KENT CITY – Most high school basketball fans probably expected the Kent City girls squad to take a step or two back this season after advancing to the Division 3 state championship game last year.

Veteran coach Scott Carlson left to become an assistant at Western Michigan University, and senior stars Kenzie Bowers and Jenna Harrison graduated.

But the returning players had other ideas. They got a taste of life near the top, and they’ve been working hard to get back to that level this season.

They’re off to a pretty great start, with a 22-0 record following their 36-33 victory over Morley-Stanwood in a Division 3 district championship game on Friday. Now the Eagles will play Western Michigan Christian on Tuesday in the first round of regionals at Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian High School.

They are three wins away from returning to Michigan State’s Breslin Center and the Final Four, and plan to keep their feet on the throttle until they get there.

“For our team, the goal is to get back,” said junior Lexie Bowers, who is averaging 17.3 points, 4 assists and 3.2 steals per game. “We want to prove ourselves. I think a lot of people have doubted us. They think this year was a rebuilding year for us, but I think we have the talent to get back.”

It won’t be easy to do. The district title game against conference rival Morley-Stanwood was more of a challenge than many expected, and the games will only get tougher as the tournament bracket narrows.

“It was a tough game,” first year head coach Aleah Holcomb said about the district championship win. “Morley played great defense and challenged every shot. Ultimately, it came down to us getting consistent stops. We hit a couple big free throws to get the win, but it was a battle. Morley is a great team.”

The Eagles also have to deal with the pressure that comes with being a dominant program that’s posted a 200-35 record over the previous 10 seasons.

“Of course there is pressure,” said Holcomb, who spent five years as the Kent City JV coach before moving up. “I played for Kent City for four years on varsity and have been involved in all but two years since then. I’m well aware of how great our program is. It’s not a bad pressure. You want to be a part of a great program and I’m glad expectations are high.”

Lexie Bowers also knows about expectations, particularly following in the footsteps of her All-State older sister, who is now playing at Illinois State.

“I’ve grown up with it my whole life,” said Lexie about being compared to Kenzie. “When I was little, it was more frustrating than it is now. I’ve tried to grow into my own person and player. I’ve worked hard and overcome a lot of things. I want to be acknowledged and noticed for who I’ve made myself into. It’s frustrating, but it’s also a motivation. I’m here to prove a point.”

Bowers has a lot of talented help in the Eagles’ lineup, with teammates like sisters Emma Geers and Madelyn Geers (6.6 rebounds per game). Madelyn led the Eagles with 14 points, six rebounds and four blocks in the victory over Morley-Stanwood.

“They’ve really led our inside game,” Holcomb said about the senior-sophomore sister combination. “They set great screens and they make great reads while rolling. We had to make an adjustment to have a better inside game this year, but we still like to push the ball when we can.”

Helping push the ball up the court in transition is senior guard Taryn Preston, who will be attending Cornerstone University to run track next year.

Both Preston and Emma Geers are captains for the Eagles this season, and have done a remarkable job, according to their coach.

“Both of them have had injuries this year,” said Holcomb about her leaders. “So what they’ve done not only on the court but the sidelines has been huge. They’d go into halftime and get their teammates ready when they were injured. Now that everyone has recovered, having them on the court and speaking up has been a huge part of our success.”

The Eagles will need a full team performance against Western Michigan Christian, a tall team they beat in regionals last season.

“WMC has a great inside game,” said Holcomb about the upcoming opponent. “We’ll have to do our job and make it difficult for them inside. We’ll need to push the ball and play our game and try to control the pace.”

While some players may be nervous before a big game, Bowers said she’s more excited than anything.

“They have size, and we have some too, but not the size they have,” she said. “It’s exciting to know they’re a really good team. We’re trying to win and get back to where we were. So we’re just working harder, and our goals are to just not let their two tall girls get in the paint.”

If Kent City makes another run in the next few weeks, it will be partly because they’ve prepared themselves for tough competition by playing non-conference games against very good teams like Muskegon, Grand Rapids Christian, Sparta and Hart.

“It’s great,” said Bowers about being battle-tested. “It was nice to keep our undefeated season going with everyone doubting us. People thought we’d have losses in non-conference. But we’re all talented enough to get back this year and win.”