(Ben Ledbetter)

To all good things must come to an end…. (Geoffrey Chaucer – 1374)

That was the first thought that came to mind as the final seconds of the clock ticked down in the LHSAA Class B girls basketball quarterfinal game on Thursday that saw #4 seed Quitman High School lose to #5 seed Anancoco by a 47-39 score.

Immediately following came the pride, joy and satisfaction felt when seeing the QHS faithful celebrate and express their support for head coach Kyle Leach, assistant coach April Simonelli, and the Lady Wolverines accomplishment of reaching the quarterfinals in the playoffs for only the fifth time in school history this season. 

With the loss, Quitman ends the 2024-25 season with a 21-10 record, the 6th straight year that the undefeated district 1B champions have won 20 or more games. Anacoco moves on to the Class B state semi-finals for the third time in the last four years with a 23-11 mark where they will play top ranked Fairview (34-5) in the “Marsh Madness” state tournament in Hammond, LA.

Tale of Two Halves! As the two teams went to intermission, it would not be surprising if many in the QHS gymnasium began thinking about making travel plans to the upcoming state tournament. And why not? 

Ever since Anacoco jumped out to an early 5-2 lead, the Lady Wolverines offense that made only one of their first six shots, started performing exceptionally well making 50% of their field goals (7/14) and 11 of 12 free throws (91.67%) and forcing 11 turnovers over the first two quarters to go into the break with a 28-23 lead.

“We came out with the intensity and physicality that we wanted and really frustrated them defensively in the first two quarters,” said QHS head coach Kyle Leach. “We really handled their man-to-man defense well and even dominated them on the boards early.” 

Tables Turned! Then came the third quarter that will be remembered as the eight minutes of doom for the Lady Wolverines. Shots quit falling and possession’s ended in turnovers as everything that had been going right for Quitman suddenly started going wrong. Cali Deal made two free throws to tie the game at 30-30 but with Anacoco applying an attacking half court zone defense and forcing Quitman to bomb away from the outside that was all the points QHS would make in the fateful frame, as Quitman would miss all ten shots from the field, including 0-7 from the three point line. Adding to the misery was 11 turnovers that led to Anacoco winning the quarter by a 17-2 margin and take what turned out to be an insurmountable 40-30 lead at the end of the period despite Anna Leach making three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously the third quarter was the difference in the game. Got to give the Anacoco credit, they turned up their defensive pressure by extending their 1-2-2 zone defense full court and staying in trapping mode in the half court. Their pressure sped us up and caused us to be in a hurry and get out of our game plan of being in control and methodical on offense,” reflected Leach. “What made the difference in the game to me was that they really controlled the glass in the second half as they shot a lot more 3’s and even though they missed most of them, they were able to secure the long rebounds and usually got fouled on second chances.” 

Season to Remember! While the loss stung, it still didn’t overshadow the great season turned in by the Lady Wolverines. Heading into the Christmas break, Quitman’s was having trouble scoring, shooting only 36% from the field  averaging only 44.7 points per game that led to a pedestrian 10-8 record. Through the commitment and dedication to improve over the holidays the practice time put in by the girls immediately began to show in the new year. Once the calendar flipped to 2025,  Quitman improved their scoring average to 52.8 point per game and lost only one game the remainder of the regular season.  

“Our kids have nothing to hang their head about. They showed that they can compete with some of the best teams in the state,” said Leach while reflecting on the season.  “I’m so proud of them for how they kept competing in practice and steadily improved throughout the season. As I’ve said before, they are a special group who make coaching fun! I love practice and could spend hours in the gym (and we do!) and this is one of those teams that always seemed to enjoy getting after each other and just competing with each other all year.”

Leach also stressed that while there were many ups and downs associated with winning and losing games, that this season provided many life lessons learned that he hopes his squad will take with them from this point on.

“I hope that they learned that whether we win or lose, we always strive to give God the glory and realize that success doesn’t come from comparing yourself to others. Coach John Wooden said it best – Success comes from the self-satisfaction in knowing that you did the best you can to become the best you are capable of becoming. This team did that. They gave their best! For that, I am truly proud!”

In a final thought, Leach praised his two seniors for their leadership abilities and being the kind of teammates they were.

“I would also like to say that I appreciate my two seniors, Cali (Deal) and Jaleigh (Burns). They are excellent leaders on and off the court and we will miss them tremendously! However, I know they will both be successful in whatever they do. We love them and wish them the best! “