All Coach Joe Lombard wanted for his 58th birthday was a gold medal. And he got it, along with his 15th state championship and his 1100th win to top off a 38-0 season, the third undefeated season in school history for the girls basketball team.
The team had high-scoring games until the semi-finals game against Plainview. The game came down to the wire with the Eagles trailing by 11 points in the fourth quarter then catching up to the Bulldogs in last few minutes, sending the game into overtime. In the end, Canyon won by two points, 42-40.
“After the buzzer went off, I realized we had just won,” senior Ashton Pedigo said. “I ran to the bench and squeezed whoever was in front of me.”
To remain undefeated for the season and win the state championship, the girls had to beat Beaumont Ozen in the semi-finals and Austin Johnson in the state finals. In another set of games that went right down to the wire, Canyon bested Ozen 44-39 and then won the state game with the same score, 44-39.
The state final game featured a true team effort that included three-point shots from seniors Nicole Hampton, Macy Myrick and Madison Russ while injured junior Shayla Monreal sank two three-point balls. A game-changing rebound score by junior Morgan Dean marked the turnaround in the game that headed the girls toward the title.
“We were just hoping to make the playoffs when this season started, and they’ve come together so well,” Lombard said. “Everyone plays their role. I’m so grateful to coach these guys—honored.”
For all the girls except Hampton, who helped earn gold her freshman year, this was the first trip to the state tournament.
“Nicole was only one who has even been here before, so it’s all new to the rest our team, and for them to have the kind of poise they had was pretty remarkable,” Lombard said.
Russ called Lombard’s program amazing and acknowledged the accomplishment of a long-term goal.
“We worked for this since we were little,” Russ said. “You just come through this school wanting to win a state championship.”
Hampton said she told her teammates have fun with the state experience.
“I told them to go out there, enjoy the atmosphere and play like it’s just any normal game,” Hampton said.
For her performance in the state tournament, Hampton was named the Ford Tough Player of the Game and MVP of the state 4A tournament.
“You always dream of going to the Drum and winning a state championship,” Hampton said. “Winning the MVP is just the cherry on top.”
