This week the Texas Girls Coaches Association selected its Academic All-State basketball teams in all classifications.
Three girls from Nocona’s team, Rachel Patrick, Brooke O’Neal and Kambryn Pierce were named to the 3A team.
The qualifications are the players must be seniors and have a grade point average of 94 or above heading into the senior years. The head coach must be a member of the TGCA in good standing for an athlete to be eligible to receive the honor.
Coming off the Lady Indians’ most successful season in multiple decades on the court, Patrick and O’Neal were both starters as well while Pierce provided locker room leadership.
Coach Kyle Spitzer was proud his first year at Nocona was successful on the court, but to have three players balance that with excellence in school is just as good.
“One aspect of athletics that often gets overlooked is the academic side of things,” Spitzer said. “So to have these girls not only take care of business in the classroom, but to be three of the top seven in their class, is incredible.”
All three players were valuable defenders and team players who did the little things right on a team that had so much talent already. Spitzer believes that attention to detail came from their approach in the classroom.
“As a coach, when you have a group of girls that succeed in the classroom, you know they will do things right when they get on the basketball court as well,” Spitzer said. “I am very proud of this accomplishment and I know this group of seniors will go on to do great things.”