From a Losing Record to the Semi-Finals: The Lady Tigers Comeback

Story by Kalleigh Bagwell. Photo courtesy of Coach Gilham.

This year, Friendship Southeast Lady Tigers finally made it! We went from being a team that struggled to one that everyone was scared to play against. 

When I see how far we have come, our journey was truly grueling. During our very first season, we ended with a 4-4 record. It was okay, but we were still just trying to learn the game of basketball and create team chemistry. Then came our second season, which was really tough. We finished with a 2-4 record, and it felt like we were regressing. 

However, we persevered. This year, we came back stronger than ever, which resulted in one of our best seasons. We were winning games, playing fast, and having a lot of fun. We finished the regular season with a great 6-2 record! 

In addition to that, we made it to the semi-finals of the DC Charter Middle School Girls Basketball League playoffs. Our record fell to 7-3 because we lost in our semi-final game. It was a huge deal for our school. The game was super close and really exciting, even though we lost by 6 points. Even with the loss, it was still our best year yet. The moment felt bittersweet. We went from winning only two games last year to being one of the top teams in the playoffs this year. Southeast Academy Girls' Basketball is on top now. Happy Women’s History Month to the amazing players and coaches of this team!

Kalleigh Bagwell is a 7th-grade scholar at Friendship Southeast Academy.