TYLER, Texas — The Grace Lady Cougars have punched their ticket to the TAPPS 5A state Tournament for the first time since the 2017-2018 season, when they won it all.
With the anticipation for the state semifinals comes excitement, especially from the players.
"It's just so exciting" junior guard Kate Glenney said. "It's just an incredible opportunity and it doesn't feel real to be honest, I'm just so excited."
Grace accomplished a feat this season that they hadn't done in over a decade, a 30 win season and counting.
"I never imagined that like we would be in the Final Four," junior Harper Auringer said. "Especially from my freshman year, we were so excited if we scored in the 30s, and so now we're going to state.”
Shortly after winning the 2018 state championship, Grace hired Devan Loftis as their next head coach.
“I think everybody's really excited," Loftis said. "Getting a state championship win the year right before I came, you know, kind of got people excited about it. Now they're back excited. It's a whole new group of kids that were in middle school back when that happened, so it's exciting for them and the families.”
But how about the fans? Grace community is known for it's traveling fanbase.
“The fans have been really good," Glenney said. "Like at our last game, which was like an hour and a half away, a bus came and they traveled. Our parents were incredible, they had shakers, and they were so excited and super loud.”
A group of students also plan to attend to the state semifinals.
“The party bus," Macie Mathis exclaimed! "Like it's amazing how much our school supports us and how much our friends and family just want to be there for us every single moment of every single day.”
Support is something the Lady Cougars will need Thursday, facing their toughest test thus far against Liberty Christion.
“It's been a lot of hard work." Mathis said. "It's been a long season, but it's always been worth it on and off the court.”
Grace will take on the Argyle Liberty Christian Lady Warriors in the state semifinal round at 4 p.m. Thursday at Waco University High School.