Ambition, drive, love for one another fuels Rockets to IHSA Class 1A state championship
Briley Rhodes couldn’t hold back the tears Saturday.
On one hand, Rhodes was overjoyed about the Okawville’s convincing 56-35 victory over Christopher that gave them the Class 1A state championship at CEFCU Arena.
On the other hand, it was the final time Rhodes would take the floor with teammates and friends she’ll remember for the rest of her life.
“I love them all the same. They’re my best friends,” Rhodes said, wiping her cheeks.
That passion is something first-year coach Rockets coach Haylee Bowers often discussed during the season. The Okawville High graduate, from her first day in the role, emphasized the importance of caring for one another — on and off the floor.
“They’re not just teammates; they’re best friends,” Bowers said. “They hang out all the time, outside of here. That’s why Briley is struggling. She’s going to miss this a lot.
“I’m telling you, some of the best moments is when we’re all in my office just talking. They love each other. They have each other’s back all the time. Briley’s emotions show that.”
Junior Raelyn Obermeier said Bowers, the architect of the team chemistry, fit right in.
“She’s our P.E. teacher, too,” Obermeier said. “That helped a lot. We also kind of think of her as a friend. Same with our assistant coach (Paige Kasten). We’re all friends and we can talk about anything together. It’s so much easier in practice when you get along.”
The state championship was the third in school history for the Rockets (34-4), who earned Class A titles in 1994 and 2000 under former coach Kathy Lanter.
It marked the second time Okawville had defeated Christopher (31-4) for a state championship. It also happened four years ago when it won the grade school title.
Certainly, the Rockets were aware of the danger presented by 6-foot-2 junior Amiah Hargrove of Christopher. But Hargrove picked up three first-half fouls and was a toothless defender in the second half when the Rockets pulled away.
Layup after layup helped the Rockets shoot 52% from the field (23-for-44). Junior Alayna Kraus (21 points) and senior Megan Rennegarbe (17) led the attack. Rennegarbe also shadowed Hargrove, whose 19 points were well under her average.
“We had to get in there and get some layups,” Bowers said. “We respect (Hargrove). She’s such a great player. But we had to attack. That’s one things these girls do very well.”
‘They had the ambition’
But these Rockets will be remembered for more than their on-court performances. From beginning to end, they were in it together. Even in the postgame press conference, every player on the team was on the stage, basking in a moment that only happens once.
“They’ve talked about this since the first week,” Bowers said of the state championship. “They had the ambition, the drive, to get here. Every time I walked into the locker room, they looked at me and said, ‘Coach, we love you. Calm down. It’s OK. We’re going to make it.’ I’m just very particular about things. They tell me to calm down a lot.
“They did it. It’s all about these girls. They wanted it and they took it.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 4:13 PM.