STATE EXTRA: Hartman: ‘We will be back’

RICHMOND
Robert E. Lee walked off the court of the Siegel Center in Richmond heartbroken, thinking of the 58-33 loss it suffered on the biggest stage the Lee Ladies had seen.

The fact that the entire team will return next season offered no comfort to ease the pain.

“Tomorrow is not promised to us, it was today,” said Lee freshman Angela Mickens. “I’m still proud of my girls, but we just fell short. It happens.”

Next season every Lee Lady that graced the Group AA, Division 3 championship floor against Freedom will return, and many will have two or three years left with the squad, but the pain of losing on the grandest stage was still throbbing.

Robert E. Lee coach Jeremy Hartman felt it too, even while driving the point home that his team will return to Richmond next season.

“We will be back here again next year, I have no doubt about that,” Hartman said. “Freedom did what they had to do. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted, but we will regroup and be back again next year.”

After the game, Freedom coach Jason Eldredge said that he wanted to stay far away from Lee next season.

“I know, personally, I don’t want to see that team next year,” he said.

The Eagles could relate to the pain that the Lee Ladies were feeling in the visitor’s locker room, falling seconds short of securing a berth in the state tournament last season.

“What helped us today over Robert E. Lee is what we went through as a team last year,” he said. “We lost the district finals on a 3.3-second scoop shot. We lost in the regional semifinal; we were 11 seconds away from a state tournament. That heartache helped us win today.”

Hartman said he hopes that Lee will have the same turnaround come November.

“It’s a little hard for me right now because I think of all the work that they put in,” he said. “When I see these young ladies with their heads down, crying, it hurts me too. I don’t ever want to see them that way. I guess I’m like a proud father in that way — I don’t want to see my kids crying and upset.”

With red eyes and fighting back tears, Lee sophomore Daquaa Scott reiterated how important it was for Lee to return next season.

“I’m upset we just played all these games, just to play like this,” she said. “But we just have to play hard and get back here next year.”