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Highland junior guard Harper Drury has had a long wait for any athletic success but that ended Thursday in the Benton gymnasium.
When Harper was a sophomore she suffered a serious injury which cost her the junior volleyball season and half the basketball season this school year. She suffered an ACL tear, an injury that takes a lot of time to rehab and build yourself up again.
Harper missed the volleyball season on a team coached by her mother that fought its way to the Sectional finals. She was able to suit up for the tournament series but was not ready to play.
Then came basketball and she warmed the bench for the first half of the season, finally getting some playing time the last few games.
Then came the Benton game where the Cardinals went on an 18-0 run to start the contest and outlasted the Zephyrs 54-32. Harper, braced up knee and all, got into the game early and drained a pair of threes, a jumper in the lane and then made both free throws she was awarded for a 10 point first half. With the score much in Highland's favor the second half the 14 girls in uniform got plenty of playing time. Her 10 points led the Cardinals and she was the only one in double figures.
"It was nice to see Harper play so well," said Highland coach Josh Tarrell.
But then it was nice to see 12 of the 14 girls score in the win with Drury giving the Cardinals one more weapon they have available off the bench. And it sets up next year's team pretty well as the Cardinals graduate eight seniors.
Also the first half that was almost all Highland. Rachel Miller scored all six of her points and Meg Tarrell all five of hers. Eight girls scored the first 18 minutes.
"Everyone got a lot of minutes tonight and even though we started a little slow we picked it up right away," Tarrell said.
The Cardinals tried out a new press and some different combinations Tarrell hopes to use as the post season nears.
"I thought we used patience tonight and looked for good shots," Tarrell said. "And it was good to get so many of the girls some work."
The eight seniors will be honored Friday when the Cardinals entertain Shullsburg.
SCORE BY HALVES
Highland 33 21 54
Benton 10 22 32
BOX SCORE
HIGHLAND 54: (fg-ft-tp) Cody 0-4-4, James 0-2-2, Michek 0-2-2, Halverson 0-0-0, H. Fredericks 0-1-1, Dreischmeier 1-5-7, Mueller 2-0-4, Drury 3-2-10, Meg Tarrell 2-0-5, M. Fredericks 2-0-4, Maya Terrell 1-0-2, Esser 2-2-6, Miller 3-0-6, Campbell 0-0-0 Totals 17-16/23-54 Fouls-20
BENTON 32: Richardson 0-1-1, Aurit 1-2-5, Fawcett 0-0-0, Reints 0-1-1, Z. Stluka 3-2-8, H. Stluka 2-5-9, Ward 0-1-1, Jo. Cummins 2-0-6, Jas. Cummins 0-0-0, Jones 0-1-1, DeMuth 0-0-0 Totals 8-13/22-32 Fouls-21 Fouled out-Richardson
3 point goals:
H (3)-Drury 2, Meg Tarrell 1
B (3)-Aurit 1, Cummins 2