By Haley Baker
Their journey is coming to an end as seniors Alli Platte, Abbey Teubel, and Lexy Kroeger go to state. The Mustangs (16-8) are scheduled to play Mediapolis (24-0) in Des Moines today. Once the state basketball tournament is over Alli, Abbey, and Lexy will be done with this chapter in their lives. Although they are sad that their last season is over, the girls will never give up their love for the game and nothing will stop them from playing basketball in the future.
It all started when Alli and Abbey became friends in elementary school. Some people might not have expected them to become best friends because they had completely different personalities, but like senior Abbey Teubel says, opposites attract. Throughout the years Abbey and Alli were always very good friends. They both knew Lexy in elementary school, but they didn’t become close friends with each other until they were in middle school.
When Abbey, Alli, and Lexy were younger they didn’t really play basketball with each other. Alli would go to the YMCA and sometimes even play in a random basketball game. Abbey would play for LMV and Lexy would play on a Mount Vernon Parks and Rec team. When they were older Alli and Abbey played on a tournament team called the Panthers. “It was a lot of fun and we won a lot,” said Alli. While Alli and Abbey were playing on their tournament team Lexy was still playing on a Parks and Rec team coached by her dad. Their team wasn’t very good, but Lexy still loved the game of basketball.
As seventh grade rolled around they were all ready to start playing basketball for the school. That year they were coached by Kim Bjork, the eighth grade math teacher at the middle school. Unfortunately Abbey was out for the season with a broken pinky. The first practice was just like any practice they had been to. “I wasn’t nervous for our first practice in seventh grade. The only practices I was nervous for were the practices for tournament team,” Alli said. The one thing that the trio didn’t really like was having to run champions. That season the girls only won one game.
The girls never gave up though, because they only lost one game in their eighth grade season. The practices with Ron Chapman as the coach were very intense. There was a lot of running too. “I didn’t like him (Coach Chapman) in eighth grade, but I love him now and I realize he made us better,” said Lexy. Not only did they get better, but Lexy also became comfortable while being in the game.
Alli, Abbey, and Lexy had been looking forward to high school basketball since the beginning of their freshman year, but life threw a curve ball at Alli and she wasn’t able to play most of her first season because of an ACL injury. All of them knew the older girls on the team since Mount Vernon is such small town and there aren’t exactly a lot of people in the high school. Abbey and Lexy were still nervous at their first high school practice though. “I just wanted to impress them,” said Lexy, referring to the older members on the team.
All three girls played on junior varsity that year. Alli only played one game with the junior varsity when she wasn’t injured and Abbey and Lexy played on junior varsity all year. Abbey and Alli also played on varsity. Unfortunately Lexy almost didn’t get any playing time that year and Alli only played for six games when she wasn’t injured. On the bright side the team won conference that year and got to the second round at the state tournament.
Sophomore year both Abbey and Lexy played junior varsity while Alli played on varsity. All of them worked hard sophomore year and worked on their basketball skills. By their junior year Abbey and Lexy played on both junior varsity and varsity, but life became even harder for Alli when she tore her ACL again. Thinking about her injury makes Alli sad because before she had been injured she was doing very well. “It was one of the hardest things I had to go through. Especially since colleges were already scouting our team and watching me play,” said Alli.
Even if they win or lose at state Alli, Abbey, and Lexy will still be happy. All of them will have amazing memories of not only this year, but all of the years before where they watched movies on the way to practice and had fun.
The number one thing they will miss is being able to play with all of the other girls on the teams they played on in the past and present. Lexy, Abbey, and Alli all say that this was one of their favorite years of basketball out of all of the years they played. Even though they are almost done with their season now doesn’t mean that they won’t be able to play basketball in the future. Alli might have a chance at playing basketball in college and Lexy and Abbey can still do intramurals in college so they can keep playing the sport they love.
