Chelsea Lott didn’t waste any time returning to the basketball court.
The Lipan High School sophomore led the Lady Indians to a Class 2A state championship on Thursday in San Antonio. By the weekend she was practicing with her offseason Amateur Athletic Union team in Gainesville preparing for the first tournament this weekend. Is there life other than basketball? “We don’t do much else outside of basketball now that I think about it,” the 5-10 lefty said. Lott was voted Most Valuable Player in Lipan’s 44-39 title win over Martin’s Mill. She tossed in 18 points, pulled down five rebounds, had one block and one steal. She sank a pair of free throws in the final seconds to seal the title. Lott said she’s missed free throws in important games but promised herself it wouldn’t happen again. “This is the most important day of my life, and I’m going to take care of business this time,” she told herself. Lott said last year’s loss to Nazareth in the Class A title game inspired her. “It was pretty miserable losing that game,” she said. “I know we let our community down. It was good to see everybody so happy with us when we came back home.”
DEDICATION
Lott is considered a gym rat. Her inspiration comes from her father, Jimmy Lott, an assistant Lipan boys basketball coach and head coach of the baseball team. “We’re very competitive,” she said. “He always pushes me to work real hard.” Her dad once coached at Peaster, also a basketball-crazed community like Lipan. Lott remembers shooting many afternoons in the Peaster gymnasium with her dad. “I grew up in the gym ... it was kinda meant to be I think.” Between games and practices Lott goes to the Lipan gym to work on her shooting. She tries to shoot at least a couple of hundred shots.
DRIVEWAY SKIRMISHES
The Lotts moved to Lipan from Midlothian her freshman year. At their Midlothian home Chelsea and her brother, Evan, now 12, would hit the driveway early in the morning and battle one on one. Sometimes the games would be so fierce they’d end up with each other in a headlock before mama would have to intervene. The neighborhood kids in Midlothian would flood the Lott driveway to play. It wasn’t unusual to see a game of “20 on 15 or so,” Lott said. The Lotts recently built a house in Lipan. “One of the top priorities is to get “One of the top priorities is to get us a slab and goal,” Lott emphasized.
TEAM BOND
Lott and her Lipan teammates have developed a strong bond. They’re still together when they’re not on the basketball court. “I like spending time with my teammates,” Lott said. “We’ll eat after practice and go and do things together.” She and freshman guard Taylor Branson enjoy fishing together. They will paddle kayaks on the Branson tank and fish for perch - with the little Barbie and Spiderman poles.
DEFENSE WINS TITLES
Lott credits head coach Amber Branson and the fans for Lipan’s success. Branson knows how to improve every player, and the knowledgeable fans inspire the Lady Indians, Lott said. “Everybody encourages us,” Lott said. “That gives us motivation to please them.” The Lady Indians are known statewide for their tenacious defense. “Coach Branson tells us we can’t win games without defense,” Lott said. Lott is known for her rapid-fire passes. She admits it gets her in trouble. “Sometimes my teammates won’t quite be ready,” she said. Lott admits she’s not the quickest player on the court. She uses her long stride and arms to her advantage by tipping opponents’ passes. “Some call me ‘Baby Giraffe’ on the floor because I’m so long and lanky.” Lott said the Lady Indians will miss key players to graduation, but other playoff teams are graduating top players too, Lott said. “I think we’ll have a pretty fair chance of making it back to San Antonio,” she said. Teammates look to Lott for inspiration, and her leadership next year will be even more crucial. “I try to be a leader and say positive things to my teammates, and they push me to do the same,” she said.
HAIL THE HEROES
The team continued their championship celebration with lunch at Mi Tierra in San Antonio before making the way back home. The Lipan community welcomed them with a parade when the bus rolled into town Thursday evening. The girls hopped onto a big trailer with a fire truck leading the escort. Vehides and townspeople lined the streets to welcome their heroes.
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