The final buzzer sounds, though the scoreboard records Perry’s defeat, the team is not hanging their heads this time. After an astonishing breakthrough season last year, and much pressure to make state this season, Perry Badminton was just excited to be a part of the state championships.

“We were just thrilled to get to state,” Senior MaKenna Hold shares. “We thought we weren’t going to be able to go [because of] our ranking, and one day we woke up and the ranks changed and we got to go and that was an amazing opportunity.”

The team, originally ranked No. 16, ended their senior night not even qualified for playoffs. However this was not the case. In a stunning change of events, unexpected losses from other teams in Perry’s division allowed the pumas a second chance to prove themselves in the playoffs.

Victories from Desert Vista and Horizon High School sealed the deal for the pumas and they entered the playoffs ranked at No.15.

“We got a second chance and then [the team] could taste it, they could feel it, they knew there was a chance and kept playing harder and harder,” Badminton Coach Lerina Johnson comments.

With the determination to make the most of their unexpected change of events, Perry dominated their way through the finals. Their first match kicked off against Ironwood High in which the pumas won five to three. This was a huge first victory for Perry granted Ironwood ranked at No. 2; however they continued the momentum to their second game against seventh seed Horizon High again defeating them five to three.

With great eagerness to keep advancing and make it to state the team pushed their hardest.

“The pressure wasn’t on us,” Senior Michaela Dye shared. “It was more so on the other teams because they didn’t want to get beat by the lowest ranked people.”

The pumas advanced to the semi-finals competing against the No. 3 team Corona Del Sol. Victory was again claimed at a final score of five to three which placed Perry at No. 2 in the state finals to battle Xavier High School.

Despite the devastating loss at state, the team still holds their heads high in hopes they will have what it takes in next year’s season.