junior forward Raven Chism said Grimes has made sure the Lady Eagles don’t let the early wins make them overconfident.

“She’s trying to make sure we don’t get the big head and go in there thinking we’ve got the whole thing and get disappointed, you know, after the season,” Chism said.

The Rebelettes have a veteran core that has led their early-season charge, with seven seniors on the team, junior Ashley Wyatt playing a major role and sophomore forward Ciera Champion the only underclassman in the regular rotation. Cantrell said the familiarity of the seniors in playing with each other since middle school has made for some good chemistry.

“It just helps when we’ve been together this long, and we know how to play together,” Cantrell said. “We know how to work together, and we know what each other’s going to do. So it helps in the game.”

After some struggles in the past few seasons, Haralson County senior forward Ivory Smith said the season-opening winning streak has been enjoyable.

“We’ve got the momentum going. We’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing,” Smith said. “We’re not getting beat by teams that we shouldn’t get beat by.”

Mt. Zion sophomore point guard Jasmin Kierbow said the Lady Eagles have come out with the right mindset this season.

“We encourage each other. I mean, we really want to do it for our seniors because we have a lot of seniors this year,” Kierbow said. “And we’re more determined.”

Grimes said Mt. Zion still has plenty of work to do, particularly on the offensive end, but she likes her team’s depth. She has been impressed with sophomore Kiana Camp’s defensive efforts off the bench, and she said the team’s rotation of post players, led by Chism, Samaria Holland and Shanequa Smith has also been an integral part of the team’s strong start.

“We’ve had girls step up when we need them,” Grimes said.

Ivory Smith said the Rebelettes have to keep up their effort from the first six games, but also keep getting better. Senior guard Taylor McIntyre said Haralson County knows the true measure of its season will come in region play.

“Region’s the main thing...It’s very important,” McIntyre said. “So just got to keep going, playing hard.”

Moore said her team has to compete better in the sub-region this season, something it wasn’t able to do last season when it won only once in the sub-region. She’s hoping this year’s team is able to help people remember how successful the Rebelette program has been in the past and still can be.

“We want to do well. We know the tradition here at Haralson County,” Moore said. “And, you know, for the last three years it’s been a building process.”

Still, she keeps her team focused on a game-by-game approach. The success early this season, though, has been beneficial to the team’s morale.

“It’s given us confidence. Now I think we take the floor, and we realize if we play like we are capable, we’re in good shape,” Moore said. “But I don’t think we take it for granted.”

Kierbow said the Lady Eagles are doing much better at taking care of the ball, while Grimes has her team working on its pressure defense. Chism said the team is still maturing as it looks to continue winning.

But perhaps more than keeping the winning streak going or any particular number of wins, Grimes is focused on continual progress.

“I just want us to make sure we’re ready by the end of the season for the region tournament, you know, whatever takes in realizing what our potential is and reaching that potential,” Grimes said.

And Moore may have best summed up how little an undefeated record can mean at this point in the season, particularly with it making every opponent all the more eager to spoil it.

“Paulding County doesn’t care. They want to win (Tuesday),” Moore said. “That’s what you’ve got to look at: one game at a time.”