The Falcon girls’ basketball team knows what they want; they’re state bound and no one can get in their way.Mesa Ridge was No. 1 in the league and Falcon had something to prove. Playing with intensity and heart from the moment the scoreboard started ticking, the girls played as a team and used their ball-handling skills to keep up with Mesa Ridge. The entire game bounced back and forth; Mesa Ridge was leading until the end of the third quarter – and then Falcon got its spark.Kiah Hicks controlled the defense and shook up Mesa Ridge to a point of confusion. Hicks took advantage of Mesa Ridge’s confusion and clustery offense and stole the ball left and right. Mary Whitmore played with motive and drive and it paid off; her hot hand led to basket after basket.Kylie Cockrum co-signed the offensive end and helped rack up the score. Janniqua Thomas assisted on the defensive end by rebounding ferociously, as she has become famous for. By the last two minutes of the game, the Falcons were running away with the lead, but Mesa Ridge wasn’t going to let that last for long. With two 3-pointers the game was tied and coming down to the last second. In a moment that means everything, one must look to a leader on the team – they called on Hicks. Falcon received the ball with 2.4 seconds left and called a timeout. Hicks rolled open; and, with a sharp pass, she received the ball and put it up. The buzzer went off and the ball went in!Falcon girls had won the game and the crowd rushed to the floor. Parents and students, coaches and staff were hovering over Kiah Hicks and the team as if they were celebrities. And in that moment, they were.With a couple of disappointing losses to Castle View and Widefield, the Falcon girls are sitting at 17-6 heading into a state tournament, where dedication and heart mean everything. The Falcons are bound and determined to win – and nothing is going to stop them.
