MaxPreps Basketball Tour of Champions celebrates Plano High School

The 13th Annual MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard passed through North Texas on Thursday, Apr. 12 to honor Plano (Texas) High School and its girls basketball team for winning a state championship and earning a high national ranking.

Having upended Judson 62-58 in the UIL Class 6A state championship contest, the 35-6 Wildcats claimed Plano's first girls state basketball title and earned the No. 11 ranking in MaxPreps' National Rankings!

With the title hanging in the balance in the closing seconds, the Lady Wildcats secured a huge offensive rebound off of a missed free throw that sealed Plano's victory and allowed the Wildcats to become one of just ten girls basketball teams, out of 20,000 nationally, to be honored on the Tour of Champions.

From the outside everything seemed quiet. But on the inside of the Plano Senior High School gymnasium, hundreds of loyal Wildcat fans, students, parents, faculty and coaches gathered to help the Wildcats receive their first Army National Guard national ranking trophy.

MaxPreps representative Dustin Gaines kicked off the ceremony by congratulating the Wildcats on a job well done and for fighting through and picking up the championship hardware. Gaines then introduced Staff Sergeant Robert Reeves from the Texas Army National Guard, who energetically congratulated the Wildcats and challenged head coach Rodney Belcher's club to repeat this year's success next year.

Then — to the roar of applause from the parents and fans — SSG Reeves handed the trophy and a nationally ranked rafter banner to Belcher to commemorate the special honor. Belcher warmly thanked the parents, students and his coaching staff for a great season as the students raised the trophy high in celebration of their amazing accomplishment! Click here to view the Plano TOC photo gallery and for more information about the Basketball TOC, please visit the MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.