Sometimes, even a team's best player needs to be pushed.
The Jonesboro girls basketball team won its first state championship in March, but the Hurricane had a scare in their first Class 6A state tournament game in Russellville against Greenwood in the quarterfinals.
At a glance
SCHOOL Jonesboro
CLASS Senior
NOTEWORTHY Led Jonesboro in scoring with 15.0 points per game. … Was part of Jonesboro’s first state championship in girls basketball. … Earned the Class 6A title in the 400-meter run. … Will play basketball at Arkansas State.
Jonesboro, the No. 1 seed from the East, was tied with Greenwood 13-13 to open the second half. Starr Taylor, Jonesboro's leading scorer, was injured and wasn't sure if she was going to return to action.
That's when her coach, Jodi Christenberry, challenged her.
"I asked her, 'Are you going to play or not?'" Christenberry said, recalling the situation. "She was clutching her chest and said, 'Yeah, I'm going to play.' That's when she went back out there. We got the job done."
Jonesboro held off Greenwood 34-32, with Taylor scoring 12 points, en route to its Class 6A state championship victory over Russellville.
"It showed her competitive nature," Christenberry said.
In addition to her exploits on the basketball court, Taylor was the Class 6A state champion in the girls' 400-meter dash.
With state titles in girls basketball and track and field in hand, the multi-sport Jonesboro senior is this year's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Preps Female Athlete of the Year.
Taylor led the Hurricane in scoring with 15.0 points per game. She also averaged 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals.
"She set the tone for everything," Christenberry said. "Her intensity, her hustle. Her defense turned into offense."
On the track, Taylor won the 400 on May 5 at the Class 6A state track and field meet in Benton with a time of 57.12. She was second in the 100, 200 and the long jump and was on the school's 1,600 relay team that finished third.
Jonesboro's boys basketball program has won 11 state championships, most recently in 2007 and 2014. But the girls program had never won one until March.
That's in part because of Taylor.
"I don't know if it's ever going to sink in because of the history," Christenberry said. "You can't fathom that you're the first team to put a banner up, the first team to win a trophy for your school.
"It was like we finally finished the job we started. It was a relief because those kids worked so long and hard for that opportunity."
Christenberry credited Taylor's leadership for the Hurricane.
"Her impact went beyond basketball," Christenberry said. "She leads people in the right direction. She doesn't take them into the wrong path."
Taylor will play basketball at Arkansas State, where Christenberry was a former assistant coach for current head coach Brian Boyer. Taylor's father Trooper is an assistant coach for the Red Wolves' football team.
Christenberry said she believes Taylor's attitude will serve her well in college.
"She wants to be the best in whatever she does," Christenberry said. "She wants to be the best in the classroom. She wants to be the best on the track team. She wants to be the best on the basketball team. She's humble through it all.
"It's a matter of being competitive."
Sports on 06/19/2016