Brendan Quealy: Lakers have earned their shot at glory

Mar. 17—Despite the months-long grind that is the high school basketball season, it's still a bit of a surprise that the girls campaign reaches its zenith with a slate of four state championship games Saturday.

After that, win or lose, the season is over. And everyone wants to win the last game of the season.

Hopefully, that end comes with a Division 4 state title for the Glen Lake Lakers as they finally finish a job that began years ago — a journey that has been riddled with its share of disappointment as teams from the past fell short of the ultimate goal.

But I have a hard time believing this year's crop of Lakers will fall short.

As much as last year seemed like a season of destiny for the 2021-22 Lakers as they entered the state semifinals undefeated, this year feels like a championship is deserved for all the hard work they've done — this year and the previous years.

That isn't to say last season's squad wasn't deserving. A championship was certainly well within reach in 2022. This year's crew has just gone about their business, grabbed their hardhats and lunchpails, and then went to work at the ultimate goal without worrying about what was said or what wasn't said.

When I spoke with Glen Lake head coach Jason Bradford last week — a day after their regional championship win as the Lakers stared ahead at the state quarterfinal — I asked him a fairly straightforward question that was probably a bit uncomfortable to answer.

"Is this the year that it has to happen? Is this the year Glen Lake has to win it all?"

What I meant — without actually saying it — was, "Is this Glen Lake's last chance for a state championship?"

Jason just laughed.

"That's what we say every year, right?" he responded.

But he never really answered the question, and I didn't press it any further. Not because I didn't want to know the answer, but because I realized it wasn't necessarily relevant. Whether or not this is their last chance, the fact of the matter is that the Lakers had a chance.

They still have a chance. And a pretty damn good one, if you ask me.

For those who watched Thursday's state semifinal win against Adrian Lenawee Christian, I think it's safe to say that first quarter — and first half — was far from the prettiest basketball Glen Lake has played this season. Yet the Lakers led after the first quarter and at the break, despite a shooting percentage in the teens.

They held the lead nearly the entire game, save for an early 1-0 deficit after a Cougars' free throw. Other than that, it was wire-to-wire for a Lakers team that has simply learned how to win and become comfortable with winning in any way, shape or form.

The most telling thing Jason said to me in our interview last week was how the Lakers win, how they function as a team. Because this group of Glen Lake Lakers is truly that, a team.

If it's not Ruby Hogan leading the way, it's Maddie Bradford. If it's not Ruby, it's Maddie. If it's not Ruby or Maddie, someone else is stepping up — be it Gemma Lerchen or Olivia Mikowski or Jessie Pugh or Eleanor Valkner or Paige Steffke or Elodia Peplinski or Hailey Anderson or Tila Shimek or Emily Alaimo or Ava Raymond or Peyton Brown.

Someone is always there to pick up the slack and contribute in meaningful ways that result in winning basketball.

I've compared this year's Lakers to the Moneyball Oakland A's of the mid-2000s. This was a year when Glen Lake had to replace the output of reigning Record-Eagle Girls Basketball Player of the Year Grace Bradford and Defensive Player of the Year Jessica Robbins just like the A's had to replace the contributions of former MVP Jason Giambi and sparkplug leadoff man Johnny Damon.

Multiple people had to step in to fill the shoes of one. And that is exactly what has happened. That is why the Lakers find themselves on the precipice of a state championship.

The difference between the Moneyball A's and the 2023 Lakers? Glen Lake will be the one to win the final game of the season.