Driscoll celebrates girls basketball state champs

Even when they were down 14 points in the first quarter of the Class 2A state championship game, coaches and fans never lost faith in the Driscoll Catholic High School girls basketball team.

Co-captain Taylor Reaber said that's because they knew the players would hang tough against defending state champion West Hancock.

And the Lady Highlanders did just that, rallying to win 40-35 Saturday at Illinois State's Redbird Arena in Normal.

"We all knew we weren't going down without a fight," said Reaber, a junior.

To honor the squad for making Driscoll history by becoming the first girls team to win a state title, the school played host to a pep rally Tuesday afternoon. In addition to students and staff, the event drew proud parents and area officials.

Addison Trustee Harry Theodore spoke to the crowd, thanking the Lady Highlanders for adding another state champion team to Driscoll's winning football tradition.

"Your football team put Addison on the map and it's your basketball team that put a big circle around it," Theodore said.

With their championship trophy on display in the center of the gym, the players shyly listened to Coach Steve McCuiston address the crowd and joke that the team is typically more talkative.

McCuiston highlighted plays by each team member that helped pull the Lady Highlanders from their 14-point deficit, saying he was inspired by each girl's character.

"(A comeback) is nothing unusual for us," he said. "It's been our pattern all year to come up from behind."

Officials and fans at Driscoll are hopeful this title will be the start of a series of accolades for the team. Driscoll Athletic Director Bob Carlson said last year the team was only one game away from making it to the state championship, this year they won, and he believes they have a chance again in 2010.

"We tried to build off something we started last year and we did," Carlson said. "We're a young team and hopefully we'll be back again."