>cooper vs. canon

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"We were in it at halftime and I was proud of the way we played defensively" Hilliard said. "I thought we needed to be more aggressive offensively and we weren't able to get untracked. They were able to shut down April in the third quarter and we knew that was coming ... and we didn't have anybody offensively step up." Coach Hillard, February 23, 2008.

My heart is hurting for the Cooper girls, and especially for April. She's a fierce competitor and a girl that can't stand to ride the bench. I get that. She makes things happen. She creates space where no space is and puts the ball in the net. I love watching her play!

Cooper lost last night to Canyon and I've tried to write this blog post all day, but it's hard, because the hurt is still there. You hurt for these girls that poured their heart and souls into this team, and for the parents that did, too. You so wish it could have ended differently.

I know many of you have emailed me, stopped me and given me hugs, pats on the back, etc. for giving of my time to this team in their last few weeks of their season, and in their trek to state. This team, and parent's are more than welcome. By giving to this team, I'm filled with so much gratitude to the fans, the families, but to MOST of all, these girls. They quickly stole my heart with their love of the sport and I'm so grateful I had this chance to document it for them.

Last post for the Lady Pirates.