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NORMAL – For the three key seniors on Edwardsville's girls' basketball team, Friday evening's 37-30 loss to Lombard Montini in an IHSA Class 4A state semifinal game won't diminish the contributions Kate Martin, Myriah Noodel-Hayward and Rachel Pranger have made to the EHS program over the past few years.
The trio certainly has the respect of their coach, Lori Blade.
“They compete,” Blade said of the three in a post-game press conference following Friday's loss to the Broncos that put the Tigers into this evening's third-place game against Des Plaines Maine West. “I respect and love them to death for that and they put in on the line; that's why it's hard to sit here now for them because when you put it on the line like they do, it's disappointing when you come up a little bit short.
“I think it's better for kids to put it on the line and see where they're at rather than to never work hard and see what you can get out of it.”
For the three seniors, they've been part of a great run for the Tigers that has seen them go to two state tournaments in a row and to get to at least a super-sectional in the years Martin, Noodel-Hayward and Pranger have been a part of the program.
“We're disappointed about how things turned out tonight,” Pranger said, “but we want to end it on a positive note – it's our last time (together).”
“I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else,” Martin said. “I'm just really happy to have been able to play basketball with them.”
“I really appreciate these girls, Noodel-Hayward said. “I just got here two years ago; these girls are more like my sisters rather than teammates.”
