Undefeated Decatur team wins district title
ST. PAUL — Sirens resounded throughout downtown Decatur on Feb. 11 as the local police department escorted a very important team returning from a highly successful mission.
The Decatur Lady Bulldog junior high basketball team returned that Saturday afternoon after winning the 2022-23 1A-1 district championships at Saints Gym in St. Paul. This feat was one not seen in Decatur basketball history in nearly 30 years.
Two Decatur police cars intercepted Bus 19 as it entered the city limits near the TNT truck stop on Arkansas Highway 59 in the southern part of the town. With sirens wailing, the escort led the team past the iconic depot into the downtown area of Decatur. What the Lady Bulldogs and its coaches saw next was truly surprising.
As the bus pulled up to the four-way stop on the corner of Main Street and Rover Avenue, a group of Bulldog fans, mostly family and friends, lined the rock wall along the southwest corner of the Dollar General parking lot. As the team turned onto Roller Avenue for the final leg of the team’s long journey, the fans waved and cheered the Lady Bulldogs on for a job well done.
The Decatur Lady Bulldog junior high team’s long journey to the championship began in June of 2022 when a small group of seventh, eighth- and ninthgraders, 11 in all, came together to form the next junior high girl’s basketball team. Under the guidance of head girls’ basketball coach Fess Thompson, the team began to work on fundamentals including shooting and rebounding. As offseason practice progressed, Thompson turned his attention to basketball plays and the Lady Bulldogs’ new game plan.
In late June, the team was ready to compete in a few summer team camps. What Thompson and his small band of assistant coaches saw during the three camps was nothing short of amazing.
The team participated in two Yellowjacket team camps in Jay, Okla., and one at Heritage High School in Rogers. The Lady Bulldogs won every contest during the first at Jay, Okla., as well as the War Eagles team camps, In early August, the girls traveled back to Jay to participate in the final team camp of the off-season. There the girls were divided up into seventh and eighth-grade teams.
The eighth-grade team lost to more powerful Farmington and Grove, Okla., teams. But the group together continued to dominate the remainder of the season and continued its winning streak.
As the regular season progressed, the Lady Bulldogs continued their winning streak throughout the long season, taking two titles that eluded many Decatur teams for a very long time, a regular season championship and an undefeated season. The only title that eluded this year’s team hinged on the final contest of the season.
After dispatching the
Mulberry Lady Yellowjackets in the first round of the junior high girls’ tournament, the Lady Bulldogs faced the number two-seeded and second-place regular season championship County Line Lady Indians.
In Decatur’s first meeting with this team at PetersonOwnes Fieldhouse in Decatur in early January, Decatur and County Line squared off in an important contest for first place in the conference. Both teams were undefeated at the time. The Lady Bulldogs dominated the first half of that contest, leading by 20 going into the break. However, the Lady Indians powered back and, with 30 seconds left in the contest, were down by four points. County Line only managed to hit a field goal when time expired, giving Decatur the win and first place in the conference.
During the Feb. 11 contest, the Lady Indians got on the scoreboard first with a field goal to take the early lead. This was the only time County Line led in the contest. On Decatur’s next possession, California Herrington hit a three-pointer, giving the Lady Bulldogs the lead by one.
County Line managed to keep the contest close throughout the remainder of the first half, trailing Decatur by four at the break.
At the break, coach Thompson gave his final halftime speech of the season. In that speech, he told his girls that this was their moment in the spotlight and if they wanted to win they had to play exceptionally well in the early going of the second half.
“The game will be decided in the first three minutes of the third quarter,” Thompson explained. “What you do in that time will decide the outcome of the game.”
No truer words were spoken by a coach. The Lady Bulldogs came out strong in the first minute of the third quarter on a pair of twopoint field goals. A few seconds later, a three-pointer by the Lady Bulldogs gave them an 11-point advantage. By the end of the game, the Decatur Lady Bulldogs took the district title, defeating the County Line Lady Indians 36-20.
The Decatur Lady Bulldogs did this season what several basketball teams have tried to do for years, win both a regular season and district tournament championship while completing the season undefeated.
The Decatur Lady Bulldogs junior high team includes Daisy Fuentes, Lily Schopper, Leslie Hernandez, Sunshine Thor, Ruby Frye, Brooklyn Boyd, Onna Monano, Annie Janes, California Herrington, Kaylen Cruz and Sydnie Brooks. Fess Thompson is their head coach. Assistant coaches include Austin Frederking, Molly Schopper, Katie Sojka and Mike Eckels.