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Alternate road: Sunnyvale girls hope tougher journey pays dividends in the playoffs
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
There will be a district championship celebration following Sunnyvale's regular season finale against Gunter tonight.
But for the first time in three years, it will not be the Raiders hoisting the trophy.
With last Friday's loss to Leonard, the two-time defending district champions missed out on an opportunity for a three-peat. Instead, Sunnyvale (22-6, 9-2 in 12-2A) will hand over its crown to undefeated Gunter, regardless of the outcome of tonight's game.
Sunnyvale will be the No. 2 seed in the postseason and will take on either Callisburg or Whitewright in the Class 2A bi-district round next week.
"Overall, I think we have played pretty well, but we had a bad game last Friday and that cost us our chance," Sunnyvale head coach Howard York said. "But I think this will definitely help us. The last two years, we didn't have a really tough district, but this was different, there were no really easy games so that should help get us ready for the playoffs."
The Raiders, making their third consecutive trip to the playoffs, certainly have the pieces to make some noise.
Grace Goodhart is averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Sheridan Lewis and Caila Sims also score in double figures and are among the better 3-point shooters in the area. That scoring balance can create headaches for opponents.
"We've got three kids that average 10-12 points per game, it would just be nice to get them all going at the same time," said York with a laugh. "But, it really helps to not be one-dimensional because you can't defend just one player."
Sims is one of seven seniors on the team and experience is one of the team's strengths as every member of the rotation understands their role.
Andi Morgan does a little bit of everything for the Raiders. She leads the team in rebounding at nearly seven per game, can provide some scoring and York called her the team's best all-around defender.
Delanee Clark provides a presence inside for rebounding and defense, while Abby Duck and Olivia Williams also play key roles.
"These girls have been here and they know what to expect and that is it is going to be a battle no matter who we play," York said. "We're treating this game (Tuesday) like a playoff game. I think it is important we go out there and play well and try to win to build momentum."
Sunnyvale advanced to the regional quarterfinals two years ago and was an area finalist last season. They, like all teams in Region II, know that the road will eventually lead through four-time defending state champion Brock.
But the Raiders will enter the playoffs battle-tested and confident, taking it one challenge at a time.
"I really think we can play for a while," York said. "We have Brock in our region, but somebody has to beat them at some point. We're not scared of anybody. I believe if we play the way we are capable, then we can play with anybody."
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