Redemption

Despite being young and inexperienced, the 2007-2008 girls basketball team at McKinney Christian Academy found redemption. A year after missing the playoffs, the Lady Mustangs bounced back to win district and earn their fifth trip in six seasons to the regional playoffs.
The journey wasn’t easy.
McKinney Christian has been fielding a girls’ varsity team for just six years now, but the Lady Mustangs had already proven to be one of the top TAPPS programs in the state. The first four years had all included a trip to at least the regional finals, with one season ending in a TAPPS Class A state championship. But after a move up to Class 3A, the 2007 season ended in disaster. The team’s two captains had been injured in consecutive games, with Savannah Brock tearing her ACL and Paige Nelson hurting her ankle. Scorer Emily Crombar broke her arm. McKinney Christian went from being ranked No. 11th in the state to 10 consecutive losses and a last-place finish in district.
Crombar, Brock and Nelson were back and healthy for 2007-2008.
“We got off to a good start,” said coach Lee Brock, Savannah’s father. “We won our season-opening tournament and Savannah was MVP, then she had to have surgery again.”
Nelson’s injury wasn’t as serious as the one the previous season, but it required surgery. She missed all of December as the team’s record fell to 7-6. When she got back, the Lady Mustangs got better in a hurry.
They won four straight games to capture the Rockwall Heritage tournament, with Brock, Nelson and sophomore forward Aly Collins being named to the all-tournament team. Nelson won MVP honors.
“That really started us on a roll,” said Lee Brock. “We won our first four games in district and had a 10-game winning streak going.”
McKinney Christian then played Fort Worth Calvary in the first of two memorable games the teams would play in 2008. Both teams came into the first contest undefeated in TAPPS District 2-3A play. Calvary would claim a narrow victory on their home court. By the time of the rematch, both teams were 8-1 in district and the winner would be crowned district champs.
The Lady Mustangs were up to the task, winning a close and exciting game at home in the last minute.
“We made some big plays in the end,” Lee Brock said. “It was just a great story. We went from being last one year to being district champions the next. We were playing well and the game for the championship was very exciting. It was just awesome.”
All five starters for the Lady Mustangs were honored in the TAPPS District 2-3A postseason awards. Brock, Nelson and sophomore shooting guard Crombar were named first-team All-District. Freshman point guard Taylor Brock, Savannah’s younger sister, and Collins were named to the second team. Crombar was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Taylor Brock was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Calvary’s McKenzie McDowell garnered Most Valuable Player honors, but Savannah Brock and Nelson finished second and third in the voting. In the game that decided the district championship, Taylor Brock held McDowell to just seven points, 11 below her average. And three of those points came on a wild three-pointer near the end of the game.
“We would put Taylor on the other team’s best player every game,” said Lee Brock. “She just did an excellent job in almost every district game. She’s great at position and foot work, just so technically sound that it made it tough for any one to score on her.”
Savannah Brock had a strong season, though she lost some mobility after her knee surgeries. She went from playing point guard as a sophomore to post as a junior, even though she is just 5-foot-9. The Mustangs ran a high-post offense to take advantage of her strong outside shooting and passing ability.
The Lady Mustangs were a quick team featuring adept ball handling. They were also good outside shooters and seemed to take turns getting hot.
No one got hot more often than Crombar, who averaged 14 points a game during district. Nelson averaged 12 and Savannah Brock 10.
“She’s a great shooter and can also drive to the basket,” Lee Brock said. “She can hit a three. She can just flat out put the ball in the basket.”
Collins provided much needed defense and rebounding.
“She started for us every game last season and every game this season,” Lee Brock said. “She’s been our most consistent player. She’s got a real knack for grabbing offensive rebounds that you just can’t coach.”
Other key contributors for the Lady Mustangs included sophomores Carlee Smith, Spencer Wood and Lauren Fess, plus freshmen Lauren Snead and Priscilla Chiessa.
Brittani Knam and Ellie Kimball backed up at post. Kimball, just a freshman, has great potential. “She’s not that tall, but she’s incredibly strong,” Lee Brock said. “She should be a pretty good post player by the time she graduates.”
The Lady Mustangs started off the playoffs on a roll, holding off Austin Bethesda Christian, 40-37, to advance to the regional finals. The Brock sisters led MCA in scoring, with Savannah scoring 14 and Taylor nine. Collins also scored nine while Nelson added eight.
McKinney Christian then ran into a buzz-saw in regionals, losing 47-33 to defending state champions Amarillo San Jacinto. San Jacinto used its big-game experience to open up a 17-7 lead in the first quarter. The team’s 1-3-3 defense then kept McKinney Christian’s offense under wraps for the rest of the game. Crombar scored 12 to lead MCA, while Nelson added 11.
Coach Brock and everybody associated with the Lady Mustangs are excited about next season. McKinney Christian drops back down to 2A, and returns every single player on its roster. The numbers will be bolstered by a strong eighth-grade class moving into high school, so much so that the Mustangs will field a junior varsity team for the first time in 2008-2009.
“We have a lot of work to do, especially individually at getting better,” coach Brock says. “We also need to penetrate better, so we can do more things on offense. But we are going to be better. We are going to be older, more experienced. We should also be deeper than ever, have more girls that can contribute. We should be strong.”