Lady Trojans pull off upset

I was in Fordyce last year when Parkers Chapel played against Bearden. The Lady Bears absolutely mauled the Lady Trojans 40-10. Coach Mark Young put two starters back into the game in the fourth quarter to make sure his team got into double figures.
"That was embarassing," said Young.
After struggling to get into double figures a year ago, the Lady Trojans saw sophomore Dana Gray pop in 30 points, including six 3-pointers Tuesday in a 48-46 win at Bearden.
When Young called in the result Tuesday night, I asked him several times if he was serious. He asked me why I wasn't there.
I had my reasons for not making the trip to Bearden.
First, Strong and Norphlet had another important conference game and this one was about 10 minutes away instead of 50.
Second, Parkers Chapel was coming off a loss to Norphlet and a lackluster win at Hampton. These less-than-impressive showings didn't infuse me with a lot of enthusiasm for a possible upset.
But, perhaps the biggest reason I didn't give Parkers Chapel much of a chance against Bearden was simply - I was there last year when they struggled to get 10 points.
When I said the Lady Bears mauled Parkers Chapel last year, I mean it, literally. It looked like full-grown women against little bitty girls. The Lady Trojans didn't belong on the same floor with them last year.
Bearden returned the bulk of its team this year. I'm a Dana Gray fan but how much difference could she make.
Well, it's hard to downplay 30 points. Gray makes the Lady Trojans better but, the team's improvement is a team thing. The team has a more aggressive, hard-nosed attitude. Credit the sophomore class for its enthusiasm. Credit the juniors for their athleticism. Credit the seniors for their memory.
I didn't think Parkers Chapel had a chance to win because of what happened last year. The Lady Trojans knew they had a shot - because of last year.