Not just because the Lady Eagles went unbeaten in District 25-2A to capture the league championship.
Or because they are 23-6, own a 10-game winning streak and haven’t lost during this calendar year.
And not because Salado has accomplished its success with a squad that features three and sometimes four freshman starters.
It’s been extra special because on top of the Lady Eagles’ success, Moses is pregnant with her first child.
“You can’t put something like this into words,” Salado’s second-year coach said about the season. “It’s been incredible. It’s been a roller-coaster. I know we’re undefeated, but it’s been a rough ride to get there.
“Winning all these games has taken a little stress off me. Part of the reason this pregnancy has been smooth is because we have been so successful. But yeah, I won’t forget it.”
Formerly Beth Lisenbe, Moses is a 1998 Academy graduate who played college basketball at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Moses and her husband, former Bartlett football coach Lee Vi Moses - her No. 1 fan who can be found next to his wife during games - are expecting a girl in mid-April.
With the normal stress a coach endures throughout a season, combined with her unusual circumstances, Moses has been advised by her doctor to only do what she’s comfortable with on a regular basis. Her body will tell her when it’s time to step down and hand the coaching duties over to assistant Katie Hedrick.
Until that moment comes, Moses isn’t slowing down.
“I feel the same,” Moses said. “I’m a lot more tired physically than I was last year at this point in the year. I do have to fight fatigue and aches and pains, but emotionally and mentally, I feel OK. I get light-headed sometimes when I holler at the girls especially after bending over, but it’s not enough for me to sit down.”
Salado’s players and fans can attest to that.
After Moses experienced minor contractions, her doctor offered several suggestions, most notably to sit down during practice and games.
Against Troy, Moses remained on the bench the entire first quarter, only to watch her squad struggle. When she stood up, the Lady Eagles picked up their play and rolled to a victory.
“That tells me I can’t sit down,” Moses said. “They’re not used to me sitting so I don’t. When I try (to sit), they relax.”
Even in practice, Moses refuses to sit.
During a recent session, Moses even decided to participate in a scrimmage in order to balance out the teams.
“They threw a fit, but I played with them,” Moses said. “They won’t block me out.”
Added freshman Hadley Joiner: “She’s still the same to me. We can’t get her off her feet.”
The past few years, Moses and her husband have developed a close bond with the Salado squad, which consists mostly of 14-, 15-, and 16-year-olds.
The bond is so close that Moses recalls her husband one day asking her, “When did Hadley start wearing makeup?”
Knowing their coach as well as they do, some players have been surprised at how well Moses has juggled the pregnancy and her coaching duties.
“We were just wondering if Coach could coach us still being pregnant, and she has,” junior Danielle Hazzard said. “It doesn’t seem like she’s pregnant when she’s coaching us.”
Added Moses: “My hormones are totally different this year from last year. Emotionally, I don’t think when I’m out here with these kids that anything is different. They’re such good kids and you love them. I’ve got 14 mothers. They don’t let me do anything.”
Salado’s perfect run through district didn’t come without some late-game drama. The Lady Eagles defeated defending champion Academy by three points, beat Rosebud-Lott by four and had to squeak out two nerve-racking wins against Rogers, including an overtime victory.
To show just how unique the season has been, some of the players occasionally ask Moses after an emotional, stress-filled game how not only she is feeling but also how the baby is doing.
“After a close game, they always ask how Jo Lee is,” Moses said about her future daughter, then joked, “I always say, ‘She is mad at you guys.'"
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
