Maybe that’s the reason a Nazareth alum, Eric Schilling, has perhaps succeeded better than anybody in maintaining such a daunting tradition for over a decade and running.

In a 10-season span prior to 2023, Schilling won seven state championships as coach of the Swiftettes before falling short in the regional final in 2024. Getting in that position means living up to a high standard set by every coach and player who came before Schilling and this year’s team.

“Tradition’s our big thing here and we want that to be a big thing,” Schilling said. “I think that’s a factor that contributes to our success and our wins. Honestly, we don’t talk about winning a whole lot and we don’t talk about state championships for sure. We focus on things it takes to put yourself in a position to win a state championship.”

Schilling says elements like being a good teammate, work ethic and trust are the foundation of every successful Nazareth team and that this year’s version of the Swiftettes was no exception. It didn’t matter that they returned only three seniors, the Swiftettes are one of the few programs who can say tradition never graduates and not have it sound like a shopworn cliche.

That’s why Schilling was just as bullish as ever about the championship prospects of this year’s model at Nazareth.

Maybe that’s also why Schilling and the Swiftettes didn’t panic too much about an uncharacteristic 0-3 start, especially after the first two games. Class 1A Nazareth lost lopsided games to Class 5A Tascosa and Class 2A Panhandle, two programs who made at least as far as the region finals.

“Early in the year with our schedule we had some tough teams,” Schilling said. “Tascosa and Panhandle both beat us by at least 25 points. As bad as it sounds, I’ve never had such a good feeling after a butt kicking like that because we were without Brooklyn Birkenfeld. Just the way that this group played together and the way that our young ones were stepping up early with the composure they were showing was really exciting.”

Birkenfeld was one of the three returning seniors, and when she returned from injury, it was obvious the Swiftettes were ready to go. They got their head above water recordwise, in part by beating 5A West Plains 51-39 in their last game without Birkenfeld.

“That was a defining moment for our team and we really learned a lot about ourselves beating a quality team like that,” Schilling said. “A week later we beat Shallowater in overtime (61-55). That stretch right there really showed us a lot.”

After that, it was business as usual for Nazareth in District 1-4A, as the Swiftettes stormed through district play undefeated. From that point on, it was just more of the same.

In six playoff games, only one team came within 20 points of the Swiftettes, when they beat Texline 54-35 in the Region I-1A final. This closing stretch and another state title show the reasons why Schilling is the Press Pass Sports 2025 Girls Coach of the Year.

It culminated at the 1A Division II state championship game at San Antonio’s Alamodome, which has become home away from home for Schilling and the Swiftettes. They led Saltillo the whole way in cruising to a 55-31 win with Birkenfeld leading the way with a game-high 22 points en route to being named the championship game’s most valuable player.

What was especially impressive about the Swiftettes is how they posted a final 29-9 record and Schilling’s eighth state title (the 26^th in school history) despite not having a full complement of players for about half the season. Midway through district sophomore Addie Schulte, who was a strong scoring option aside from Birkenfeld, tore her ACL and missed the rest of the season. 

However, other underclassmen like sophomore Jolee Pigg emerged to make much-needed contributions late in the season.

“Our team changes from year to year through graduation,” Schilling said. “It’s always a different team but they all understand the expectations and we don’t have to talk about that a whole lot. They get it. They know what we want as a group and they understand what it takes to get to that point.”

Several players on the team have siblings or even mothers who were previous state champions in Nazareth’s rich history. The championship run took a pause last season, but for players like Birkenfeld and fellow seniors Kelsie Gunter and Emerson Moore, who were on Naz’s 2023 state championship team, the past became motivation.

“They had that feeling in their gut all year,” Schilling said. “As good of leaders as they are they were perfect leaders for this team because they’d been through that last year. They didn’t want that to happen again. 

Player of the Year

Bella Edwards, Amarillo High, 5-10, forward, Sr.

When stepping into a program as established as the Amarillo High Lady Sandies, it helps to have some sort of track record if a player is going to make an impact, but Bella Edwards didn’t come to the team with that kind of reputation.

Edwards stepped onto Amarillo High’s campus as a sophomore after having been previously been homeschooled. After a season on the AHS junipr varsity as a sophomore, Edwards got a chance to show what she could do on the varsity level as a junior.

The most that AHS coach Jeff Williams and the rest of the Lady Sandies could figure out about Edwards came strictly from hearsay.

“Bella when she came in, everybody knew, and we had heard, that she was a really, really good shooter,” Williams said. “She didn’t disappoint as far as that goes. She’s the best shooter I’ve ever had and she puts the time in, but the things that really impressed me was how willing she was to learn our system defensively. A lot of that was a little bit different to her.”

Edwards proved to be a quicker study than most in her first year on the varsity. She immediately earned her role as a starter for the Lady Sandies and established herself as their go-to shooter from beyond the 3-point arc.

Entering her senior season, Edwards was far more of a known quantity, and she had a reputation to defend. She did exactly that.

Edwards led Amarillo High with 17.2 points per game and shot 85.1 percent from the free throw line as Amarillo High’s leading scorer. She led the Lady Sandies to a District 3-5A tri-championship and was named the district’s offensive player of the year. Those accomplishments were enough to earn Edwards the 2025 Press Pass Sports Girls Basketball Player Of The Year.

“I thought she started to work on her game outside of just being a really good shooter,” said Williams of Edwards. “She was thinking more about doing those other things to help our team win. That’s not to say she didn’t take a ton of time shooting after practice.”

Edwards, a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-State selection, might have been the biggest reason the Lady Sandies finished 30-6 and reached the Class 5A Division I region semifinals. She won’t be stopping at high school either, as she has signed to play in college for Oral Roberts University.

That likely wouldn’t have happened if Edwards were merely just a shooter.

“We knew we were going to get offensive production out of her,” Williams said. “What I love about her is even in the games when she had an off-shooting night she was getting a lot more rebounds. She was sharing the ball a lot better and doing the little things like stepping over and taking a charge which helped us win 30 games this year.”

Newcomer of the Year 

Berklee Billington, Bushland, 5-8, forward, Fr.

Full of youthful players, the Bushland Lady Falcons made grew up fast finishing in a three-way tie in atop a very competitive 1-3A. Bushland evened earned hard fought wins against Canadian and Dalhart during district action. Billington was one of those young players that grew up during the year coming into her own. Billington had an outstanding freshman season averaging double-double numbers by scoring 15.4 points a night with 10 boards. Billington was named the District 1-3A Offensive MVP as well as a TABC All-Region selection.

“Berklee came in very young as a freshman,” Bushland head coach Sarah Allen said. “She is still 14 years old, but she plays with such confidence and she’s very humble. She is a rebounding machine and that propelled her everywhere else on the court. She works hard in practice, and she loves the game of basketball. Berklee is always wanting to get better and her teammates love her. That’s a huge testament to who she is.”

Fighting Heart Award

Hannon Lankford, Gruver, 5-8, guard, Sr.

Lankford has overcome many obstacles through her high school career and even when the doctors told her she may not make it back, the Lady Hound always found a way. Lankford suffered three devastating knee injuries through high school, and it was questionable if she’d even make it back for her senior season. Lankford showed her determination to not only get back on the floor by Christmas to make a major impact for the Gruver Lady Hound basketball team. Lankford struggled through but had a superb senior year averaging 11.1 points a game with 6.1 rebounds. She was a 45 percent shooter from the floor and an 82 percent shooter from the free-throw line. Lankford, the Press Pass Sports Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore, played in 51 career games despite the injuries averaging 12.1 points a night. She ended her high school run as a TABC All-Region selection.

“It was tremendous to see her come back time and time again,” said Gruver Lady Hounds coach Trent Lankford, who is also the father of Hannon. “She is a dream to coach. She does everything she can to help the team and she’s a great overall kid. We were blessed by what she was able to do with three knee surgeries. To come back from all three says so much about who she is. She is passionate and it always showed on the court, and she is a very high character person. We’re so proud of that.”

FIRST TEAM

Riley Segura, Panhandle, Panhandle, 5-10, guard, Soph.

Segura went from a fabulous freshman to a sensational sophomore in 2025. Segura was a team leader for an Ettes team that won District 2-2A and made a run to the UIL Class 2A Division I state semifinals. The talented guard averaged 10.1 points a game with 5.3 rebounds a night while adding nearly six assists and was a 57 percent shooter from the field. Segura was named District MVP as well as a TABC All-State selection.

Davaeh Johnson, Tascosa, 5-9, guard, Jr.

Johnson was a first team All-District 3-5A selection as well as a TABC All-Region selection. Johnson helped lead the Lady Rebels to a three-way share of the district championship and a spot in the Class 5A Division I final, one of the school’s most successful seasons of the last three decades. She led Tascosa by averaging 12.5 points a game along with 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and will be one of the area’s top returning players next season.

Sadie Sanchez, Randall, 5-5, guard, Sr.

Despite a lack of size, Sanchez has made a huge impact for the Lady Raiders from the moment she set foot on the court as a freshman, starting almost every game the last four years. She was the Co-MVP of District 4-4A, averaging 22.9 points and 4.1 assists a game at point guard to lead Randall in both categories. Sanchez made 117 3-pointers on the season and was a genuine threat to shoot from just about anywhere on the court.

Brooklyn Birkenfeld, Nazareth, 6-0, post, Sr. 

Another Nazareth Swiftette with a long and storied career, Birkenfeld topped off her senior campaign by claiming the state tournament MVP crown.  The dominant post poured in 22 points in the championship game as Nazareth won its unprecedented 26th UIL state title. A two-time TABC All-State player, Birkenfeld was a force inside averaging 18.5 points per game and five boards while shooting 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point territory this year. The Wayland Baptist signee finished her high school campaign with more than 1,000 points and two state titles to etch her status among the best to put on the blue and gold uniform.

Kambrie Graser, Canyon, 5-11, forward, Jr.

Graser was a solid offensive option for the Lady Eagles from all over the floor this season. She helped lead them to an undefeated 4-4A title and was named the district’s Co-MVP, averaging 11.6 points a game, and was especially prolific from beyond the arc, making 44 percent of her 3-point attempts. She also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in making her mark on an experienced lineup as an underclassman.

SECOND TEAM

Nic’Kiyah Fisher, Tascosa, 5-9, guard, Jr.

Where Johnson was the offensive standout in Tascosa’s backcourt, Fisher was the defensive lockdown specialist, as she was named the 3-5A defensive player of the year. Fisher averaged 8.7 points a game but was a bigger factor defensively, averaging 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals a game for the Lady Rebels.

Ca’Nia Mitchell, Amarillo High, 5-6, guard, Sr.

Mitchell was the floor leader for the 3-5A tri-champion Lady Sandies, averaging 12.1 points per game. She led the team with 6.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists as well as leading the team in field goal percentage and had better than a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio. Mitchell was a first-team all-district selection.

Makylee Baldwin, Farwell, 5-10, forward, Sr.

Behind Baldwin and a talented veteran class of seniors, the Lady Blue made history reaching the UIL state basketball championship game for the first time in 25 years. Despite Farwell falling short in heartbreaking fashion in the Division II title game, it didn’t put a damper on what Baldwin and her team accomplished. Baldwin ended the year as the Co-District MVP averaging 16.8 points a game to go with 4.9 steals. Baldwin was also honored as a TABC All-State selection.

Landri Richey, Farwell, 5-10, guard, Sr.

Like her teammate Baldwin, Richey was a senior veteran that was a key cog in getting Farwell to the UIL state tournament and championship game for the first time since 2000. Richie, a Co-District MVP, was also a TABC All-State selection pouring in 12.6 points a game while pulling down 6.8 boards and averaging 6.8 rebounds.

Jaylee Moss, Canyon, 5-11, forward, Sr.

• Moss returned as Canyon’s most prolific outside shooter and lived up to that reputation this season, leading the Lady Eagles with 13.2 points a game and a tremendous 48 percent shooting percentage from 3-point range. She averaged 4.2 rebounds a game and was named the 4-4A Co-Offensive MVP.

HONORABLE MENTION
(Alphabetical order)

Dane’ja Agu-White, West Plains, 5-5, guard, Sr. 

Jaikylie Baker, Kress, 5-10, post, Sr.

Berlin Bartlett, Pampa, 5-4, guard, Sr. 

Elyse Beck, Canadian, 5-8, guard, Sr. 

Addison Bell, Stratford, 5-9, forward, Sr.

Harlie Brabham, San Jacinto Christian Academy, 5-9, forward, Sr. 

Maddie Brockman, Nazareth, 5-6, guard, Jr. 

Avery Cathey, Panhandle, 5-9, guard, Sr. 

Kylie Cavalier, Canadian, 5-7, guard, Jr. 

Jada Clay, Texline, 5-6, guard, Soph.

Kashlyn Conkin, Clarendon, 5-6, guard, Jr. 

Tryssa Dowd, Tascosa 6-0, post, Sr. 

Kenidee Hayes, Clarendon, 5-6, guard, Jr.  

Tyler Held, Amarillo High, 5-6, guard, Jr. 

Isabelle Jaime, Farwell, 5-7, guard, Sr.

Kammi Maddox, Dalhart, 5-11, forward, Jr. 

Piper Patterson, West Plains, 5-8, guard, Sr.

Evelyn Quiroz, Dalhart, 5-6, guard, Sr. 

Joie Read, Dalhart, 5-6, forward, Soph.

Kasidy Russell, McLean, 5-7, guard, Sr.

Kate Shaw, Clarendon, 6-0, post, Jr. 

Trinity Schlueter, Valley, 6-1, post, Sr. 

Rylee Webb, Kress, 5-6, guard, Sr.

Jasmyn Wilson, Texline, 5-8, forward, Jr. 

Sydnee Winfrey, Canyon, 5-11, forward, Sr.