Unstoppable in league, hungry for more, Redmond Panthers girls embrace ‘rockstar mentality,’ chase playoff glory

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A season ago, the Redmond Panthers won the IMC title, secured two playoff victories, and finished fifth overall. Fast-forward to now, and the Panthers have dominated, going 10-0 in league play and repeating as league champions.

"Yeah, we have a lot of confidence," senior Dylan Cheney said. "We feel like we've figured out how to play together, and we're just, really confident in our skills and our talent."

Senior Azlynn Ure added, "It was super-exciting! It felt like a really big accomplishment, because this is something that we've worked so hard for, for years and years of playing together."

Now, this senior class and the third-ranked Redmond girls await their first-round playoff game this Friday.

"Feel like we know what the atmosphere is like now. So I think we're ready for that, and we're ready to roll with it," Cheney continued.

The Panthers know that perseverance and hard work will be key. Their focus remains on grinding through every practice and staying strong as a team. The experience is there. They've faced the top teams in the state. Now, all that’s left is to be a rockstar.

Head Coach Alex Carlson said, "It's kind of been neat down the stretch. Our last five games of the season, we had four out of five on the road, and we kind of said, 'Hey, this is kind of like a tour, we have got to have a rock star mentality.' Every night you, go out on the floor saying, 'I've got to walk out with a little bit of swagger."

Rockstar is an understatement for this team. The Panthers have won 16 games in a row, securing victories by 13 or more points in their last 15 matchups.

Ure said, "Definitely think we have the opportunity to win state, if we show up and we play together and we work hard. I think it's a huge advantage now that we've been in the state tournament before, and we have that experience. I think that'll really help us be successful."

It’s one final ride for the five seniors, and they are embracing every step of the journey.

"You've really got to cherish every single moment with your teammates. And this time you have in this gym."

Senior Maisen Porter said, "It's a little bit bittersweet and kind of sad, but we're trying to stay positive and really looking forward to the next couple of games. And embrace the moment."