Lady Bulldogs State Playoff run

Team Picture Front row: Alexis Collins, Gracie Mead, Tenlie Steward, Macie Mays, Wriley Taylor, Neely Schaaf, McKinli Mays, Abi Schmitt
Back Row: Coach Beau Swopes, Kyndal Swopes, Kiera Strauch, Tayah Garringer, Avery Floyd, Braylie Steward, Christian Steuck, Sage McCullough, Silvia Carrillo, and Coach Alexa Mays

The Lady Bulldogs capped off a great season with a run through the playoffs. The Lady Bulldogs began their run in the sectional round with a convincing win over University Academy with a final score of 69 to 31. The win moved them into the quarterfinals at Missouri Western against South Harrison. The Lady Bulldogs continued their winning ways with a 63-34 victory securing a spot in the Class 3 final four for the second time in a row.
Last Friday, the Lady Bulldogs headed to Missouri State to play in the semi-final game against the West County Lady Bulldogs. ElDo came out and played suffocating defense as they held West county to just 4 points in the first quarter while scoring 20 of their own. They continued to play well on both ends and cruised to a 52-29 win, earning a spot in the Class 3 State championship game against the Fair Grove Lady Eagles.
The State Championship game couldn’t have started out better for the Lady Bulldogs as they jumped out to an early 20 to 12 lead in the first quarter. The second quarter didn’t quite go as planned as the Lady Eagles were able to chip away at the lead and get back within 4 points going into halftime. Coming out of the half the Lady Eagles were able to tie the game up after two possessions, but the Lady Bulldogs would be able to take a one-point lead into the 4th quarter. The final quarter of the season would watch both teams hold the lead, but in the final minute, Fair Grove would hold a 2-point lead. The Lady Bulldogs were able to force some turnovers on the defensive end but just couldn’t get a shot to fall. When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Bulldogs fell just short of victory losing 52-54.
Although, we didn’t achieve our final goal this was a magical season. The girls grew so much over the season and competed with the best teams in the state. I would like to thank our two great Seniors, Wriley Taylor, and Macie Mays for all their hard work over the past 4 years. The two seniors were a part of 104 wins, 4 conference titles, 3 district championships, 2 final fours, and 1 State Championship. As a coach, I’ve always said that there isn’t anything tougher than watching seniors walk off the floor for the last time and this is definitely still true. I’m so proud of these two girls and all of their accomplishments. I’d like to thank their parents Jarrod and Tammy Mays and Austin and Jessica Taylor for allowing me to be a part of their lives over the past four years.
The girls, Coach Alexa Mays, and I would like to thank the community for all the support throughout the season. It didn’t matter how far away our game was we always had the best crowd and your energy lifted us up during difficult times. We would also like to thank Bob Floyd and all the firefighters for the escort out of town and the escort into town. Coming off a tough loss in the final game and the community showing up to welcome us back into town will be a memory we will always remember. We would also like to thank the following people and businesses for sponsoring our charter bus for our trip: Kurt and Amber Strauch, Santa Paula, Fugate Motors, State Farm Toshua McCormick, Kirk Sible, and Night and Day Construction. Also, a special thank you to the Athletic Booster Club and the Optimist Club for their help with meals while we were in Springfield.