ON THE VERGE OF HISTORY Lady Trojans advance to state championship
Olivia Hanson and the Girard Lady Trojans will face Jefferson West on Saturday at 4 p.m., as Girard tries to bring home their first ever team state championship. PHOTO BY JOYCE KOVACIC
BY ERIC WILSON
The Girard Lady Trojan basketball team is headed to the 4A DII State Championship Game.
Girard athletics has never won a team state title in any sport in school history, and the Lady Trojans will look to change this after advancing with a 43-19 victory over Scott City on Friday night.
The first half of this contest proved to be an offensive struggle, as Girard held a 15-10 lead going into the locker room.
Kelli Cuthbertson drives to the basket in Friday nights rout over Scott City.. JOYCE KOVACIC
However, the Lady Trojans hit on all cylinders early in the third, outscoring Scott City 15-3 in the quarter.
The fourth proved to be much of the same, and as the final buzzer sounded, Girard walked away with a 43-19 win to advance to the state title game.
Calea Augustin led Girard in scoring with 15 points. She also added an impressive 15 rebounds on the night.
Ashley Ray added 10 points with six boards and four blocks. Olivia Hanson also chipped in seven points of her own.
With the win, the Lady Trojans have already made history as no Girard girls basketball team has ever played for a state title.
This year’s success can be contributed to the leadership of seniors Ray, Augustin, Hanson, Kelli Cuthbertson and Lauren Franklin.
Juniors Sydnee Crain and Jacey Murphy and sophomore Gabbi Sands have also contributed to the historic success throughout the season.
In the championship game, the Lady Trojans will face a very tough Jefferson West squad. The game will take place today at 4 p.m. in Emporia.
While making it to the championship game is great, it simply isn’t enough. The senior-led Lady Trojan squad have had their eyes set on this goal since they were kids.
Sydnee Crain puts up a shot over a Scott City defender in Friday nights contest. JOYCE KOVACIC
Regarding the season as a whole, Franklin said, “This season has been a successful one. We are reaching our goal every day. Being where we are has been a huge dream of ours since we were little girls.
“This year has been fun for me: spending time as a team and growing closer together. No one has a bond as strong as ours. I would never want to replace any of my teammates for anyone else.”
Regarding the match-up against Jeff West, Augustin said, “We will have to come out very strong, and we can’t be tentative.
“We have made it this far. Hard work, dedication and good defense is what it will take.”
Ray also added, “It’s going to take both execution and confidence from everyone on the court. We will need to come out with a bang and keep coming at Jeff West strong with everything we’ve got.
“We can do it, Girard. Here we go.”
Community support has played a large factor in the first two games of the state tournament.
Senior Ashley Ray had 10 points with 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots Friday night. Ray and company will band together for one last go around at the 4A ll State Championship game on Saturday. JOYCE KOVACIC
Coach Brad Herlocker commented, “I can’t say enough about all of the support we have received from the school and community. We had such a great crowd tonight, and it really made a difference.”
Though the girls realize what the goal at hand is, they still manage to keep their humor while chasing their dream.
Cuthbertson concluded with, “If you ain’t first… you’re last.”
I suppose such a mind set is what got the Lady Trojans here in the first place. Great leadership, sound play while never taking themselves too seriously and just having fun has worked out well for these girls.
Now is the time to go and get what’s yours.