LEXINGTON, Ohio — Brooke Thompson has played through the bad times.
That has made the first few weeks of her senior season all the sweeter.
Lexington heads into this week’s Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge with a 2-2 record. Lady Lex has won more conference games this season (two) than in the past three years combined and already has matched its season win total from last year.
“It’s very satisfying to have won two of our first three games,” Thompson said after leading Lady Lex to a come-from-behind 34-32 win at Madison last week. “We’ve all worked really hard and fought really hard.
“We all get along really well. We want to win for our coaches and we want to win for each other.”
Thompson is one of just two seniors on the Lady Lex roster. There are three juniors, six sophomores a a pair of freshmen.
“We’re still young,” said first-year coach Brian Thompson, who was a starter on Lexington’s 1989 state championship team. “Maybe in the past, they didn’t know how to fight. They’ve learned to fight and learned to win. That is what we’ve been trying to accomplish.
“We had to change the culture. They’ve bought into it and I think it will pay dividends down the road for sure.”
Changing the culture didn’t happen overnight. Lexington managed just six wins during the during the past two seasons combined.
“The last couple years have been really frustrating,” Brooke Thompson said. “It’s been hard to come back year after year, but I love my teammates and they make it worth it.”
Lexington is by no means a finished product. Lady Lex shot just 15 percent from the field in last week’s win over Madison, but connected on 17 of 24 free throws and grabbed 43 rebounds.
“We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but these girls are willing to put in the time,” Brian Thompson said. “They have talked about turning the program around all through the summer and during the preseason. It’s nice to see all their hard work pay off.”
Lexington will open play in the Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge against cross-county rival Ontario at 6 p.m. Friday at Madison. The host Rams will play Norwalk in Friday’s night cap.
Lexington and Norwalk will meet in Saturday’s early game at Madison. The Warriors and Rams will play the second game.
“I think it will be interesting to play against teams we don’t normally see,” Brian Thompson said. “The Ontario game ought to be a fun game because we are next-door rivals. The kids all know each other.
“That is what makes this event unique and special.”
