Cobras earn Bi-District champs

    The Cobras finished their season as Bi-District Champions with a 6-2 record and second place in the district. They earned the Bi-District level by beating Nixon-Smiley with a final score of 62-34.
    “This season has been a roller coaster for injuries, we were doing really well at the beginning but it put us out of sorts,” said Head Coach Kristy Bradford.
    “It took us a while for us to get back on track and meshing but I feel like in the past couple of weeks the girls really bought into the system and figured some things out. I think when the girls were playing well and playing hard, they were playing harder than I’ve ever seen them play.”
    She said when some players aren’t used to playing rough they don’t mentally deal with it very well, and the Cobras were getting into a place where they could handle rougher play from other teams without being affected.
    Senior Kelsey Van Pelt was an obvious leader for her team in scoring and keeping her head up, as did Jessica Martin.
    “I know the girls looked to Desiree Hill, a freshman, and they were very comfortable with her out there,” Bradford said. “They do look to her for leadership to run the floor, but I feel like we really look out for each other, it’s not just one person standing out.”                     “Bigger scorers like Jessica are hard to take off the floor and when we go we have to adjust. Kelsey never fails to step up, especially when we need the points. Reagan Doyle has stepped up to the plate and into a leadership role as well.”
    She said Skylar Lenamon was always in the mix when she least expected her to, and Sarah Kusak improved in her position as well. “They all stepped up to their role, figured things out and depended on each other,” she said.
    When the Cobras won against Rice, Bradford said that was the moment they knew they had second place in the bag.
    “We were fired up and excited, just laughing and having a good time and letting it sink in,” she said.
    “I’d been talking to them about never making it where someone has to control what you do and be in the driver’s seat. We wanted others to work for what we already had. It was ours and we didn’t have to do anything else to get it and no one could take it from us.”
    The Cobras played Jarrell in the Area round of playoffs and lost with a final score of 72-38.
    “These girls were coachable, and they learned stuff in the middle of a game that we’ve never done in order to get something to work,” Bradford said. “I couldn’t be prouder.”