The Rapid City Central girls basketball season did not get off to the start for which many would have hoped.
After reaching the state tournament a year ago, they opened the 2009-2010 season by dropping their first two games at home against Sioux Falls O’Gorman and Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
But thanks to the resiliency and dedication of the players and coaches, the Cobblers rebounded by winning 10 of their next 11 games. Central kept that momentum the rest of the way and wound up capturing the District 4AA title.
Now, as the sixth-seeded Cobblers prepare to travel to Huron for the Class AA state tournament starting Thursday at 7:45 p.m. against the third-seeded Lady Tigers, they have one goal: Bring a championship back to Rapid City.
“We’re going there with the mind-set that every team has — to win,” Cobblers head coach Kraig Blomme said.
It may have been difficult for the Cobblers to envision a chance to win it all, considering the disappointing start. The leadership of seniors such as Jacqee Jasinski and Lacey Lehmann, however, has played a big role in meeting those challenges.
“Our seniors, from the second the season was over last year, have provided a lot of leadership, on and off the court,” Blomme said. “They’ve put in time in the gym and given real leadership on the court.”
Blomme acknowledges that the experience of his team will help, but he said what he wants most is for his team to be prepared.
“I used to think that in state tournaments, experience was the biggest factor,” he said. “Now, I just feel like making sure your team is playing their best ball of the season is most important. A big thing for our girls is that we haven’t finished well at the state tournaments we’ve been to, so without a doubt their goal is to play well.”
This Central team has been playing with each other for so long, and they seem to have a great comfort level with each other.
“I think we have our best chance to win in a while,” junior forward Ashton Beaird said. “If we keep our heads in there, we can play with any team out there.”
“Everybody is just unbelievably happy with going to state again,” Jasinski said. “We don’t want to let anyone down, so I hope we can make it far in the tournament.”
That excitement shouldn’t be a negative in terms of the Cobblers’ preparation. Their recent battles with Rapid City Stevens were high-energy games with packed crowds, so the players should not be intimidated by the atmosphere.
“I’m confident our girls will be focused in the first-round game, and I doubt they will worry about the outside factors,” he said. “We’ve played in some great atmospheres that definitely will help.”
As with any state tournament, the competition in Huron will be stiff, but the season has already brought Blomme some fulfilling moments.
“I’m excited, because it’s the fifth straight time we’ve won our district,” Blomme said. “I am proud of the season we’ve had.”
In order for Central to achieve its goals, the team needs to focus on defense and rebounding.
“We’ve got to be balanced and have some inside play to compliment our guards,” Blomme said. “But our focus is always trying to stop what the other team is going to do by focusing on taking away what other teams do well. Rebounding is the key, too. Most of the games we’ve won or lost it’s due to rebounding.”
