The opportunity to compete in the state basketball championship is all too often taken for granted here in McPherson, Kansas: Home of the Globe Refiners. As our history is rich with basketball related memorabilia, and numerous state championship titles, we lifelong McPhersonites frequently look past our essential tradition of making it to the tournament nearly every year because… well, that’s just how it’s always been. What we perceive as a standard is just a pipe dream for many other teams around our area, and in every state for that matter.

And now, I bet you’re thinking the same question that bemuses the many schools that have routinely been dominated by McPherson’s basketball teams: What makes McPherson basketball so exceptional? I know I can’t speak for the decades of iconic players before me, but as an average-skilled junior who has spent a significant portion of her life in the Lady Pups program, it’s the dedication to the fundamentals of the game and the sense of team cohesiveness that dictate our foundation of persistence through adversity. For the many of us who have grown up in this environment, these ideals were developed when we were third graders just beginning to play the game. Even now, they persist on through high school and are the reason for our success. We, the Lady Pups, have just earned our eleventh straight league title, and are on the road to substate with a record of 19-1. And our success doesn’t just stop at the end of the varsity bench. We played (and won) our last JV game on February 23rd, which brought our total winning streak to 77. If that doesn’t sum up McPherson basketball, than I don’t know what would.

There is not a feeling in the world that compares to the pride McPherson takes in its basketball teams. And as a product of this long standing tradition, I can proudly say that I’ve witnessed just how much of an influence our strong team dynamic and sense of commitment has on this community in all its glory.