FREDERICKSBURG – On Saturday, Feb. 29, the Fredericksburg girls basketball team made program history. With a fourth-quarter surge, the Battlin’ Billies defeated Salado 52-40 in the Class 4A Regional Final.
For the first time since 1995, Fredericksburg was heading to the UIL State Tournament.
“Right after we won, it hadn’t hit any of us,” said senior post player Caitie Huff. “We all just stood around and said, ‘Okay, what now?’ But coming back to school and seeing everyone cheer us on is when it hit big."
“It’s pretty awesome," said junior center Audrey Spurgin. "All of this hard work we’ve been putting forth throughout the summer, the summer league, the fall league, the preseason, the season and everything is really paying off.”
The seeds for this breakthrough moment were planted in a trophy case just a few feet away from the entrance to the Fredericksburg gym. Behind the glass resides a plaque and a team picture, commemorating the last Battlin’ Billies team to qualify for state in ’95.
“That was a great team, a great coach, and we’ve always looked in the trophy case and thought that we wanted to be one of those teams,” said junior guard Brittley Bowers. “Finally, the dream is coming true. We’re able to go in and make our mark.”
“I’ve coached most of these girls that are on the varsity team since the third grade, and it’s been a goal of theirs since they were in junior high," explained head coach Carrie Grona. "That’s been the talk of the locker room, bringing the program back to where it was about 20 years ago. That’s a symbol of it.”
The Billies have been close in recent years, making multiple trips to the third and fourth rounds. Last season, the team was ousted by Liberty Hill in the regional quarterfinals, but after bidding farewell to six seniors, it didn’t take long for the returners to get back to work.
“After we lost last year, it was kind of heartbreaking," Huff said. "We thought we could have made it and we could have done well. I think everyone decided that that was our goal. That’s what it’s going to be. Since that loss, we’ve been working towards that goal.”
“They made it a point that it wasn’t going to happen again," Grona said. "They picked up basketball again in April, and they’ve been practicing all summer long up through October getting ready for this right here.”
“Everybody is motivated, and everybody comes to practice each day ready to work," Spurgin explained. "It’s not one us. It’s not two of us. It’s not a star player, it’s everyone. Everyone wants to get better at their role. That’s what makes it so successful. Everybody puts forth effort every day.”
The Battlin’ Billies will have their work cut out for them with their next opponent, Argyle. The Lady Eagles enter this year’s tournament as five-time defending state champions and boast an SMU recruit on their roster. Coach Grona knows there’s only one thing the team needs on game day.
“Confidence. They’re where you want your program to be, and I love the challenge of playing them. We can’t change too many things. We’re Fredericksburg. We do what we do, and that’s gotten us to this point, so we have to stay confident.”
“It’s all about keeping it light-hearted," Huff explained. "It’s still a game, and you still want to have fun and enjoy it. I always remind the girls, ‘Calm, cool, collected and confident.’ That’s what you have to remember, whether you’re playing your first game of district or you’re playing in the Alamodome for the State Tournament.”
Fredericksburg will take on Argyle in the Class 4A State Semifinals Friday afternoon in the Alamodome. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.