The Morton Lady Potters (32-2) have made it back to Redbird Arena for their 3rd consecutive trip to the Final 4. They will play Chicago Simeon at 11am on Friday, March 3rd, at Redbird (Normal, IL) in game 1 of 2 of the IHSA Class 3A State Semi-Finals. Winner advances to the IHSA Class 3A State Championship Game on Saturday. This is the 5th time in program history that the Potters have made it to Redbird.
The first time was in 2007 with a talented and gritty team that included some of the Potter’s all-time great players, featuring Tracy Pontius & Brooke Bisping (both have had their jersey retired at Morton). Coach Becker vividly remembers that team and the experiences they had together that season as he will share many a story if you ask him about it. That team broke through the barriers and answered all questions as to whether or not a team, from the little township of Morton, could produce an IHSA Class 3A State Finals team. They were the first Lady Potter team to have the ‘Redbird experience’, which includes all the fanfare that comes with advancing to the State Finals. School spirit rallies, special dinners, the photo shoots, media day, the bright lights and the BIG stage. It can leave a high school basketball player a little awestruck when they first experience it. That team battled to a 4th place finish (31-3), wiped away the tears and then realized that what they accomplished was historic. What they didn’t realize, was that they had inspired hundreds of future Lady Potters to dream big. Future Lady Potter greats like Kait Byrne, Chandler Ryan, Brandi Bisping and Josi Becker all watched, with big eyes, what could be achieved and they started to set their goals.
The 2nd trip to the State Finals was in 2013. Enter Kait Bryne (Jr) and Chandler Ryan (Fr), along with PJ Star POY Sarah Livingston (Sr) and an outstanding group of Morton Lady Potters that believed they could get back to Redbird Arena. This team (30-6) faced two great non-boundaried powerhouse schools in Quincy Notre Dame and Lombard Montini. They also placed 4th in the State, but made people start to stop and take notice that they could play some basketball down there in Morton, IL. This would be the second time in six years that Morton had sent a team to the State Finals. Watching this team of Morton heroes, were more Future Lady Potters, which included all of the current Lady Potters. The tradition was starting to take hold and each class since has aspired to reach those levels of success.
Much has been written about the past two 33-3 State Championship teams of 2015 and 2016 (including two great books on each season by Hall of Fame Sports writer Dave Kindred – ‘Mighty In Heart’ & ‘True Grit’), and each of those teams’ belief that they could not only get to Redbird Arena, but win a State Championship were seeded by the success and traditions of the teams that had come before them. The little girls in the stands had become the heroes of the moment because the teams before them had proved that those dreams were not out of reach. You better believe that “little girls with big eyes” were watching those teams make history, just as they will be at these State Finals. Passing on the Tradition and allowing dreams to blossom.
Good luck Lady Potters!!!