EudoraNews.com

I'll admit it -- I begrudgingly went Friday to the Eudora girl's sub-state semi-final game against Baldwin.

It's not that I have anything against the girls, basketball, Baldwin or the game's host site, Tonganoxie. No, it's not nearly that complex.

I was just done with basketball, and hadn't expected to have to drag out the camera and notepad for one final go-around. See, I hadn't figured the sixth-seeded girls team to upset the third-seed Kansas City-Bishop Ward girls in the tournament's first round. I hadn't figured any of the teams I cover to advance in the tournament. And with the way things had been going recently -- the two De Soto's teams I cover never found their rhythm, the Eudora boys had a tough first-round draw and the girls seemed to be an easy out after a month-long slide had erased a promising stretch earlier in the season -- I was ready for spring.

A run of truly shocking performance by the girls changed that, however. The girls lost in the final to host Tonganoxie, their dreams of this week's state tournament were dashed and by Saturday night I was back to thinking about track, baseball and warm weather.

But the Eudora girls played so much better in their final two games of the season than they did in the previous 10 that by the end, I was happy to have put spring on hold.

But we have two other stories in this week's issue talking about how great the Cardinals were this weekend -- what excited me the most is how good they can be next season.

After Eudora finally lost and as Tonganoxie wildly celebrated its berth in the state tournament, Allison Braden, the team's only senior, quietly accepted the sub-state runner up trophy, lifting it into the air despite barely removing her tear-swollen eyes from the floor.

This team will miss Braden next season. She learned to use her height to its full advantage both offensively and defensively as the season went on, and that sort of experience --combined with her gritty role-player mentality -- doesn't come along often.

But a lot of the players the Cardinals will be returning next season saw breakout performances at sub-state. Haley Epperson has been the team's star all season, but wasn't the deciding factor in the Baldwin game.

Rather fellow-sophomore Rachel Pyle was. Pyle led the team with 14 points and displayed the sort of tenacity and touch needed to be one of the team's go-to players next season.

Like Epperson, it's not exactly news that Emily Ballock plays well either, but she continued to show she can be the final piece to whatever puzzle Eudora coach Ryan Luke and the rest of the team form. She's fast and able enough on the dribble to be one of the best point guards in the area, her defense against Baldwin was sensational and she can score almost as well as anyone on the team.

The list can go on. Junior Elaina Kouri played very well, especially against Tonganoxie. Sophomore Kendal Abel offered yet another option both handling the ball outside and driving for the basket.

It's cliche to say it was a "team effort," but that no Cardinal scored more than 14 points in either of the two final games, and that none scored more than seven despite having a legitimate chance to knock off the Class 4A state favorite really backs the old saying up.

There's a lot to look forward to. Last week I never expected to say this -- it's too bad we have to wait nine months to see these girls play again.