March 30, 2016
Page 9
S PORTS
Photo by d on s eleski
The girls team at Trinity Lutheran Christian School in northeast Portland goes undefeated to earn two championships. Pictured (from left) are coach Brittany Ha, Tamea
Mitchell, coach Devon Pearce, Pooja Prasad, Raven Pearce, Anna Ek Juarez, coach Dylana McGill, Janae Boyd, Chevelle Boyd and Sierra Tanner.
Undefeated for Two Championships
Trinity Lutheran
celebrates
r aven P earCe
When the basketball
season first started, the
lady Trinity Tigers were
ecstatic. They dreamed
of having an undefeated
season. When the season ended, the Ti-
gers had not only obtained their goal, but
won two championships. The first was the
Lutheran Elementary School Tournament
by
hosted by Concordia University since
1962, and the second was the Metro Chris-
tian League championship.
In the league playoffs, the first game
was against Tualatin Valley Junior Acad-
emy and did not present much of a chal-
lenge for the girls. The next game was
against City Christian, whom the Tigers
had played before in a very close and
competitive game. Trinity had to mental-
ly prepare for a tough game, knowing the
Lions were coming to get them.
Coach Dylana McGill prepared her
team by saying, “It’s not about who wants
to win this game, both teams want the
same thing. The difference is who wants
it more.” The Tigers were resolute. With
a combination of winning the jump ball,
scoring the first point, and utilizing their
trap press gold defense, Trinity fiercely
fought and kept the lead through the game
and won, 55-34.
Two days later the Tigers were in the
championship game against the Life Chris-
tian Lions at the Damascus Christian gym-
nasium. Both teams entered the game
undefeated. Trinity had played all season
with only seven players and knew they
were going to have to dig deep if they were
going to come out victorious. At the end
of a brutal first quarter, the score was tied
at 9. The Tigers were able to gain a lead by
halftime and in the last half of the game,
exploded with a run of points scored off of
fast breaks and savvy Euro-steps by the Ti-
ger offense.
The Lion defense could not keep up and
by the end of the game, the Tigers secured
their undefeated season with a 56-27 win.
This is only the second girl’s team in Trini-
ty history that has gone undefeated.
Thanks to Raven Pearce, a 7th grader
at Trinity Lutheran and a member of the
lady Tigers baskeball team, for writing this
story.
Champs in
First Season
Congratulations to Coach Dexteur and
Coach Manny and the Third Grade HEAT
Boys who won an AAU Community Basket-
ball championship this month in their first
year together. The team, part of the Heat
Sports Academy at Maranatha Church, won
five straight games to win the championship
after losing its first game.