Longtime Cordova girls basketball Coach Virginia Anderson has been selected to the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“Coach A,” as she is fondly remembered by many of her former players, was varsity coach of the Lady Wolverines for 27 years. During her tenure, the girls advanced to the 3A State Tournaments 12 times.
During that remarkable run, the Lady Wolverines made it to the State Championship game six times, and in 1987 won the state title.
Cordova won all three games in that 1987 tournament by 2-point margins, including the 50-48 championship nail biter over Delta. It was the biggest upset in Cordova’s history, as Delta had defeated Cordova five times during the regular season – including during the district playoffs. Cordova came into tournament seeded as an underdog runner-up.
It was the only time Cordova High School has won a state basketball title since ASAA adoption of the 1A-4A classification system for basketball in 1984.
At an awards banquet in Anchorage on April 11, she was presented with a plaque listing her achievements while honoring her contributions: “Coach A excelled at player development, skill enhancement, and fostering teamwork for overall success. She was actively involved in nurturing young talent from little dribblers through junior high and summer camps, organizing these camps in Cordova or driving players to camp with the support of dedicated parents.”
