The excitement of a state championship brings together communities, fans, and athletes all eager to support their team’s moment under the big lights. For the Cuero Lady Gobblers, their first appearance in the UIL Class 4A Division II State Championship basketball game was a historical occasion, representing the hard work, dedication, and resilience that epitomized their season.
“As a coach and player, you never want your season to end, but the reality is it does,” Coach Amy Crain said. “It was truly an honor to represent our school and community at the Alamodome and to coach these precious girls who through sacrifi ce, sweat, laughter and tears had a season to remember.”
Coming off a 20-game winning streak, the Lady Gobblers (33-6) faced Dallas Lincoln (38-2), a team with 17 appearances at the state finals and three title wins.
“We prepared and went into the Championship game knowing it was going to be a battle. Dallas Lincoln has a rich tradition in girls basketball with several state tournament appearances and had a very good team that was long, tall, big and physical,” Crain said.
Even with a sea of loud, green Cuero fans cheering them on in the Alamodome, the Lady Gobblers faced an uphill battle from the first quarter.
“When we saw the competition, I don’t think we shied away,” senior Arissa Carbonara said. “We just got out there and were keeping in it. It was our last game and we wanted to enjoy it.”
Mauryana DaSilva made a layup, pulling Cuero to within three points at 4-7; however, the momentum shifted in favor of Lincoln, who outrebounded the Gobblers and scored on turnovers.
Cuero found themselves unable to score for a little over six minutes, which proved tough to recover. At halftime the Lady Gobblers trailed by twenty, 11-31.
As the second half began, the Lady Gobblers started out strong, scoring quickly, but the Lady Tigers were persistent throughout the quarter pulling ahead 21-47.
With the final quarter ending, Lincoln earned its fourth state championship title, 60-32.
The Lady Gobblers displayed tremendous determination finishing out the game. Despite the distance in the numbers, the Lady Gobblers stayed true to their team, and never gave up.
Arissa Carbonara had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds earning herself a spot on the UIL Girls Basketball State All-Tournament Team. Adding to the score for the Lady Gobblers was Aubrey Bowles with 8 points and 5 blocks, and Mauryana Dasilva with 9 points.
The Cuero crowd of more than 600 fans gave the Lady Gobbler team a standing ovation for their remarkable season and how well they represented Cuero High School.
“Seeing everyone there made it even more special,” senior Jaydie Cooper said. “It’s something that I’ll never forget. Especially for girls athletics, it was so special.”
The team, including its seven seniors, played together since grade school in the Lil Dribblers. Cooper said they always promised each other their senior year they would make it to state.
“Even though we may have lost, we still got to accomplish our dream and make the best senior memory we could make,” Cooper said. “And it was such an honor to be coached by Coach Crain.”
This championship game marked not just an end to a historical season, butthebeginningofanew chapter in Cuero girls’ basketball. The heart and spirit displayed by the Lady Gobblers will resonate for years to come. With a bright future ahead, the team’s resilience and teamwork will surely set the stage for even more achievements in the years to come.
Class 4A, Division II State Final Dallas Lincoln 60, Cuero 32 Points: (C) Arissa Carbonara 15, Mauryana DaSilva 9, Bree Bowles 8, (L) Ar’jayla Elder 19, Lanae Dallas 15, Grace Spencer 12, T’anna Sadler 3, Jada Patterson 4, Su’Niyah Gulley 3, Jada Culton 2, Sanai Lewis 2
