COLUMBUS — Columbus Christian Academy girls basketball reclaimed the MAIS Class 2A state crown on Saturday, defeating Marvell Academy, 42-38, in the championship game at Briarfield Academy.
It’s the second championship in three years for the program, a special achievement for the upperclassmen who will have a second ring in their collection, and a redemptive arc for the team after falling short of a repeat a year ago.
Head coach Billy Thomas and his team were already on the road again on Monday to face Parklane Academy in the MAIS Overall tournament, losing 63-27 against the upper division opponent, but took the time to reflect on the achievement of his group, those experiencing it again, and those experiencing it for the first time.
“We have several key players who weren’t here two years ago, and they have the drive where you don’t have a ring and you really want it,” Thomas said. “We have five seniors too, and to send them off with another championship is cool to see as a team, as a coach, and as a school. They work so hard for these accolades so it’s great to see when it all comes together.”
The juniors and seniors on the team not only won a second championship, but they passed a major milestone as a group by getting over 100 career wins in the last four years with the Rams. It was something they had to achieve on their postseason run, adding a little more pressure, but they managed to see it through with key wins in big spots against the best in their classification.
“We were a little worried at one point when some games got canceled or moved, that maybe we wouldn’t get to 100,” Thomas said. “We play a tough schedule so you have to account for some losses in there. We thought about it a little toward the end, but the overall goal was always to win a state championship. For them to accomplish that and get over 100 wins, after playing together that long and doing so much together is special.”
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