Despite championship loss, Clements girls feel future is bright

Mar. 4—BIRMINGHAM — "I believe 100% that we'll be back."

Sophomore Leah Childress' words may serve as a mission statement for the Clements girls basketball team.

The Colts had just lost the 3A state championship game Friday afternoon to Trinity Presbyterian, falling to the Wildcats 52-48.

Instead of hanging their heads, the players and coaches reflected fondly on their turnaround season — and looked ahead to what's to come.

"I thought we had a chance to get here, I really did," said first year head coach Shane Childress. "But to see where we came from, and how much we grew this season, It was truly special."

Shane Childress arrived in late summer, taking over a team that had finished with a losing record the previous season. In one season he led the Colts to 28 wins, county and regional championships, and a berth in state tournament, the school's first since 2010.

For a while Friday, it seemed the Colts would bring home a state championship as well. The Colts controlled the first three quarters, leading 12-7 after the first, 26-23 at halftime and 37-29 after three quarters.

But there's a reason you play four quarters, and Trinity proved why. The Wildcats exploded for a 12-0 run to start the final period and finished with 23 points in the quarter to take the lead and the state championship win.

"We were leading that whole game and they just got hot," Shane Childress said. "I rarely ever use all my timeouts, but I was burning through them just trying to slow them down. There wasn't much we could do."

Leah Childress did her best to keep her team in it, scoring eight of her game-high 15 points, including two 3-pointers, in the fourth quarter. But it wasn't enough though to keep up with Trinity, which finished 75% from the field in the final quarter.

"We knew they could shoot. Leah made some great shots to keep us in it, but it just became too much," said Shane Childress.

Taylor Farrar finished with 12 points for Clements. Both she and Leah Childress were named to the All-State tournament team.

Emma Kate Smith led Trinity with 14 points, while Mya Moskowitz had 13.

Clements' magical season comes to an end with a record of 28-7. The Colts made a huge impact on a small community this year.

"You look back at the beginning of the year, we barely had anybody in the stands," said Shane Childress. "But our fans really started rallying around these girls. This season meant a lot to a community that doesn't have much."

And with just two seniors and five returning players who played in Friday's game, the Colts have their eyes set on a return.

"Moving here this year, it was a big change and I think we all did a good job of growing together," said Leah Childress. "We're going to miss our seniors but with five players back, we're going to be back."