After losing in the sub-state the last two years, Bradley Central hopes the third time is the charm tomorrow night. Said guard Whitney Donaldson,"Like Coach Reuter said, we've been kicking on the door and kicking on the door. It's about time to knock it down."
But to knock that door down, the Bearettes will have to be a talented Blackman team. Said head coach Jason Reuter,"I don't know how much stock you can put in this. They are ranked in the top 50 in the nation. Blackman has a very strong team." Said forward Brooke Copeland,"They're athletic. Extremely athletic. They can run and jump. They're long and fast." Added forward Rebecca Reuter,"We're going to have to take care of the ball. No turnovers. And just finish our easy shots." Said Coach Reuter,"That Blackman has such a great reputation. I think our girls are relishing to prove something. We've lost two games, and they both have been to out-of-state teams. We have not lost in the state of Tennessee yet. So I think our girls are very hungry to keep that streak alive."
A victory would send Bradley Central to the state tournament for the first time since 2001. Said Rebecca, "Yeah, it's definitely a lot of pressure. It's really a big push for us to go to state. We haven't been in 12 years. That's a long time, so we really need to go this year." Said Copeland,"I can not even put into words how much I want this. It's unbelievable. We have been working so hard, and I feel like this year is our year." Added Coach Reuter,"The community is hungry, and these kids, they know what's riding on this. Even with all the tradition here, it has been awhile. We've had a great percentage, and we've won a lot of games, but we have not been able to make that next step. We've got to do that tomorrow night."
