A senior moment
It started with a bracket party Sunday afternoon in the town with a population of around 250.
Just a friendly gathering of 40 or so people – athletes, parents, grandparents and supporters – over at freshman Shateara Cornmesser’s grandparents’ house watching for the State 2B basketball tournament draw to be posted on the Internet.
“We all have the best time together; it’s like a movie,” Christy Henning said with a laugh. “It’s like ‘Hoosiers,’ and we do stuff like that all the time.
“This team has a really special bond. I know a lot of people say that, but we really like to be around each other. The coaches and the players have a lot of fun and the parent involvement is unreal.”
It’s not uncommon.
The story probably feels familiar in many small towns sending off a team to battle for State B glory. Henning says the town “will probably shut down because everyone is going to watch.”
The coaches, the players and the community – they become family.
And though this year may feel a little different – being the first year since the decision was made to have two State B tournaments – it is still on the Spokane Arena floor that the larger of the B classifications will compete for a state trophy this week.
But as Henning will explain, all her Lancers want to do is take things in stride.
“They’re not looking four games from now,” she says. “We have just been really focused on winning the next game. It’s what they have been saying all season.”
So far, the philosophy has worked superbly.
Other than a loss in December to former league opponent Freeman (Northeast A) and a stumble in late January to Davenport, the Lancers (24-2) have been perfect.
Lind-Ritzville and Davenport, second- and third-place finishers in league, respectively, were knocked off in district tournaments and fourth-place Reardan came on late and earned a No. 2 seed to state.
When Henning took the reins three years ago she was joined by one of her former basketball coaches at Ferris, Greg Foland, and Liberty had just moved from the Northeast A – where Henning said the program struggled. The Lancers placed third in the Bi-County League that year.
Last season the Lancers placed second and lost a winner-to-state, loser-out game at the end of the season.
“That was a heartbreaker,” Henning said. “The girls wanted to play at state so bad, and we came so close.”
Their success this season hasn’t been shocking. They undoubtedly have the experience to compete at a high level in the B leagues. But they’ve done so without star power.
All five starters are seniors, and all complement each other.
Four-year varsity veteran guard Shawn Hennessey, 6-footer Caitlin Jeske, defensive stopper Andrea Collins, Cami Bullock and Laura Davis, who Henning calls the “gel that holds the team together,” round out the five players who have been the bulk of the reason for Liberty’s success this year.
The supporting players, Henning said, are also a major factor.
“We’re very deep,” she explained. “The kids that come in and play, we have full confidence in all of them. Chelsea (Crosby) is awesome as our sixth man, but it’s hard to pick just one sixth man.
“If they’re in a zone, Heather (Kjack) is going to come in and shoot them out of it. If they’re full-court pressing, we’re going to have Alessandra (Lemos) break the press because she can see over the top. The kids are very good at what they do, and they all understand what their roles are. We don’t have to come into a game and rely on one person to produce.”
Lemos, a foreign exchange student from Recife, Brazil, lives with Henning and her husband. Her original host family has kids of their own and with the 2 a.m. arrivals from bus trips and the other demands, it was a better fit to stay with Henning.
“That’s how close we all are,” Henning explained. “I’m going to be devastated when this group of girls is gone. It’s a magical season, that’s the most I can explain about it.”