That sounds abnormally bizarre because before the season began, more than half of Salado’s roster never had played a varsity game. Only five current players are even eligible to drive a car.
So as the young Lady Eagles marched through the season to win the District 25-2A championship, everyone grew surprised at their instant success - except themselves.
“I figured we would do really good because they (the freshmen) were good,” Salado junior Danielle Hazzard said. “I think we met our expectations. We knew we could do it.”
The Lady Eagles (24-6) hope to continue their success when they play Hallettsville, a 65-34 winner over Wallis Brazos, at 7 p.m. today in Lockhart in a Class 2A area-round playoff game.
Along with Hazzard, freshmen Hadley Joiner, Jenna Sebek and Brennan Boydstun are starters. Joiner is the team’s leading scorer at about 17 points per game, Sebek and Boydstun both average between 12 and 15 points and Sebek is the leading rebounder.
The fifth starting spot rotates between freshman Connor Smith, senior Kristen Smith and junior Kaylan Hearne, depending on what second-year coach Beth Moses feels is a favorable matchup.
Having coached Salado’s freshmen when they were in seventh grade, Moses had a good idea of the talent level. After the Lady Eagles completed their 14-0 run in district play, even Moses was a bit taken aback by her squad’s accomplishments.
“I expected to go to the playoffs,” said Moses, whose squad has won 11 straight games.
“I did not expect to go undefeated. Realistically, it would have been crazy for me to say we’d go undefeated. Am I surprised by it? No, not at all. I knew we were capable.”
Perhaps the biggest reason Salado has been so successful is because in spite of its youth, the Lady Eagles have performed like veterans. In their first district game, they beat defending 25-2A champion Academy 36-33.
Next, Salado held off a feisty Rogers squad to win in overtime.
Then, sitting unbeaten after the first round of district play, Moses said her team grew up.
“After the first round of district and we are undefeated, they relaxed a bit,” Moses said. “When you’re not under as much pressure even when the game is close, there is still that confidence there. They just needed that first round of district to give them experience and momentum for the second.”
Salado received what it needed.
The Lady Eagles led Academy 42-38 heading into the fourth quarter in a game the Lady Bees needed to win in order to stay in the hunt to repeat as district champs.
Salado never gave second-place Academy a chance, scoring the first eight points of the quarter to sweep the Lady Bees and all but wrap up the district.
“That took a lot,” said Moses, whose team also survived for a one-point win against Rogers and a four-point win over Rosebud-Lott. “The first round (of district play) we were not poised like that. That’s something we developed.
“I put a play in two months ago, and it’s just now, ‘Oh, wow. This works.’ It’s like a light bulb came on. They play like they’re experienced. They don’t play like freshmen. I expected to have to mold them a little bit more, but I didn’t.”
Added Joiner who scored 33 points in a playoff warm-up win against Hubbard: “We just have confidence in each other and we don’t give up. We know each other aren’t going to give up on the play or each other.”
Joiner, Sebek, Boydstun and Connor Smith, who have been playing with each other since third grade, said they experienced some jitters in the early part of the season.
But after what they’ve been through, those jitters have changed into confidence.
“I’ve gotten used to it,” a smiling Joiner said.
Added Hazzard: “After the first couple of games, they would say they were nervous for district games. Now, they just go with it. They don’t look like freshmen when they’re playing.”
With all the Lady Eagles have accomplished - an undefeated league record and a first-round bye - the expectations remain lofty.
“It’s been really fun and exciting,” Hazzard said. “I think we can go really far in the playoffs. I think we can play even better than what we have.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
