Patriot Girls’ BB Team Plays In State Tourney for First Time in Program History
An opportunity of a lifetime is something that shouldn’t be disregarded; it’s something that should be seized wholeheartedly and cherished forever.
Throughout the postseason, the Clarkson-Leigh girls basketball team did just that. They seized their moment.
Although their season ended in a loss in the first round of the Class C-2 State Tournament, the Patriots have much to be proud of this year.
After upsetting #3 seed GACC in the district finals, the Patriots earned the right to challenge the #1 ranked Oakland Craig Knights at Lincoln North Star High School at 2 pm on Thursday, March 5. The bleachers were packed and the crowd was deafening.
The Patriots had lost by 24 points in the third game of the season to the Knights, but anyone who thought the game was going to be a walk in the park for the Knights was grossly mistaken.
The first three quarters of the game ended with Oakland-Craig barely coming out on top. The Patriots were working hard, proving that they are a defensive team. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t get shots to fall on offense, despite some good looks.
In the final quarter, Clarkson-Leigh scored twice as many points as the Knights, but it wasn’t enough. The game ended 36-41 with the Knights taking the win.
Junior Cassidy Hoffman led the team in scoring with 11. Other stats are unavailable at time of publication.
“Thursday came and as normal, nerves were there, but we couldn’t shy away from this moment,” senior Ashlynn Novotny said. “We came out and continued to grind and fight for our season. We came out unfortunately with a loss, but all that matters is that we know we gave them our best fight. We accomplished so much this season, and so this loss was nothing to hang our heads about.”
Matt Murren, head coach of the Lady Patriots, said, “The girls came out and played with great energy and effort. They proved that they belonged on basketball’s biggest stage. The atmosphere that our fans and the student section brought made it an amazing experience for the team. Although it didn’t end how we would’ve liked, it was great to see the growth in this team from practice until the last game.”
The Lady Patriots ended the season with a 21-6 winning record, and throughout the season the community and parents showed their support no matter what.
Assistant coach Abby Sayers said, “I’m very proud of the Lady Patriots and their season. We grew exponentially throughout the year as a team. Our weapon is our defense, and our success is because we are a selfless team who never gave up and worked super hard all season. Making it to State was one of the best experiences. They should be so proud of themselves for all they’ve accomplished this year. I’ve never been prouder to be a Patriot than when I saw how much the entire community supported us.”
This year there was a total of 3 coaches, 22 players including 4 seniors, and 12 student managers. “This season wouldn’t have went the way it did without each and every player on the team, and I wouldn’t have wanted to play with anybody else this season,” said senior Reagan Settje.
Before their trip to Lincoln, the community and schools held a pep rally to show their support. This included good natured roasts of the coaches and players, a tunnel walk with high fives from other students, a basketball scrimmage with Clarkson and Leigh teachers, and a send-off with firetrucks.
Senior Abbi Brabec said, “I was so glad that we accomplished getting to State this year. The whole season was a lot of fun including the pep rally. I loved the support from the community.”
Senior Kim Stodola added, “Throughout the whole season there was always a smile on everyone’s face, and we always found ways to make practice and games fun.”
In the end, this season will forever be remembered as a monumental milestone in Patriot history, but as for the team itself, assistant coach Bryan Becker said, “We were able to win many games throughout the season, but our team chemistry set this team apart. Each girl on the team had a role, and they did it to the best of their ability, which pushed our success."
“This season was full of wonderful moments that are now memories of ours to cherish forever,” Novotny said.
Stats are as follows:
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Oakland-Craig 11 9 13 8 41
Clarkson-Leigh 7 8 7 14 36
Individual Stats: (points)
Ashlynn Novotny: 5 ; Kim Stodola: 7 ; Kennedy Settje: 5 ; Cassidy Hoffman: 11 ; Alissa Kasik: 5 ; Kayden Schumacher: 3