After a perfect season and a Southwestern Preparatory Conference title, the Houston Christian Mustangs have become the hunted. Despite the fact that they are playing big-time public schools and have a huge target on their backs, Houston Christian’s winning mentality has not wavered.
“We’re definitely the hunted this season,” said coach Ryan Bickham. “My girls are having to get acclimated to that. It’s a big difference in the level of intensity, not just in the headliners like Loghan [Johnson] and D’Asia [Thomas], but the No. 8 and No. 9 kids on the team, who have to perform up to their ability for us to win.”
Texas Tech-signee Loghan Johnson and Georgia Tech-commit D’Asia Thomas are the catalysts for their team’s ambition.
“I think we’re a lot deeper this year,” said Loghan Johnson. “We’re going to continue to grow our chemistry on and off the court and just gel together. When we are in those tough situations, hopefully we can have that chemistry and trust in each other, so that we can get the job done.”
The two Mustang standouts are embarking on their senior campaigns. However, that doesn’t mean they are going to slow down, given all the work they’ve put into contributing to the team’s success. Their coach will see to that.
“I keep them [Johnson and Thomas] motivated by picking on the little stuff,” coach Bickham said. “I set high expectations for them. For instance, I want Loghan to not only be the best forward on the court but be the best rebounder and playmaker. It’s the same thing for D’Asia. I challenged her to handle the ball more and be more of a leader on the wing. I want to invigorate them.”
Even though the competition will be formidable, Houston Christian’s expectations for this season remain the same.
“The sky is the limit for this team,” said coach Bickham. “I expect another SPC Championship.”
