The climb is complete.
After going winless in its first year of existence, Free State High's girls basketball team won its Class 6A sub-state championship game, 49-45, at Olathe East on Saturday to qualify for its first state tournament.
The Firebirds (16-6) are the city's first girls basketball state-qualifier since Lawrence High's 1992-93 team.
For three Free State seniors guard Kristin Bock, guard/forward Katie Rhodes and forward Lauren Wilkinson who played on the 0-21 team as freshmen, Saturday's victory was a long time coming.
"This is a great feeling," said Rhodes, who scored 11 points. "Lauren, Kristin and I have been playing with this program for four years and we've gone from 0-and-21 to now we're going to state. This is something we've always wanted.
"When we were freshmen we talked about how we wanted to work so hard together that by the time we're seniors we're able to go to state."
Appropriately, it was the Firebirds' six seniors who played the biggest roles in the title tilt. Not only did the Class of '01 score all but three of Free State's points, but also contributed at key times.
Bock calmly sank two free throws to seal the deal with 7.3 seconds remaining. She said she was in a similar situation in Free State's 48-46 loss at Shawnee Mission North last month, but just hit one of two free throws.
"I just remembered that when I got fouled and I didn't want that to happen again because the whole team was depending on me for state," Bock said. "Free throws are the one thing I can make and I'm going to make them. Until the buzzer went off, the whole time it seemed like it was just another game."
After the buzzer sounded, it was anything but just another game as the Firebirds swarmed the court, surrounded their coach and posed for pictures with their plaque.
"That's the kids," FSHS coach Craig Hershiser said. "They've done the work and they've bought in to what we want to do and the way we want to play. They're extremely coachable and I'm really fortunate to be able to coach this group of kids, no doubt about it."
FSHS senior center Joyia Chadwick scored a team-high 14 points, despite fouling out with 2:56 remaining and the Firebirds clinging to a three-point lead. Chadwick is no stranger to state, having qualified with the volleyball team in both 1998 and 1999.
"I've been there for volleyball and it was kinda disappointing this year when we didn't get there," said Chadwick, who was 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. "It was my dream to be able to get there for basketball. It is such a neat experience and it's something we'll never forget.
"No matter what we do at state, none of us will ever forget it."
Although she admitted she might not have been the happiest Free State fan at the end of the game, she certainly was pleased her career didn't come to a close while riding the pine.
"That's OK," Chadwick said. "I played hard. I wasn't ashamed of the fouls or anything. I just wish I could have been in there at the end, but I love cheering my team, even if it's from the bench and not on the court."
The Firebirds probably could have made things easier for themselves had they connected on more free throws. The charity line was anything but giving as Free State missed seven of 12 attempts in the final 1:19.
Free State will face a to-be-determined opponent in Thursday's state quarterfinals at Emporia's White Auditorium.
"It's impossible to describe. It really is," Hershiser said of the emotion involved with the win. "These kids have done a tremendous amount this season and I think it's highly appropriate that we're going to the state tournament."
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