Press Conference: Murphy says after co-championship in 2020, this feels like closure
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Murphy's girls basketball team feels like they have closure from 2020 when the state championships were canceled and the Bulldogs were named co-state champions. On Saturday, Murphy won the 1A girls basketball state championship over Princeton.
Show Transcript
Yeah. Team the Murphy Turbo Dogs and Coach Ray, Why don't you introduce your two young ladies that you have with you here today? Your microphone and we just talk straight because you're Nick Stevens and Raleigh is listening in there. So I've senior Sarah Podium and Junior Torn Rogers. Alright, we'll take questions in the room and then on zoo go and start. I mean, last year, Final four versus Mitchell, the team, we were ready. We were all ready to go the next day. You know, before the championships got canceled to have made it back here to the game that you guys never got the chance to play and to come away with the state title. I mean, how much vindication and emotions are you feeling right now? I'm just super super proud of our kids program. You know, it was a very one of the worst days of my coaching career, having to tell those kids they couldn't play the state championship last year. And you know, this may be one of my best days of my coaching career, and so it's just like, super proud. They could have easily, uh, you know, throwing in the towel and just not played, which I'm sure probably range in their minds. But, you know, they whenever we kind of opened up whenever we had some skill development stuff and and we saw a little bit of hope that there will be a season this year. You know, they did a great job, do what we do. And it's just working hard. You're just kind of take us through the game. You guys started a bit a big hole than that. Uh, got got going and kayak. Really? That second quarter run? Yeah. Yeah. So, like you said, you know, it took us a minute to get going, But once shot started following, it was contagious. We all started hitting and pushing the ball passing well, so I thought once shots started falling, you were good. Yeah, Sarah, I mean, this isn't your first state championship, so you kind of know the drill. But you're the only senior out here right now. The group of UK, Aaliyah and you. This is a moment you guys have win for all four years to have been able to make at this point to win the state title with those girls by your side. I mean, how much does that mean to you? Um, it means that hard work pays off. And I'm just so thankful to have such a great group of girls around me to work with me through this. And I'm so happy that we finally did this, right? I've been four in a row. Final Four is a really quite a five year run. What does what does it feel like to get over the mountain top? I mean, I'm just like I said, I'm just super proud. We've had that a lot of success the last four years, and we've been on a tear, you know, like you said, That's four consecutive Final Fours and then to back to back championships. And so I don't know, I don't I don't know, in terms of just like the future of of, um, high school athletics, you know, the reclassification. And then, of course, the charter schools like I don't know if that will happen again. You just don't know. You may look back and say, Man, this is pretty good. This is a pretty good run, right? It's like four years for a public school like a traditional like Murphy. And so, you know, our kids are our community, and I'm just super proud to be a bulldog today. And I mean, it felt like tonight things, you know, olives with Murphy, the defensive end. It seems like you guys had a scheme coming into the game that you wanted to execute. And it almost feels like you guys executed that to perfection. I mean, what were you guys game planning for this game? And how do you feel the girls executed tonight? You know, it was just like if we knew we could score that first basket, we could jump in our press like we knew. The wheels start rolling. And so, um, you know, like you said, we got off to a slow start. Didn't seem like we could jump in it. But, you know, as soon as we start started going and jumping our press, we got some easy baskets. And, you know, from there, just seeing the ball goes to the basket, I think like you said it was contagious. And so, um, they're talented group. They had two really good guards, and we knew that we want to put as much pressure on those guards as possible. And we did that proposal players just kind of work. Well, what was the key to your guys success inside tonight? Um, just to play hard, play how we always play and just, you know, listen and just do what we all like. No. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. Tour. And I mean, this whole playoff run. You've been getting double teamed triple team. So I'm sure tonight and you saw there playing his own, I'm sure you through the little size sigh of relief. Um, the shooting tonight. You know, all every team was key. I mean, how happy were you to actually get to go against the zone and you know, some single defenders and then generate some three point looks off those? I mean, it was great going into the game, watching some films like you said, we knew they were going to run his own. Um, and I just I feel like the zone opened up a lot of shots for everyone, and I think we just executed really well and we were all able to make shots. I thought I thought it was great for the team and right, just the clothes I mean this this trio of seniors, They've been with you all four years through these four Final Fours. How much does it mean to you to have taken this group and, you know, got them to this point and get them over the mountain? You know, when I saw these seniors and, uh, my first kind of Murphy is middle school kids, I thought myself like we can win with those people like we can win with them. And it was a big group. I think we started out maybe eight. We're down to three. But, I mean, we would not be in the position we're in without those seniors, you know, All all playoff. Sarah Kai and Leo both just went on an incredible run. They had some. They had a different look in their eye after that last loss. And, um, you know, they were not going to let us lose. Um, and and, you know, that's what we've been kind of waiting for. It took him two playoff season to really buckle down and do that, but, you know, they're gonna be missed. And like I said, we've been together a lot over the last four years. we've We've been through a lot, and I know at times they wanted to quit times they wanted to quit. But, you know, I think, you know, just today it feels so worth it. Um, and so proud of those kids, right? Okay. Any questions from the zoom participants? Steve or Nick? Uh, Coach Nick Stevens with high school team, Um, coming into the game, Did you expect the You guys have the advantage that you apparently had? Um I mean, Europe almost 50 at one point we knew is a good matchup for us. You know, on paper, we we thought our size and our athleticism, uh, you know what would would be a huge advantage, But then the day like until the kids like we we can't be too overconfident. We don't want to be paper champions. And so although the matchup look good, we still have to come out and execute. But I really liked our match up. You know, um, Stiles makes fights, and you know that in some cases this year, where I thought we were the better team, we just It was just a bad style for us. But I thought, you know, for them just coming out and they're gonna play his own. And, um, you know, I think the coach said something about she hasn't seen a man all year, and and so, you know, we knew that was going to be a huge advantage for us and for the players. How does this feel? Different from last year. You know, you repeat champions, but last year was a little bit different than this one. How does this feel? Different. We actually got to finish it. We got to play, and we got to show everybody how we actually are. So I feel closure. I guess I'm getting closure from this. There's no CO for this championship. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. Good work, man. All right. Congratulations. Thank thank you.