ROBINSON — Sheer dominance.
Those two words describe Harvest Christian’s run through the TAPPS 1A playoffs the past two years.
Led by a group of five seniors, the Eagles put the final stamp on their two-year run Thursday, capturing their second straight TAPPS 1A state title with a 78-27 victory over Texoma Christian at Robinson High School.
“We feel really good and really excited,” Harvest Christian senior Samantha Munoz said. “The excitement still hasn’t stopped. We see all the people who have supported us. Everyone is happy for us, and we’re happy to enjoy the moment with them, too.”
The Eagles finish the year with a 42-1 overall record, their lone loss coming to Class 6A RGV powerhouse Edinburg High (66-60) on Dec. 12, 2023.
They’ve amassed a 77-8 record during the past two seasons, averaging 72.9 points per game and allowing just 30.9 during that span.
“Whenever us seniors were freshman, we had, like, maybe six players,” Harvest Christian senior Lexi Garcia said. “Just to see it now and how we’ve grown, it’s amazing. It’s about more than basketball. It is something we’re going to remember for the rest of our lives.”
Harvest Christian dominated the contest from start to finish, going up 27-4 after one period behind a 17-point quarter by sophomore Jamie Gonzalez.
Gonzalez capped the quarter with her fifth 3-pointer of the opening period off an assist from older sister and senior Ashley Gonzalez.
“I knew they were going to try and take Ashley out of the game, so I knew I had to be on,” Jamie said. “It was hard playing a game knowing our seniors aren’t going to be here next year, but we showed we’re ready for it. We just have to keep going.”
A 17-point stretch by Riley McClaugherty between the second and third period all but secured back-to-back state titles for the Eagles, going up 67-23 heading into the final quarter.
Sophomore Jamie Gonzalez led the team with 22 points, and junior Riley McClaugherty added 20 points. Seniors Ashley Gonzalez and Lexi Garcia added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The Eagles outscored their five playoff opponents 410-146 en route to their second straight state title. They’ve outscored their playoff opponents a combined 701-241 throughout the past two years.
“It has been a very rewarding process,” Harvest Christian head coach Jaime Gonzalez said. “I want the girls to come away with this experience learning that if they trust God, have high goals and are willing to put in the work every day you can achieve a lot of great things. I’m really happy these girls will see that. … If they can duplicate that in the next chapter of their lives and win championships in other aspects of their lives, to me as a coach that is what it is all about.”
ALL-TOURNAMENT
Three players from each state finalist team earn spots on the TAPPS all-tournament team, with the remaining four selections coming from the other two final four teams.
Lexi Garcia, Jamie Gonzalez and Riley McClaugherty earned the honors for Harvest Christian this year.
Garcia, a senior, averaged 10.0 points per game during the state tournament, netting 10 points during the semifinal and adding another 10 during the championship game.
Gonzalez, a sophomore, averaged 18.5 points per game during the state tournament, capping her two-day dominance with a 22-point outing during the state title game. The selection marked the second straight year she’s made the all-tournament team.
McClaugherty, a junior, averaged 19.0 points per game the past two days, including a 22-point showing during today’s state title game. The 5-foot-8 forward served as a dominant inside presence all postseason long, crashing the boards night after night.
PASSING THE TORCH
Thursday’s state title game served as a passing-of-the-torch moment for the Eagles, with their five seniors coming off the court during the final minutes of the fourth, being replaced by an underclassmen one by one.
With roughly less than two minutes remaining, the Eagles’ head coach made his final two substitutions of the contest, bringing in junior Riley McClaugherty for senior captain Lexi Garcia and sophomore Jamie Gonzalez for older sister and senior captain Ashley Gonzalez.
Ashley Gonzalez and Garcia left their marks on Harvest Christian basketball during their four-year careers, with Ashley eclipsing the 3,000-point mark earlier this year and Garcia finishing her career with more than 1,500 points and 500 assists while leading the Eagles to three straight state tournament appearances and back-to-back titles.
“Those substitutions kind of showed that we’re getting replaced and not in a bad way,” Ashley said. “They’re stepping into our shoes. It won’t end here. Harvest Christian won’t end here. We’ll always have a good team. They have that hunger. I see it in them.”
THREE-PEAT?
The Eagles will enter next season with a nearly new starting lineup, as only two starters are set to return in Jamie Gonzalez and McClaugherty.
The program remains in good hands, however, with McClaugherty and Jamie Gonzalez averaging 18.8 and 16.6 points per game, respectively, during the postseason. Both players surpassed the 1,000-point mark earlier this year as well.
“It is going to be a lot of pressure next year, but I feel like me and Jamie can handle it,” McClaugherty said. “The seniors’ leadership really helps the team, but I know that next year we can rebuild and still be good.”
Despite a new-look starting lineup and the added pressure of being a two-time state champ, the goal for the Eagles remains the same in 2025 — winning a third straight state title.
“A third title is on my mind,” Harvest Christian head coach Jaime Gonzalez said. “It has been on my mind before we even won the second one. As a goal setter, I always try to have a vision. I’ve been thinking about next year and the things that have to fall into place. It begins with showing up on Monday of next week and regrouping. I’ve got the girls who are wiling to do the work.
“Many people may say we have a lot of good players not coming back next year or that it isn’t the same. We’re not lowering the bar. We have a title to defend, and we’re willing to put in the work. Without sounding arrogant, we expect to be here next year again.”
