Rising above all obstacles and challenges, the 2014-2015 Freedom High School girls’ basketball team contributed a tremendous amount to the overall athletic program. As district champions, the girls worked their way through regionals and came out as the regional runner up.  Each game, students joined together and cheered on the girls through their undefeated regular season, raising the expectations for the amount of school spirit. Many saw the school support as their sixth man on the court, not just fans.

“Every game day, there was always talk about if you were going to the game or not. Most of the responses were yes and it was as if they had made a commitment to the game already,” says Tifane Bynum, a Freedom sophomore.

In the beginning of the season, the initial goal was to travel to states and be the first team to win. Before beginning, hard work was put in during the offseason in preparation for the upcoming games for that year. With that came team chemistry and balance between the coaches and players. Coach Laurie Pacholke brought a more strict system to the team, while assistant Coach Alana was a relaxing and easy going mentor for most of the girls on the team. With this balance, the girls were able to develop a good dynamic between each other on and off the court.

“Through the whole game, every teammate was there to back one another up by bringing up the spirit on the court during a tough time,” replied Sian Donovan, a Freedom junior.

With every high school, rivalries are a common aspect of tradition. Freedom High and Wharton High have always held a strong rivalry between one another, often referred to as the “Battle of Bruce B. Downs”. This season, the girls continued their streak against Wharton, winning the rivalry game for the fourth time in a row. Not only is that a huge event, but one of the most memorable games for each individual season. At the height of the season, school spirit was a huge factor and resulted in “packing the house” with “Dread the Red” t-shirts and a sea of red throughout the stands.

“If you decide to go to any game of the season, Freedom versus Wharton is a must-see, it’s basically one of the biggest games the whole year,” reports Madison Bacheller, a Freedom sophomore.

As the seniors graduate and move on, the remaining team already has planned next years’ goals including another district title and an overall recovery year. Working hard to pull themselves back up from this season will take time, but the goals were put in place for the team to strive and look forward to.

“If you thought this year was enjoyable, just wait until next year after all the work and conditioning has been put into the game”, says Adriana Rentas, a student at Freedom High School.

FSA Connection Questions

1. What is the rivalry game often referred to as?
2. According to the article, what was the record for the girls overall season?
3. Based on your response from number two, chose a sentence that supports that.
4. Put the rivalry game into your perspective, what is the overall importance to each team to pull out the win?
5. How did school spirit impact the team overall?