All season long, Coach Piper Wright has told her players that they would eventually benefit from playing a brutally difficult schedule. Tuesday night, they did.
The Lady Tigers left little question that they were the best team on the court, storming to a district championship with decisive wins over #2 seed Carl Junction in the semifinals and top-seeded Carthage in the championship.
“I could not be more proud of these girls. We have had a super tough schedule and I’ve been saying all year, ‘Guys, it’s going to pay off. It’s going to pay off.’ And thank goodness it did! I’m just really proud of them,” Wright says.
In the opener against Carl Junction–a team that had beaten Republic twice this season in close matches–Republic dropped the first three points. But a 5-0 run on the serve of senior Mikayla Botkin gave the Lady Tigers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the set.
In the second set, Republic used another 5-0 run to grab an early 8-3 lead. They eventually led by nine points, and the Lady Bulldogs were never able to get closer than four the rest of the way. Republic advanced to the championship, 25-21 25-19.
In the championship game, Republic fell behind 6-2 against Carthage (26-7-2), but the Lady Tigers again responded with a huge run, scoring 11 of the next 12 points to seize a 13-7 lead. They kept the pressure on and cruised to a 25-13 win in the first set.
In the second set, Republic jumped ahead 8-4, only to see Carthage storm back to take a 15-12 lead. The Lady Tigers didn’t let it faze them.
“During our practices, we have tried to stay calm, stay loose. We even put music on sometimes when we practice,” says Wright. “And that’s all I told them. ‘Stay calm. We’ve been in this situation several times.'”
Powered by a strong service game, the Lady Tigers climbed back into the game. They tied it at 19 apiece in the midst of a 6-0 run that eventually made the score 22-19 Republic. Carthage answered with three straight points of its own, tying the score. The teams traded points to make it 23-23 before Republic scored the final two points to clinch the championship.
Wright says her team’s strong serves down the stretch were a big part of the win.
“We really just took it to them. What I said was, ‘We have nothing to lose. We’re not really supposed to win this game, and we’re up a set, so just take it to them on the serves.’ And they did. I’m blown away by their serving.”
Botkin says despite their lower seed, Republic knew it could come out of the night with two straight victories and a district title.
“We had played tough with Carthage and Carl Junction previously. Carl Junction was definitely in our sights because it’s hard to beat a team three times, and we weren’t going to let them do it. Then Carthage, we knew from the beginning, they’re absolutely a beatable team,” she says. “This is what we prepare for all year. We play teams from the beginning like Carl Junction, Glendale, and Kickapoo, and we put ourselves in tight situations like that, and it pays off in the end. We work through those.”
The Lady Tigers take home a district championship plaque for the fourth time in five years under Wright. After the Lady Tigers clinched the championship, it was senior Logan Flood–injured before the season–who held the trophy in the post-game photo. Botkin says it was recognition that Flood has remained a part of the team, even though she hasn’t been able to play.
“She’s been our teammate from junior high. We’ve been on the floor with her. So for her to still be a part of the experience, even though she’s not on the floor with us, it’s still pretty incredible,” Botkin says.
Flood says she was excited to see what her teammates were able to accomplish after a rough regular season.
“It’s freaking awesome,” she says. “I know these girls fight every day in practice. I feel like I yell at them and scream at them, and I can’t do anything about it. Then they go out there and they play like that, and I know all this hard work pays off for them. I’m incredibly proud of them.”
And to hold the district trophy for the team photo?
“It made me really emotional,” Flood says. “I feel like I didn’t do anything, and they still do that for me. It’s awesome. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Republic advances to the state sectionals on Saturday at Willard against the winner of Class 4 District 11.