Kriss Ethridge continued family lineage with Monterey basketball
Kriss Ethridge was born into a basketball family.
Her father, John, played at TCU from 1950-52 and was the head basketball coach at Amarillo High when she was born. Ethridge’s mother, Mitzi, was an all-state selection at Dimmit. It meant growing up, Ethridge was surrounded by basketball.
She started playing on youth teams when she was nine, quickly falling in love with the sport. That love stayed with her at Monterey, where she was a three-time all-district selection from 1978-81 and a member of a state championship team in 1981. Later in life, she got involved in coaching basketball, serving as Coronado’s girls' coach from 2011-20.
Her achievements earned Ethridge a spot in the Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Honor in 2020. After a long COVID-19-induced delay spanning two years, she’ll finally be inducted in Saturday night's ceremony at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center at 6 p.m.
Ethridge has loved basketball for her entire life. She’ll officially receive one of her greatest life honors because of it.
“It’s so humbling,” Ethridge said of her induction. “A lot of great players and coaches and teams have come through Lubbock ISD and have been inducted, and I just feel privileged to be part of that.”
Ethridge arrived at Monterey in 1979. Back then, high school lasted just three years, so she was a sophomore. It was Monterey’s first season under new head coach Tim Tasker, who instituted a full-court pressing system.
For some it would be tiresome, but not for Ethridge. She thrived in it, believing it best fit her style of play. Ethridge hit the ground running, receiving her first all-district nod that season.
“It was just straight up my alley,” Ethridge said. “The team that we had at that time was perfect for us. It was a perfect fit. Things took off from there.”
Ethridge struggled with confidence as a sophomore, not receiving the playing time she wanted. She came off the bench as a backup point guard, which Ethridge expected, but wasn’t thrilled with.
In 1980, she would not only become Monterey’s starting point guard but be joined by her younger sister, Kaime. The two grew up competing against each other, sometimes for the same starting guard spot on a team. Before Ethridge focused on basketball, the two played doubles tennis together at Monterey in 1979.
Kriss and Kaime would play fierce one-on-one games against each other after practice, with Tasker having to throw them out of the gym on occasion due to the intensity. The two traded wins against one another, and the loser felt the taste of defeat.
“Whoever lost walked home, that’s how bad it got,” Ethridge said. “When she beat me, sometimes I’d be so hurt that I’d walk home. Mom always knew who won the one-on-one matches that way, because the loser would always be last at home.”
Despite the intense battles, the two always pulled for each other, sharing a special sibling connection on the court.
“Anytime you play with a sibling. … it just makes things a little bit easier,” Ethridge said. “There's always that connection. You're always pulling for each other. That was always the fun part."
Ethridge earned her second all-district selection en route to a state championship appearance with the Lady Plainsmen. However, Monterey fell to South Oak Cliff. The next season, Ethridge and the Lady Plainsmen were determined to not only make it back, but win it all.
Monterey won 32 games in 1981 as Ethridge earned her third consecutive all-district honor as well as a date with Duncanville in the final of the state tournament. With about three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the previous year's result looked to repeat itself as the Lady Plainsmen trailed by eight points.
That’s when Tasker called timeout, hoping to inspire a Monterey comeback.
“I looked around and told everyone ‘We’re not losing this game,’” Ethridge said. “And we went back out and played some really good basketball in those final minutes.”
Monterey fought back and only trailed 71-70 with under 20 seconds left. Ethridge was fouled attempting a go-ahead layup and was sent to the free throw line to shoot two potential game-winning free throws.
As she stepped up, memories of her shooting free throws at the end of every practice ran through Ethridge’s mind like a blur. Now, her practice could pay off in the most important game of the season.
Ethridge didn’t mess up, sinking both free throws to give the Lady Plainsmen a 72-71 lead, which they would hold to win the state championship. It was the first time an LISD girl’s basketball team had won a state championship.
“It wasn’t really about that final game for me, it was about the journey to that game,” Ethridge said, recollecting on that season. “That’s what stuck with me and that’s what it’s always about. It's always about the ups and downs as you get to that ultimate goal. That's what I take from that more than anything.”
Both Ethridge and her sister would earn full scholarships to Texas, going undefeated in Southwest Conference play during their entire collegiate careers. Kaime even won a national championship with the Longhorns in 1986, one year after her older sister graduated.
Even with her successes after high school, Ethridge will never forget her time at Monterey. She’ll always be proud of the two state tournaments the Lady Plainsmen made during her career there, especially the one where they won it all.
“We got to the state tournament twice, not many schools can accomplish that,” Ethridge said. “I think that’s quite the accomplishment. There has to be some commitment to the team and a goal. That's what I feel is the greatest accomplishment of the success that we had at Monterey at that time. We focused on one thing, and that was to win.”
Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony
Saturday, 6 p.m. at Memorial Civic Center
Class of 2020 Inductees
2000 Coronado boys golf team
1970 Estacado track team
Tommy Ricks, Dunbar High School boys basketball player (1962-1965)
Greg Lott, Lubbock High football player (1961-1964)
Kriss Ethridge, Monterey girls basketball player (1978-1981)
Class of 2021 Inductees
1965 Dunbar High School boys basketball team
1981 Monterey girls basketball team
Brandi Cantrell, Coronado volleyball coach (2001-2004)
Larry Miller, Estacado football player (1967-1970)
Weldon B. Chapman, Lubbock High football coach (1931-1939)
Class of 2022 Inductees
1989-1990, 1990-1991 Lubbock High girls gymnastics teams
Mindy Sullivan Mammen, Coronado track & cross country athlete (2000-2002)
Laquinta Manahan, Estacado track and field athlete (1994-1997)
Grady Newton, Monterey boys basketball player (1970-1972)
William Malone, Dunbar High School boys basketball player (1958-1960)
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Kriss Ethridge continued family lineage with Monterey basketball
