State of Madonna girls basketball
Blue Dons begin their quest for a state championship Tuesday vs. Cameron
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WEIRTON -- The theme for the 2021 version of the Madonna girls basketball team has been to create memories that will last forever.
The Blue Dons under first-year head coach Cory Wingett already created two by winning the city championship and defeating Doddridge County for a regional title. One more is up for grabs, and that begins in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday.
"I always tell the girls and my assistants, 'Why do you think us older folks are always coming back or coaching at a small school?' It's not for the pay -- it's because we miss it," Wingett said. "We try to explain that every moment, every situation, every practice ... I guarantee there'll be a day where you miss those.
"We truly appreciate that in our mid 40s, and that's what we preach to the girls. These opportunities don't come around every day, and you have to appreciate those moments."
Madonna (9-8), who is state bound for the first time since 2016, is the seventh seed in the Class A portion of the tournament and opens with second-seeded Cameron (16-1) at 1 p.m.
Who else would it be besides the Dragons? They have defeated the Blue Dons three times already this season, including for the Region 1 Section 1 championship.
Everybody at Madonna, however, agreed that they did not want to open up with anybody else.
"It feels like Cameron has become one of our biggest rivals. It's almost like when we play Weir High or Steubenville Catholic Central," Wingett said. "We've played them so much over the past few years. I would say that there's a comfort level that it's not a bad draw whatsoever. Playing them in the first round probably eases the nerves a little bit."
Obviously, the ultimate goal is to win a state title, but finally besting Cameron would create another memory all in itself.
And, who knew the Blue Dons would make it this far following a sluggish start to this COVID-shortened campaign. They began with a 30-point home defeat to Weir High in their season opener -- a painful reminder that the team has put in the past and never wants to revisit. They also only won twice in their first eight contests, both coming against Valley.
"We weren't thinking about (the state tournament after starting 2-6). We had a pretty tough schedule, and we weren't meshing as a team," senior Alaina Moore said. "I would say when we went on a five-game winning streak and games were closer with teams that killed us prior, that's when I knew we had the potential."
Madonna started its offense with handing senior Jazzy Melnyk the basketball, while everyone else looked lost or confused, and the Red Riders took full advantage. Nearly two months later, four players scored at least 10 points in winning a regional title.
At one point during the first few weeks, Wingett had to tell his team that the Blue Dons are not just about how well or poorly Melnyk performs on any given night. Everybody had to step it up.
"Since that first game, our confidence has been growing and getting so much better," Melnyk said. "Every single day we're improving, and our offense is improving. It's coming from our defense. That first game just wasn't good, but we've been a totally different team since then."
"It was mentioned, but Jazzy is such a great teammate," junior Vanessa Alatis said. "She can handle the ball very well and can distribute it, as well. She was a big part of that, too, because she wanted everyone to be a part of the team and not have everything revolve around her."
Alatis definitely accepted that challenge, as she would lead the team in scoring on many nights. In comparison to the Golden State Warriors, she is the Klay Thompson of Madonna basketball. The other junior starter, Anna Backel, would be Draymond Green.
"Vanessa's progress has been fabulous. Her and Anna Backel, my two juniors, each have been wonderful for the team," Wingett said. "Vanessa is our spot-up shooter. She has a very natural shot and does a great job when her feet are set.
"Anna probably has some of the best eyes and hand coordination on the team and maybe in the area. She leads our team in steals (around 45 overall). Anna is the unsung hero. She does all of the little things to help us win games."
Moore, who recently signed her letter of intent to play basketball at Westminster College, and senior Marianna Martinez are the two strong power forwards protecting and working around the paint.
"Alaina has the height and the wing span with a good shot. She has come along so far this year and has picked it up physically," Wingett said "She had the size -- she just needed to find the talent to go with that.
"Next to her is Marianna, another four-year player. She's kind of our cleanup player. Not only is she one of the leading rebounders on the team, but we're also always looking for her. When she scores eight, 10 or 12 points a game, it's because we're assisting to her, and she finishes the job."
As for Melnyk, what else can be said that has not been already?
"Jazzy's my all-stater. She's the CEO on the court," Wingett said. "She averages a double-double on the season. It doesn't matter what the stats are because she controls the floor, and that's her presence people don't see.
"When everyone started scoring is when we started winning games."
The Blue Dons also are more than just their starters. Players such as Shae McCoy, Julia Wingett and Casey Yacos have had their moments, too. All in all, eight seniors comprise the 15-player roster, while the Dragons are led by a ton of underclassmen.
"We've never beaten them in the four years I've been at Madonna," Moore said. "With all of the freshmen they have, I think we may be able to get into their heads a little bit. They have a lot of young minds, and we have a very experienced squad. If we play good defense, they can't score, and it will lead to good offense for us."
The defense Moore mentioned really is the main reason the Blue Dons are where they are at. It began the game before winning the city championship on March 26 following a tough halftime. That was when coach Wingett, assistants Rocky Bragg and Jason Heckathorn, and everyone else began playing to their strength and nobody else's.
"Our strength is to try to play a 1-3-1 zone, try to fill the gaps and force teams to beat us from the outside," coach Wingett said. "We're not going to match up well against bigger teams in the paint, or even against an Indian Creek or Oak Glen. We have athletes, but we need the endurance to keep up with them. But, we accepted that challenge and play to the advantages of our team."
If Madonna is successful Tuesday afternoon, it will advance to the semifinals on Thursday with the championship two days after.
It is never about how one squad starts, but rather how it finishes. That is the ultimate memory everyone dreams of.
"We're very excited and nervous, but we know we're going to create a lot of memories that we'll never forget," Alatis said.