By MATT PIKE
For a second year in a row, both the Benton boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are back in Columbia for the MSHSAA Class 4 Final Four, hoping to bring a state title back to the southside.
It’s the fifth time in the last six years the Lady Cardinals have made the trip to state. In her first year as the head coach, Rebecca Baily says while it’s hard to put her feelings into words, first and foremost she’s excited for her girls.
“They’ve worked through a lot of things, from the beginning of the season until now and overcome different obstacles in different ways,” Bailey tells reporters. “And so, they’ve handled it like champs, and they have worked their rears off to get here, and I could not be prouder of them and just super excited.”
The Benton girls are searching for their first championship since the 2016 season. The Lady Cardinals have brought home three second place finishes and one fourth place finish over those previous four trips.
Senior Eliana Arambula says it’s exciting to have another opportunity to bring home a championship in her final season at Benton
“Another opportunity to be able to compete against a lot of high-level competition girls and just, yeah, it’s a great opportunity,” Arambula says.
On the boy’s side, it’s the first time in program history the team has made it to the Final Four in back-to-back seasons.
Head Coach Jared Boone says to be able to go back to Columbia again means everything
“To do this for Benton High School, the southside community of St. Joseph, the boys, the families here, there’s a lot of people that put a lot of work into this,” Boone explains
Making history for a program that’s steadily improved over the years, senior Lincoln Goodwin says it feels great.
“To make history at our school like this, it’s never been done before, so we feel really good about it,” Goodwin says.
As they get ready to head to Columbia, fellow senior Mach Mayom says the feeling of making history has sunk in and he’s ready to go
“I always believed me and my team could do this, like ever since last year when we went there, you know we had a goal,” Mayom says. “So, it’s settled in for me.”
After making history last year taking both the that the Benton girls’ and boys’ basketball teams to the Final Four, the Cardinals will make the trip to the Final Four at the same time again, this time on separate days.
Arambula says it means a lot to get the chance to make the trip to Columbia with the boys’ team again
“I know that I remember watching the Mid-Buchanan girls and boys going to state whenever I was younger, and I just know that for a community it can bring so many people together, so I feel like we’re really blessed to be in this time,” Arambula says. “Especially since this is the first time in the boys’ program history they’ve went back-to-back and then the fact we’re doing it together, I mean that’s just something you’ll remember for the rest of your life and I think a lot of elementary kids and middle school kids will remember it also.”
Junior Zaidyn Woodward says it’s big for both teams to have this opportunity
“We bring double the fans with both boys and girls making it and it’s just good to see,” Woodward says. “Especially last year, we both got to play Logan-Rogersville, so it’s cool to see both environments down there in a packed gym, look for it to hopefully be packed again this year.”
The Benton girls take on Doniphan at 10am tomorrow in semifinals to open their state run. The championship game will be at 4pm tomorrow, while the third-place game will be at 10:00 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Benton boys play Clayton in the semifinals at 10am on Friday. They will play in either the championship on Saturday at 4pm or third place game also at 10:00 a.m.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.