A DEAL’S A DEAL — Bishop High School varsity girls basketball coaches Sherry Wilson and Jennifer Unterbrink go crazy with hair color, and keep their promise. Bishop High School varsity girls basketball coaches Sherry Wilson and Jennifer Unterbrink made good on a bet with their players and walked around the hallways with painted hair recently.

“It started off as a reward if the girls went undefeated in district but we lost our last game to Santa Rosa,” a green-headed Wilson said. “Sometimes losing is not a bad thing, that game helped show us that we had to go back and work in order to reach our goals. We then decided we would color our hair if we made it to the regional tournament.”

The Lady Badgers – who won the District 32-2A title by going 11-1, (27-9 overall) - responded by surging through the bi-district and area rounds of the postseason before being eliminated by Poth at the regional tournament.

“The girls really pulled together and worked as a team this season,” Wilson said. “It was not just one superstar, they all contributed on offense and defense.”

With the majority of Bishop’s roster coming back next year, returnees should benefit from this season’s playoff adventure.

“We got our feet wet in regards to playing against big opponents,” Wilson said. “We played against a girl from Poth who was 6’-2” which we had never done before. Plus, just the excitement of advancing into the regional tournament this season is an experience and hopefully we will make the state tournament next year.”

A change of scenery, however, awaits the Badgers next year. Following a statewide realignment by the University Interscholastic League back in February, Bishop High School’s boys and girls basketball teams will compete – the next two school years - in District 31-2A along with Banquete, Freer, Odem, Refugio, San Diego, Skidmore-Tynan and Taft.

“I think this new district is going to be good for our girls,” Unterbrink said while sporting a pink hairdo. “I don’t know enough right now to compare our current district with next year’s but the girls and coaches are excited about playing different opponents while we get to see a different part of South Texas.”

The Lady Badgers can become more potent next season by sharing the ball more.

“We have to fix our passing,” Unterbrink said.

“We just get a little lazy with that sometimes,” she said.

“We also need to get stronger down low working with our post players in order to improve both our outside and inside game.”

That shouldn’t be a problem for a roster full of girls who consistently converse on the court.

“They are a close knit group whose communication skills on the court have come a long way,” Unterbrink said. “They’re also very smart, we never have to worry about grades for the most part,” she said.

On this year’s team are seniors Kelsey Hayes (District 32-2A Defensive Most Valuable Player), Andriah Scott, Brianne Vincent (first all-district team), juniors Aricela Alvarez (first all-district team), Kasey Cavazos (District 32-2A Offensive Most Valuable Player and All South Texas Honorable Mention), Meagan Sandoval, sophomores Briana Reyna, Coralie Saenz (district honorable mention), Alexandria Martinez, freshmen Rina Rivera (District 32- 2A Newcomer of the Year), Bianca Reyna, Tessa Miller and Victoria Ramirez.

Also assisting as a coach was Lorena Garcia.