Rivalry faces final cut

For the Hickman girls basketball team, the 2006-2007 season marked a return to normalcy.

After two consecutive losing seasons that ended with early losses in the district tournament, the Kewpies return to their first district championship game since their eight-year streak of title game appearances ended in 2004.

This time, however, Hickman faces a familiar foe — Rock Bridge. The teams play at 7 tonight at Jefferson City High School.

For the first time in the heated history of the rivalry, the teams will meet in the district championship.

Although they faced off in the semifinals each year from 1999 to 2005, tonight’s game is notable because both teams come into the matchup with state rankings.

To put it simply, the No. 2 Kewpies and No. 7 Bruins are really, really good. Both teams are riding long winning streaks. Hickman (25-1) has won every game since its opening loss to Bolingbrook (Ill.), which is ranked sixth in the nation. Rock Bridge (23-2) has won 22 consecutive games.

After their Jan. 24 meeting was postponed in the third quarter because of a leak in the roof and eventually canceled, it is only fitting that one team will end the other’s winning streak in the biggest game of the season to date for both.

The game’s implications are not lost on the players.

“Coming back from last year, we’re trying to reclaim our name,” Hickman sophomore Chasity Prince said.

Hickman coach Tonya Mirts and Rock Bridge coach Jill Nagel de-emphasized the rivalry.

“We’ve been here a number of times, and I think our true rival is Jeff City,” Mirts said. “This game is important because whoever wins advances. That’s why it’s important. I think it adds some emotion to the kids’ standpoints. It will probably draw a bigger crowd.”

“If the championship isn’t motivation enough, something is wrong,” Nagel said, laughing.

Tonight’s matchup has all the makings of a classic. With 6-foot-2 sophomore Katherine Harry and 6-0 senior Ashley Dressler, Rock Bridge has the size and strength to bully the undersized Kewpies in the post. Hickman, on the other hand, is arguably the fastest team in the state, and the driving ability of junior Yvonne Anderson and the three-point accuracy of senior Lauren Nolke and Prince allow the Kewpies to score from almost anywhere on the court.

The shortened game earlier in the season, however, taught the teams that their advantages cancel each other out. Hickman took an early lead because of its full-court pressure, but Rock Bridge eventually settled down, broke the press, and used its size to score in the paint. The game was called with Rock Bridge leading 20-19.

“They are a good basketball team, but we knew that already,” Mirts said, explaining what they learned from the shortened game. “(Rock Bridge’s size) is always a concern, I mean, they’re huge. They’ve got a good guard package, more than one outside threat as far as shooters.”

“Even though it was a short game, it’s still a good preview of tendencies,” Nagel said.

The Hickman players admitted that they were not ready for the Bruins in the earlier game.

“We definitely know now that we’re going to have to be on our ‘A’ game,” Prince said.

“They’ve got some fight in them,” Nolke said.

“We probably underestimated them a little bit,” Anderson said. “We’re going to have to defend their post players better.”

Both Nolke and Anderson agreed, however, that while Rock Bridge poses a serious threat, they are more concerned about playing their up-tempo style.

“We just can’t choke, like we kind of did last game,” Anderson said.

Both coaches downplayed the controversy surrounding the cancellation of their Jan. 24 meeting “I think it adds more attention as far as what’s come out in the media and for the student population,” Mirts said. “The kids have a little more control about what’s going on, so they’re a little tempered as far as that’s concerned.

Nagel agreed.

“It’s definitely a big game to the team and school, but we are keeping things in perspective. We’re approaching the game the same way, preparing the same way.”

While Hickman has a long history of dominance, Rock Bridge is a fairly new power in Class 5, District 10. It reached the district championship the past two years, but lost to Jefferson City both times. Nagel said this year’s team is different.

“We’re 23-2, the same record as last year, but we are completely different teams. Our mentality is completely different. The last two years, everyone was saying, ‘We’re glad to be here.’ Now, we expect to be here.”