Midway’s run ends with ‘Chins Up’ in Class A state semifinals

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BY JESSE SMITHEY

MURFREESBORO — The final horn sounded on Midway’s season Friday night at MTSU’s Murphy Center. And before the Lady Waves congratulated Gibson County in the handshake line, Midway star Caitlyn Ross turned back to her teammates and told them, “Chins up. Chins up,” patting underneath hers to get her point across.

Though Midway won’t play in Saturday’s Class A Championship, it had reached the semifinals for the first time. To Ross, it should be a moment of pride.

“We made history. We set the bar, and we went out with a bang,” said Ross, a Virginia-Wise signee who scored a team-high 22 points in the 75-61 loss.

“We had a tough loss. We hung with them for most of the game until we had to start fouling. But just keep our chins up. I don’t like to see people with their heads down. You can do that in private. We needed to go out strong — and keep our heads up.”

A small silver-lining for Ross: she made her final shot of her prep career — a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 25 seconds remaining. She finished 7-for-12 from the floor with seven rebounds.

She checked out with 45.6 seconds left on the clock to a strong ovation.

“The coaches in my district will see what kind of coach I am next year without her,” Midway coach Michael Hayes joked. “That’s probably true. She’s been a leader since her freshman year. She plays hard. She’s done everything I ask of her. We wish her well when she goes to University of Virginia – Wise.

“I’m going to miss her.”

Ross nearly missed the final quarter against Gibson County (34-3), which will play Loretto (33-1) in the championship.

With roughly 6 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Midway trailed 53-46. Making matters worse, three of its starters — Ross, Emily Cawood and Heaven Prinzi – were on the floor with four fouls.

That scenario took Midway’s tenacity away, and Gibson County took advantage. The Lady Pioneers ran the lead to 58-46 with 3:41 to play.

The Lady Waves could never get closer than 10 the rest of the way. Gibson County salted it away at the foul line, where they made 29 of 35 shots.

“It messed it all up. We couldn’t get up on them (and defend), because they were calling everything on us,” Ross said of the foul situation. “We couldn’t put pressure on them like we wanted to. We had to sag off them a little, which probably created a little more drives, because we didn’t want to foul or touch them.

“But it happens.”

Rebecca Lemasters added 11 points for Midway, and Paige Bacon and Emily Cawood pitched in 10 apiece.

Midway kept Gibson County close in the first half, though the Lady Waves trailed 33-32 at the break. The largest lead of the half was three points (14-11) by Gibson County late in the first quarter.

Ross reached the half with 10 points. Her three steals proved huge, especially her steal and score at the end of the first quarter that gave Midway a 17-16 lead. Ross also picked up two fouls in the first 61 seconds of the second quarter but managed to stay in the game without picking up a third.

Gibson County tried to break loose from Midway in the third, building a 48-43 lead. But Ross fired in a 3 with 1:04 left in the quarter to cut the lead down to two. She picked up her fourth foul, however, some 24 seconds later, and she headed to the bench — but only briefly.

Ross returned at the 7:16 mark of the fourth quarter.

She never picked up a fifth foul. She exited the game at her coach’s discretion.

And her impact will be long felt at Midway.

“I had several people tell me (when I was a freshman) that I had great potential and that I was going to be great and everything,” Ross said. “I guess it’s just in my nature to work hard for things.

“I know have younger ones, who are in middle school, who I know look up to me. I just try to set the bar and do good things and encourage them. I always look to God, as well. But I didn’t think I would make this big of an impact on the Midway community.”