NEW PHILADELPHIA After every game, the New Philadelphia girls basketball team gathers together, holds hands, and repeats the phrase “Embrace the Journey!"
And, they have done just that.
The 25-2 Quakers made history this season -- more than once, collectively and individually. And, most importantly, they still have the opportunity this weekend in the state tournament Final Four to add another chapter to an already incredible story.
“We made a list of goals before the season, and a lot of those goals have been accomplished. We still have goals on the list that have not been checked off yet, so there is still work to do,” said head coach Tracy Payne.
The Red and Black will travel to Columbus to battle No. 6 Toledo Rogers (25-3) at 3 p.m. Friday in the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
The winner advances to the state final at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday to take on the winner of Friday's game pitting Bellbrook against Gates Mills Gilmour Academy.
New Philadelphia started out the season a little later than usual, due to the success of many of the varsity players in fall sports. Kate McEwan, Meg Maurer and Paige Kaiser advanced to the Elite Eight as members of the Quaker soccer squad. Aaliyah Currence, Josie Pry, Anne-Marie Monaco, Julia Ress and Sabrina Malcolm all made the regional tournament in volleyball. Sarah Stoneman and Rachel Anderson (a state qualifier) enjoyed extended post-season success in cross country.
The winning attitude spilled over into basketball season. After a 2-2 start, the Quakers have won 23 straight wins -- the longest streak in Quaker girls basketball history. It surpassed the Quakers' 20-game win streak during the 2014-15 season.
“We played a grueling schedule to open the season," Payne said. "Four out of the first five games were on the road and three of those were against Division I teams, including Massillon Jackson, who just lost in the Division I regional finals.”
Once the Quakers hit their stride, they dominated opponents. They crushed East Central Ohio League foes by a victory margin of 36.6 points per game -- with no team getting closer than 17 points in a single contest. New Philadelphia finished a perfect 14-0 in the ECOL.
During the entire 23-game win streak, the margin of victory is still an impressive 27.8 points per game. Only two victories involved less than double-digit victory margins.
For seniors Maurer and Anna Nguyen, the victories are a little sweeter. There's no "wait 'til next year" option for them when it comes to Quaker tournament success.
“It’s been an amazing season," Maurer said. "Everyone has worked so hard all season long, and we just don’t want it to end. We are a very tight team and each of us just wants to do our part to win games.”
“It’s like a dream come true," Nguyen said. "We set goals and we worked our butts off to try and make them happen. I’m just so proud of the team and happy to be a part of this.”
Nguyen and Maurer are the lone seniors and are two of the three team captains.
"Megan and Anna are out two seniors, and they both bring completely different elements to our team and our team success. They have been solid this entire season, and for the last few years,” said Payne. “They both complement each other’s personalities, and the rest of our girls really look up to them.”
The third captain is Currence, a First Team All-Ohioan in Division II. The junior guard/forward leads the team in scoring (19.7 points per game), rebounds, steals and blocks. Currence also made history individually, hitting the 1,000 point plateau and becoming the Quakers all-time leading scorer, passing Jaida Carter, who set the mark at 1,123 in the 2014-15 season. Currence currently has 1,156 career points.
This season, Currence also earned First Team All-East District, All-District 5, and All-East Central Ohio League. She also earned District 5 Player of the Year and ECOL Co-Player of the Year honors.
“Aaliyah is a leader and just a pleasure to have on the team. She leads by example on and off the court and is a 'go-to' player in crucial times in games,” said Payne.
Several other Quakers also earned multiple post-season accolades:
n McEwan, who is the team leader in assists, was First Team All-ECOL, Second Team All-District Five, and Honorable Mention All-East District.
n Josie Pry was Second Team All-ECOL and All-District Five, and Honorable Mention All-East District.
n Anderson was Second Team All-ECOL and Honorable Mention All-District Five.
n Maurer was Honorable Mention All-East District and All-ECOL.
n Payne received Coach of the Year honors for District 5 and ECOL, and was Co-Coach of the Year in the East District.
In all, the journey has presented a cornucopia of action -- from early-season struggles to an unprecedented win streak; to winning tournament games short-handed; all culminating this Friday afternoon for a chance to etch their names into yet another chapter of the New Philadelphia history books.
New Philadelphia won its first regional semifinal game ever, 53-31 over River Valley March 6. Three days later, the Quakers qualified for their first state Final Four appearance with a 46-42 victory in battling the Sheridan Generals.
The Quakers played short-handed in three of their five tournament wins. Depth allowed them to continue playing at a high level. Kaiser, Ress, Monaco and Malcolm all provide intensity off the bench, along with their individual skills as they made significant contributions during the season.
“Our bench has been great all year for us," Payne said. "When we had people out, they all stepped up in different ways, and in key moments to help us not miss a beat."
The Red and Black’s most important attribute is playing as a single unit to achieve the ultimate team goal.
“We are a family," Payne proclaimed. "The girls spend significant time with one another off the court. We have no egos, and all the girls have given 100 percent and done what was asked of them all year long."