Harvest Christian Academy wins state championship
A three-peat in sports at any level, not easy to do.
Okay, the Chicago Bulls did it twice (two three-peats in the 1990s) during the Michael Jordan/Phil Jackson era, but that never happens except once.
How many times a high school girls basketball team has pulled off a three-peat in Texas, not sure, if any, other than Edinburg-based Harvest Christian Academy.
Also, unlike their state titles won in 2023, 2024, which gave the Lady Eagles lopsided victories, obviously in their favor, this year’s championship game this past February included a shoot-from-behind comeback rally to post an 11-point victory over Texoma Chrisitan. (Sherman, about 60 miles north of Dallas.)
The girls’ inaugural run began in 2023, after which they won the back-to-back championship titles last year, 2024, and this past February, pulled off the near impossible — three state titles in a row.
People often make the mistake of writing off private schools when they hear that they won a state championship in a sport like high school girls basketball. As if they only played “varsity soft teams” that couldn’t compete against a larger school’s B-squad.
Not true of the Harvest season.
As they did last year in their fight for the championship and a 37-3 season record, the nine players on the Harvest team played more than a few of the Valley’s heavy hitters that often have twice the number of players on the roster — La Joya, San Benito, Los Fresnos, La Joya Palmview, Brownsville Hanna, Edinburg High, Edinburg North, and Los Fresnos.
Players and Coaches Never Quit
Harvest coaches include head coach Pastor Jaime Gonzalez and assistant coach Juan Landa.
For next season, however, Coach Gonzalez and Landa have their work cut out for them with their only senior and ace player, Riley McClaugherty, graduating, moving on to a college as yet unknown where she’s expected to land a scholarship, based on her basketball talent and work ethic.
The other players who made up this year’s nine-player winning squad include: Mia Guajardo, Stephanie Muñoz, Catalina Bernal, Karmela Futo, Hanani Dominguez, Jamie Gonzalez, Kezia Leal, and Ava Cisneros.
For her part, McClaugherty was second in team scoring, first in rebounds, first in steals, assists, and blocked shots.
Part of what makes Harvest click so well is the fact that most of the team’s players have been together since the 4th grade, finding a way to play, basically, year-round, hitting the hardwood in other states like Oklahoma where off-season tournaments are held, not tied to the UIL.
“This season was different in that we had new faces, young faces and inexperienced faces,” said Coach Gonzalez.
“We had a short time to come together, build chemistry, figure out our strengths, correct our weaknesses, and find out our identity as a team. The process was definitely not easy. Even though we had an overall record of 37 and three, I found myself saying over and over again after games, ‘It wasn't pretty, but it was a win nonetheless.’”
County and City Resolutions
In recognition of Harvest Christian Academy’s accomplishments over the past three years, both the City of Edinburg and Hidalgo County Commissioners Court issued proclamations this month in recognition of the Lady Eagles’ back-to-back state titles in the TAPPS (Texas Association for Private and Parochial) 1A playoffs.
Congratulations to the nine winning players, the two coaches, Harvest Christian Academy, and last but not least, the players’ respective parents, family members who supported them and continue to support them.
A feel-good story that shines in today’s, at-times, troubled world.