Cinderella?
By Bruce Smith
Matchup“I had to turn away (scheduling) teams because they knew we didn’t have Lexi,” said coach Nancy Warner. “This was going to be our rebuilding year.”
However, in June, Malia Nawahine moved from San Diego and her family thought Springville would be a nice place to live – and for Malia to play basketball. The new-look Red Devils played together in tournaments during the summer, but the real surprise started a few months later.
Springville finished with a 14-11 record, but that doesn’t tell the real story. Coming into their Jan. 20 game at Provo, the Devils were 4-8 overall (1-4 in Region 8) and in danger of missing the state tournament.
A 57-43 win that night started a five-game winning streak – all on the road. The Devils finished 8-6 in Region 8, which was good enough for fourth place. At the state tournament, their hot streak continued as they “upset” top-ranked Cyprus in the first round, and followed that with wins over Sky View and Mountain Crest.
“We were the underdog,” Warner said. “We were the ‘Cinderella’ story. That was a lot different.”
The glass slipper fit well for several days during state tournament week. But after rallying from a 17-point deficit to beat Mountain Crest 61-59 in the semifinal the night before, the dream season ended with a 62-47 loss to region rival Timpanogos in a game that began at 11 a.m.
The Devils didn’t win a third consecutive straight title. However, they accomplished a lot more in regards to public opinion.
“The thing I liked most about the season was that we were the underdog,” said senior Aliza Allred. “Nobody took us seriously until we beat Cyprus, but I had no doubt about it. The season wasn’t a fluke to us.”
Warner, who had won a national coaching award in February, also received coach of the year honors by the Salt Lake Tribune and Provo Herald. Some people on message boards had suggested she had walked into a good situation at Springville because of Eaton, but this year’s results erased all that.
“We didn’t surprise ourselves,” said Warner, who was again joined by her husband, Chris, on the coaching staff and had their two children, Charli and Peyton, who usually sat with their grandparents in the stands.
“At the start of the year, we weren’t even part of the equation but, by the end of the year, we knew we had improved. Us coaches, we didn’t lower our expectations because of our tradition.”
Springville was an odd team. The Devils had a 4-7 record at home, but dominated on opponent’s courts. Starting midway through the season, they won nine consecutive away games, including the three straight at state.
Nawahine was easily Springville’s top player. The 5-foot-10 junior was known mostly for her defense when she played in California, but became the Devils’ offensive fireplug. She averaged 18.1 points per game and was a dominant force at state. She made the all-region and all-state teams.
“She was incredibly talented, and just what our young team needed,” said Warner. “Malia gave everyone an immediate boost with her willingness to do whatever it took to win.”
Warner also credited Allred, calling her the “heart and soul of the team.” Savannah Park, a talented player who began attracting attention as a freshmen, averaged 10.3 ppg and had a fine season. Ashli Averett came off the bench and provided a spark, averaging 6.4 ppg.
“We played some tough teams early, but we learned a lot,” said Warner. “In region, we got a lot better.“
At state, they proved it.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment