Unfortunately, Badminton did not win their semis against Red Mountain despite their 14-0 undefeated regular season. They fought hard though, ending up at second in doubles as well as defeating the competition Sandra Day O’Connor and Skyline.

“We were on the defense most of the time. We played very well defensively. We moved around the court very well and showed a lot of improvement that way, but we never really got to play our offensive game. That was the difference in the outcome,” Coach Lerina Johnson reflects about the match.

Even though the loss is disappointing, Johnson has a positive attitude about her team’s performance and took the loss as a learning experience.

“ [The team is] definitely talented enough regardless of us winning or losing. They played as hard as they could play.”

Principal Dan Serrano comments, “we are ranked number two in the state and that’s pretty good.”

Looking forward, there is a growing number of hardworking underclassmen ready to take on the competition next year, which means the fight for state will not be ending anytime soon. “We are really grateful that we had such good girls this year, especially the underclassmen, they worked really hard.” says senior Lauren Kater. This brings hope to the future of Badminton’s success.

In reflection, Johnson states, “the best thing about the season is that we have friendships and memories that will last forever.” Even though the seniors won’t be returning next year, all of the girls have built friendships throughout their time on the team together.

Johnson pays tribute to, “Lauren and Laike, they were great leaders for the team, they were great role models for the girls, they look up to them.”

In return, Lauren Kater complimented Coach Johnson by saying, “I would want to thank Coach Johnson, she is like a mother to us honestly, she is such a good person and spends so much of her extra time.”

With a hard-working, dedicated coach and a growing number of players who care, the Badminton program has a promising future with a good chance of a state title.