ROXANA – The Marquette Girls Basketball team are officially IHSA Class 2A Regional Champions. The Explorers team secured their first regional girls basketball championship since 2018 after their convincing, 65-48, victory over the Staunton Bulldogs on Friday. One of Marquette’s standout players was senior #4, Abigail Williams.
Williams finished the night with nine points and a victory she will never forget. “This means everything to us," Williams said. "We have wanted this since our freshman year! I wanted this so much more after I didn't play my sophomore year because of my ACL injury and then last year due to Covid. I know this means a lot, especially for the seniors.”
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Due to the winter storm on Thursday, the Regional Championship game had to be rescheduled for Friday night. Marquette friends, family, and Blue Crew were all able to show up because of the weather delay, and the added fans made for an electric atmosphere. “It was awesome! They definitely bring the energy," exclaimed Williams when asked what it was like to have the Blue Crew there for their championship. “Normally, we don’t get a lot of fans but for them to show out tonight means they support a lot. We’ve got one of the best fan crews in the area.”
The Blue Crew was a difference-maker, but so was the energy provided by the Explorer’s head coach. From pacing up and down to the court to instructions to shouting words of encouragement louder than the fans could cheer, head coach Lee Green was on his feet and engaged with his players. “He definitely lights a fire in us to get us going. We’ll have an off-day but then he’ll get rowdy, and we’ll get after it," said Williams about how her coach’s enthusiasm affects her and the team.
Williams’ path to being a champion was not the easiest. She got to play freshmen year but missed out on her sophomore and junior seasons because of injury and a COVID-19 Pandemic. It would have been easy for many people to lose interest or move on, but her family wouldn’t let her lose sight of her goals and helped her keep moving forward.
“I play for my parents and my siblings," she said. "They’re the ones who have helped me through all of this. I definitely want to keep playing after high school, but I have not decided if I want to stay close or play further away.”
The Explorers have at least one more game left in their 2021-2022 season. Inevitably, there will be a final horn to sound off Williams' and her fellow seniors' last games of their high school careers. The girls will move on, but their championship season’s impact will always remain.
“This will give us more recognition," she said. "Girls’ sports don't get recognition in a lot of areas, and winning this game will help put a light on Marquette Girls’ Basketball.”
Williams and the Explorers' first sectional game will be on Tuesday, February 22, against Carthage in the Waverly 2A Sectional. The game time is 6 p.m.
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