For the third consecutive year, the Fair Grove girls basketball team has won their Class 3 Missouri state championship, defeating Principia with a score of 39-33 on Thursday, March 13, 2025
This win documents the 13th three-peat in state history.
Fair Grove girls basketball has been led by Head coach Gary Green, and assistant coaches, Kaylee Frank, Jeremy Faubion, and Dani Kepler. This team has also been led by an outstanding senior class that has won 3 championships in basketball as well as 2 in volleyball.
Going into the state game, the basketball team had goals, and mindsets to win it all. Green stated, “We just wanted to be ourselves and play solid defense, share the ball with each other and play Fair Grove basketball.” Green added, “My message to our team was just be yourselves, love each other, and be there for one another.”
With 1:24 remaining in the state championship game, Emma Padgett (12), was fouled and sent to the free throw line where she split her shot. However she had another opportunity right after this where she made both of her shots and secured their win.
In the final seconds, the realization hit and the buzzer went off. Shortly after, the team stormed the court as state champions.
Senior Brooke Daniels stated, “The most memorable moment from the State Championship game was definitely the dog pile at half court. Just being in that moment and knowing that we won was the best feeling in the world.”
This win was not only exciting but emotional, exceptionally for the senior class.
Daniels shared, “Winning this state championship means much more because it’s my senior year. That game was the last time I will ever get to put on the purple and white and represent my school in a basketball uniform.”
Although the team was led by an outstanding group of seniors, The Lady Eagles’ win was not just about individual performances. The team’s chemistry was undeniable, and said to be the reason they took the championship win for the third year in a row. Faubion stated, “They are united in their goal, they love each other, and they are as competitive as any group I have ever seen.”
Faubion expressed, “This group, in 3 years, has given me a lifetime of coaching memories, and I will always be thankful for it.”
Freshman Isabel Bruner voiced, “The thing that sets our team apart from others is the connection. When I first became part of the team, I saw and felt the connection and it hasn’t gone away since.” She continued, “This team truly felt like family to me. It was a gift from God and I was happy to experience it with them this year. I will never forget this team and the friendship I have made.”
Player McKenna Zanzie (9), stated that her biggest role model was Abbey Green. She explained, “She is always making sure everyone feels included. She is always working hard at practice and makes everyone else better.”
Daniels ends her High School basketball career by saying, “I am so blessed that I got the opportunity to play with my best friends over the past few years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my basketball career.”
