Panthers depart with cool confidence

By JOSEPH DITS, Tribune Staff Writer

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The South Bend Washington High School basketball team walks from the sendoff rally Friday morning on its way to Indianapolis for Saturday's state finals game against Ben Davis. (Tribune Photo/GREG SWIERCZ)

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Mar 6, 2009 at 11:47 AM EST

Story Updated: Mar 6, 2009 at 12:38 PM EST

SOUTH BEND — The Washington High School girls basketball team strode into their gym Friday morning wearing formal attire, green leis and a resolute calm.

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Around them was the din — OK, roar — of the band, the entire student body and the staff who came to say goodbye and good luck.

Not one soul betrayed any doubt that the Panthers will claim the state championship Saturday in Indianapolis.

Principal George McCullough took the mic at the 8 a.m. pep rally, saying how he told someone in Indianapolis about opponent Ben Davis High School: “We’re going to show you how to win a state championship. ... If you’re defense is weak, we’re gonna take you to the glass.”

Washington fans bought 3,081 tickets to the game in the Lucas Oil Stadium in two and a half days, he said.

Coach Maurice Scott said that, when he visited the stadium on Monday, reporters hounded him with the question: “Can your girls handle the mighty Giants of Ben Davis?”

To that, he recalled a recent visit by Barack Obama.

“Yes we can,” Scott said, igniting a round of chants of that campaign slogan.

“You’ve got each other; rely on one another and bring back the state championship,” said Mayor Stephen Luecke, among the community leaders on hand.

The team received a good-luck banner signed by students at Jefferson Intermediate Center.

And once the gym emptied, the school’s front entrance turned into a place for farewells. The girls’ bus waited with an open door in the agreeable, warm wind.

Teammates, still calm, paused to offer quick hugs and to pose for cameras. Joyous friends and family called their names to get a good shot.

“I think they’ve got it,” Valerie Watson said of the girls’ chances. She’s the mother of player Jasmine Watson, who has spent summers playing on the same team in a traveling league with Ben Davis star Alex Bentley.

Asked if Jasmine got a good night’s rest, her mom said: “Probably not. ... I had to do her hair last night. Gotta look good. I’m sure they’ll get plenty of rest tonight.”

“They’re bringing it home,” said Stella Snelling, confident grandma of Panther star Skylar Diggins, as she waved the team off.

The bus pulled away from the horseshoe-shaped drive just after 8:40 a.m. And from behind the glass inside the school office, several staff in green Panther T-shirts laughed as they bobbed their bodies up and down to do the wave.

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