TACOMA — The seniors on the Prairie girls basketball team understand. And now the younger Falcons know about it, too.
The seniors grew to understand what it was all about, the demanding practices, the commitment, the sacrifices. It was their job this year to lead the younger players, to show what it takes to compete at the highest level.
That way, when they leave, the next wave can continue the tradition.
Prairie made it back to the state tournament for the 14th consecutive season and returned to the state championship game for the first time since 2006. The Falcons ended up second, losing to Holy Names of Seattle 57-48 Saturday.
The seniors said goodbye, and the younger Falcons vowed to return, to play for them.
Senior Lauren Goecke wiped away tears reflecting on her career.
“When you come in as a freshman, you don’t even know what you’re in for,” she said. “As a person, I feel I’m a much better leader. I’ve grown as a person, not just as a basketball player.”
She hopes all of her younger teammates will be able to say the same thing one day.
The first lesson is to never take anything for granted. Sophomore Megan Lindsley already understands.
“This was our goal all season to get here,” said Lindsley, who scored 12 points in the championship game. “It’s a priceless moment that we worked so hard for. We’re so lucky to experience this.”
Sophomore Jackie Lanz, who was voted on to the all-tournament first team, thanked all associated with the team.
“It was an amazing experience. It was great to get to the finals. We couldn’t have done it without the amazing coaching, including all the assistants. We couldn’t have been here without our leaders, without our managers, without everyone.”
Expectations will be high again next year, too.
Lanz had the best tournament of any Falcon. Lindsley filled in admirably as a starter after Heather Corral went down with a knee injury. Cori Woodward, another sophomore, grew more and more confident in her role and excelled in the state semifinals.
Junior Andrea Smith showed potential with strong outings in two contested playoff games against Kennedy. Kelsey Asplund, another junior reserve, scored four points in the title game.
Freshman Nicole Goecke got the experience of being with the team, of practicing with the team for the extended playoff run. She expects to make bigger contributions next season, too.
Oh, what about Corral, one of the best juniors in the state? She is expected to be on the court next season and not in a wheelchair like she was Saturday, a day after knee surgery.
Lanz said when the Falcons succeed next season, they will still give credit to the seniors from this season.
“The fire is not going to die down for us,” Lanz said. “We’re going to come back stronger next year, and we’re going to win it. We’ll win it for the seniors because we know they wanted this so much.”
