Last school year, the Lady Tigers Basketball team took second place in the IHSA class 4A State competition, the furthest any other girls’ team in the program has gone. The community congratulated not only the players but the coaches as well for an amazing job done. 

For the senior players, it was a great way to end their high school career. As for the younger teammates, they were just beginning their journey for first place next season. And the season has finally come.

Because they had such a great season last year, the Lady Tigers have much to live up to. “We do have high expectations with the way we finished last year as state runner up. We have high expectations every year,” Coach Lori Blade said. This is Blade’s eleventh year as head coach of the Lady Tiger’s basketball team.

Not only does the team have high expectations, but they must recover from losing two seniors from last season, Leigh Kesper and Erin Bell. “We have three seniors that are good leaders not only on the court but off the court as well,” Blade said.

“It’s a little weird being a senior now,” senior Sydney Bloch said.  Now that she is a senior along with Lauren White and Emmonie Henderson, it is her duty and responsibility to lead the younger teammates.

“Being a senior means going to practice, working harder every day and leading the team,” White said. White hopes that if all the girls contribute their best effort, the team will come back for the state title this season.

The team has great coaches and seniors, but more importantly, they work well together. “When we get mad at each other, we usually just end up fixing it. We don’t say mad at each other for long,” Bloch said.

Even when the other team has the ball, the Tigers do not give up. “We take a lot of pride in our defensive effort,” said Blade.

The girls may work hard in the gym, but they do not have to work to get along.  “We bond on and off the court and the chemistry great.  Even when we know our teammates have tests in school, we say ‘you got it’,” White said.

The mother of senior Emmonie Henderson, Monica Henderson, is more than excited for this season.  “I love the excitement and the way the whole team plays intensely,”Hendersonsaid. “I believe that they will go back to the championship and get first this year.”

The team is currently undefeated with a record of 14-0.  The next game is at EHS on Thursday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m. against O’Fallon.