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By: Chris Evans
The 2007-2008 Guthrie Lady Jays basketball season was an emotional season, but none more emotional then the last game of the year at Norman North High School in the finals of the Area Tournament.
Area Tournament? Yes, the Area Tournament.
Let's go back to, November 1st, before all the scrimmages had started and the season was over a month from starting and ask yourself what would a good season be for the Lady Jays?
Many would said lets start off slow and start with a winning record and win some conference games. And lets be honest, those would be some good and achievable short term goals to begin the Terry Carris era.
Carris told me early in the year that this years seniors did not want to hear rebuilding or winning record. Nope, these seniors wanted a state tournament berth. A tournament berth that came just one game away, one missed shot away.
When the boys basketball team were winning the Carl Albert Tournament and making headlines across the state, the ladies endured their third loss in a row, finishing dead last in the Deer Creek Tournament, and dropped their record to 6-7.
The perfect opportunity to quit and say: Here we go again with another season down the drain. However, this senior class and coaching staff would not allow that to happen.
Guthrie would come back with three consecutive wins before dropping three more to three state tournament teams: Carl Albert, El Reno, and Harrah. But two more wins to end the season had the Lady Jays playing their best basketball of the season going into regionals.
The Lady Jays were a six seed, but had to go to El Reno where the Lady Indians were the three seed and a staple when it came to Top 10 rankings. El Reno had dropped Guthrie three times in the season and perhaps thought they would waltz into the Area Tourney with a regional trophy.
However, Emily Davis took over the Duncan and El Reno game. Okay, yes it is a team sport. Yes, the Dwyer sisters Tory and Jessica had tremendous defensive games. Yes, Brittney Berryman improved down the stretch. Megan Smith found a good looking baseline jump shot and Jessica Peacock becoming eligible to play helped the Lady Jays, but Davis was on a mission.
A mission you can tell that nothing was going to stop Davis from willing her team to a regional championship, an area championship, and a berth to the Big Dance.
No matter how big the knee brace was. No matter how much tape was under the knee brace, nothing was going to keep Davis from trying and keeping up with the boys team in making the tourney.
Unfortunately, for this Guthrie team they fell just one basket away from accomplishing a Miracle Season. Instead, they pull of a dream season by doing more then the majority had ever thought they would.
Congratulations on a very entertaining season to this group of Lady Jays. Suppose you didn't make it to the State Tournament, but I promise this season was noticed by many. And perhaps there is not a trophy for that, but a lot of memories can replace any trophy.
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