Our seniors, Hilary and Olivia, gave us a lot of leadership. A coach can try all he can to help his kids, but it comes to a point when leadership has to take over. They kept their heads up when earlier in the year they may have gotten down.
My reaction was excitement. Benton Central is an excellent team, and I knew that if we were going to win this sectional, we'd have to play them eventually. I'd rather play them first than last. I wanted to have time to prepare.
We've got to take care of the ball, and we've got to defend. Last time we played, they were the aggressors and they deserved to win.
I knew before I took the job, when I saw her as an eighth-grader, that she had clear D-I potential. The combination of her height and skills and athletic ability is really rare. She's the best player I've ever coached, and overall I think she's dealt with the pressure very well.
