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Dallas Christian Lady Chargers pose with the 2022 TAPPS 5A Basketball Champion
Dallas Christian fends off Second Baptist for TAPPS Title
In their third state title appearance, the Dallas Christian Lady Chargers claimed their third TAPPS state title with a 47-41 victory over Second Baptist. Led by Caitlyn Jordan- who scored a game-high 17 points- the Lady Chargers maintained the lead throughout the entire game.
Dallas Christian got on the board first with a pair of free throws. From there, the Lady Chargers set what would be the tempo for the rest of the game as they took a quick and early 10- 4 lead in the first quarter. With back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Second Baptist, the Lady Chargers' lead began to narrow as the time ticked down towards halftime. "I wasn't worried," said Dallas Christian girls basketball coach Calvin Miles. "We jumped out. We were on fire, got a little relaxed, had a couple of turnovers that cost us, and we kind of lost focus on who was guarding. We knew that they could shoot threes; we knew they could run down the court, catch, and shoot." Headed into halftime, Dallas Christian was up by one score. Coach Miles says his advice to his team during halftime was simple: "Don't lose the lead, keep your composure, and let's go out there and play DC basketball."
The trick to winning their third state title? Making it a team effort. "I told everybody to go out there and do their job. I don't need any superstars, I need ball players with a high IQ right now," Miles told his team before taking the court in the second half of play. "It worked out for us- it really did. Our girls played hard and it was a great game."
It was a great game, indeed. Both teams continued to fight their way through each quarter with Second Baptist on the tails of Dallas Christian the entire way. After an injury on the court took out one of Second Baptist's athletes with just about a minute and a half to play- there was a heightened sense of urgency. With the continued spirit of champions, Dallas Christian finished strong and rushed the court with a dog pile after the final whistle. "I told [the girls]: you've got to want it more than I do. I can't play it; I can coach it, but you guys have got to play it. Y'all play the way I coach and we're going to be alright."
"We've been preparing [the athletes] all season. We walk through the gym and only have one mission," coach Miles told VYPE. "Our mission was to get here, kick the door in this year, and win a state championship and let me tell you: they were focused." Coach Miles talked a little bit about how injuries and other extracurricular riddled his team with a shake up; he had to bring in some JV players "just to stay alive," he said. "They kept fighting and I told them: guys, this is going to make you better down the road- trust me. Our ending will be better than our beginning... and it was."
Check out more of the VYPE DFW interview with Dallas Christian's head coach below!
Legacy Prep Christian Academy poses with the TAPPS Basketball Runner-Up banner and trophy after a 74-49 loss against Lubbock Christian (5/5/2022).
Legacy Prep Lady Lions fight against Lubbock Christian in TAPPS 4A Championship game
The Legacy Preparatory Christian Academy Lady Lions put up an extremely tough fight against Lubbock Christian during the TAPPS Basketball 4A Girls State Championship game in West, Texas. Ultimately, the Lubbock Christian Lady Eagles posted the 74-49 victory over Legacy Prep.
From start to finish, the atmosphere of the crowd was electric. With fans cheering on both ends of the arena. Lubbock Christian took an early lead and continued to run with it throughout the game. Legacy Prep continued to play with a fighting spirit throughout all four quarters of play. Despite an aggressive approach at defending Lubbock Christian's advances, the Lady Lions eventually fell and walked away as the TAPPS 4A State Runner-Up team.
"We were here last year and lost to the same team last year, so the girls were dead set on coming back here and- if nothing else- giving them a better fight," said Legacy Prep head coach Audra May following the game. "We fought through injuries all year long... I felt like we kind of limped into the finals, but I couldn't be prouder of how hard they played."
With just a couple of seniors leaving the team, there's no doubt that Legacy Prep will be right back at it next year with the same agility and drive to win. Finishing as the runner-up a couple seasons in a row, the seniors on the team helped play a major role in forging the legacy of the Lady Lions' basketball program. "We were happy to get Maddie Steed back this year," coach May said. "She was at the Christian Academy last year; she came back this year to play with her sister and we were happy about that. Mary [Wittmer] is like the team mom; she's the general of the offense, runs the offense, and she has just grown so much in the last few years that she has been here... I'm really going to miss them."
Overall, no one can argue against the fact that the Lady Lions posted an incredible season in order to reach the state championships two seasons in a row. The team showed their resiliency, power, and drive with a never-ending winner's spirit even through the finals moments of the season. "I think seeing our freshmen really develop [has been a favorite memory from this season]," started coach May. "I played a couple of [the freshmen] today and they're not afraid. They're fearless and those are fun to watch."