In the KOHN ZONE

Girls basketball reigns supreme in district final with 51–50 win

For the first time in school history, the girls basketball team won a district title on Feb. 3, beating Colonial 51-50. It was the first match up against Colonial this season, and despite a 26-1 record, Hagerty was the underdog to the visitors, who were ranked third in 7A.

This win was especially satisfying for senior Hannah Kohn, who was part of the team that lost to Colonial in last year’s district final.

“I was really happy because we played them last year in the district championship and we lost. I knew we had a good shot for a comeback this year, and honestly, this win felt like redemption,” said Kohn.

Throughout the game, Colonial and Hagerty were neck and neck, only points apart. Kohn had 29 points during the game, scoring two free throws with only four seconds left in the fourth quarter, keeping everyone on the edge of their seat.

“Those last few seconds were really nerve wracking,” said Kohn.

To prepare for this game, the team watched film of their last few games, as well as last season’s game against Colonial.

“Watching film definitely helps. We map out each game and who we’re going to guard, and how our offense will look,” said Kohn.

While focusing on the technique of how they were actually going to play, the team also focused on how they would approach this game mentally.

“I think we were especially nervous for this game because of last year’s playoff, but I knew that we would have a good chance of winning because of how we’ve been playing all season and our record,” said Kohn.

The team knew the only way they would be able to pull off a win was to keep being aggressive and competitive on the court and play how they play during normal games throughout the season.

“Stakes were definitely high and you could feel the competitiveness on both sides. This game was definitely more physical than we’re used to, and even more aggressive than what we watched on film. That was probably the most challenging part,” said freshman Cece Hayes.

During these playoff games, Head Coach Josh Kohn has encouraged the team to continue the same prepping strategy that they’ve had all season.

After beating Ocoee, Hagerty had a 47–39 loss in a rematch Regional semi final game against Colonial. This game continued the pattern of very physically demanding Hagerty vs. Colonial match ups. Hagerty started the game up by 9 points during the first period, but ended up being tied 35–35 with Colonial at halftime. During the third period, Hagerty did their best to make a comeback but ended up trailing by 10 at the start of the fourth period. Both coaches and players were upset at lack of calls.

“It was a hard loss. We played our best and it just didn’t go how we wanted it to. There were definitely some tough calls which didn’t make it any easier for us,” said Hayes.

The aggression on both sides was apparent, which made scoring difficult. Both teams were on the ground fighting for the ball several times throughout the game. The team gave it their all, but couldn’t continue their positive momentum throughout the entire game. Hagerty scored six points in the second quarter—off two 3s from senior Kiara Harris—and seven points in the third quarter.

“Games like those are tough. We tried our best, and you could tell how badly both teams wanted it. I’m proud of the season we had,” said Kohn.

Junior Camryn Patterson led the team with 12 points, including eight in the final period. Senior combo guard Hannah Kohn scored two three pointers, with a total of seven points.

Even though their season has come to an end, there was plenty to celebrate about the Hagerty girls basketball season. From being the district champions for the first time ever, to having a stellar 27–2 record, the Hagerty girls basketball team hopes to continue the momentum.

“I’m really looking forward to next season to improve my game. I’m excited to take the skills that Coach Kohn has taught me all year and continue practicing them next year,” said Hayes.