Championship Matchup

7th Grade

Lakeside (26) vs Little Mill (31)

2025-26 Girls Basketball

7th Grade Championship Review

Quarterfinals & Semifinals

Full Steam Ahead

The 2025–26 7th grade girls basketball season belonged to Little Mill. The Mustangs capped a perfect 13–0 campaign on Wednesday night with a championship trophy — but the title game looked nothing like the dominance they showed all season.

For the first time all year, Little Mill trailed at multiple checkpoints. After leading at the end of every quarter during the regular season, the Mustangs found themselves down seven at halftime and still facing a five-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter of the championship game.

Their playoff run leading up to that moment had looked much more familiar.

In the first round against North Forsyth, Little Mill did what it had done all season — start fast and never let up. The Mustangs built a 15-point halftime lead, then completely shut the door in the second half. They allowed just three points in the third quarter and none in the fourth, cruising to what became their eighth win of the season by 30 points or more.

The semifinals brought a matchup with Hendricks, a team that had quietly given Little Mill one of its tougher games during the regular season despite a 45–29 final score. In that earlier meeting, the Mustangs jumped ahead by 14 before the Hawks played them evenly the rest of the way.

The second meeting was tighter from the start. For the first time in weeks, Little Mill was pushed deep into the first half, taking only a five-point lead into the break. But the Mustangs made their move after halftime, dominating the third and fourth quarters to pull away and punch their ticket to the finals.

Championship

Perfection

Little Mill (13–0) and Lakeside first met back on December 4, when both teams entered the game undefeated. It was still early in the season, so it wasn’t yet clear who the top team in the league would be. By the end of that night, there was little doubt.

Little Mill delivered a dominant 29-point victory that sent shockwaves through the league and quickly established the Mustangs as the team to beat.

Lakeside (11–2) responded the way strong teams do. The Lions regrouped and went on to win their next eight games, steadily building momentum. When the rematch with Little Mill arrived, Lakeside came in confident, battle-tested, and determined to prove the first meeting didn’t define them.

Both teams struggled to find offense in the opening frame. Little Mill had balanced contributions, with four different players scoring, though only three baskets fell from the field. Lakeside also had three players get on the board, but the Lions managed just one made field goal in the quarter. A pair of free throws helped keep the score close despite the slow start.

As dominant as Little Mill had been all season, routinely building comfortable halftime leads, Wednesday night’s second quarter was a shock to just about everyone in the gym.

Lakeside seized control behind Eva Stevenson, who scored five points in the period. With contributions from four different players, the Lions surged ahead and carried a seven-point lead into halftime.

Little Mill, meanwhile, struggled to find its rhythm. Madi Shirley accounted for the Mustangs’ only scoring in the quarter with four points. It marked the first time all season that Little Mill trailed at the end of a quarter — a stunning turn in the championship game.

The third quarter resembled the first, with both teams battling to find any offensive rhythm. Lakeside didn’t make a field goal, but the Lions stayed afloat by going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Little Mill couldn’t fully capitalize, managing just two field goals and a free throw in the period. The Mustangs trimmed the deficit by only two points, with Madi Shirley again leading the effort and scoring four more to keep her team within reach heading into the final quarter.

Little Mill’s undefeated season was suddenly in serious jeopardy, and it looked as if Lakeside might get its long-awaited revenge. But champions have a way of rising in the biggest moments.

Slowly and steadily, the Mustangs chipped away at the deficit. Anna Droegemueller, one of Little Mill’s early-season standouts, took over in the final quarter. She poured in nine points, knocking down two clutch 3-pointers and calmly sinking three free throws to swing the momentum. Waverly Rickman also delivered in key moments, adding two baskets that helped Little Mill finally push in front.

Lakeside, after playing with poise and control for three quarters, couldn’t find the offense it needed down the stretch. As the Lions’ shots stopped falling, the Mustangs completed the comeback, preserving their perfect season and bringing Lakeside’s impressive run to a tough end.

After her dominant fourth quarter, Anna Droegemueller finished with a team-high 13 points to lead the Mustangs. Madi Shirley added 10, carrying much of the scoring load through the first three quarters to keep Little Mill within striking distance.

Lakeside did not have a player reach double figures. Kagan Morris and Eva Stevenson led the Lions with eight points each in the hard-fought loss.

Final Thoughts

Tested at the End, Perfect in the End 

When the final horn sounded, the scoreboard confirmed what the season had been building toward since opening night: a perfect 13–0 record and a championship trophy for Little Mill.

In a year filled with talented teams across the county, the Mustangs set the standard from the first tip to the final buzzer. Their resilience in the biggest moment only added to their legacy, cementing this group as one of the most memorable and accomplished 7th grade teams the league has seen.