Springboro roars with pride as Lady Panthers head to state semi-finals

SPRINGBORO, Ohio (WXIX) - Springboro is roaring with pride as the Lady Panthers make their first state semi-finals appearance in 46 years.

It’s been a storybook season for the 23-5 Springboro Panthers girls’ basketball team.

On Friday, they returned to the site where for many of them, their story started.

The team arrived by bus and walked down the halls of Clearcreek Elementary.

Younger students lining the hallways gave the Panthers a hero’s welcome.

“It’s just amazing to see all these little kids aspiring to be us, and cheering us on,” said Springboro senior Chloe Downing.

The support doesn’t stop in the schools either.

Springboro streets and businesses like 937 Ink are bleeding blue.

It’s pulled everybody together,” explained Kirsten Hamilton with 937 Ink. “Everybody is rallying for them, everybody is doing this for them, so it’s just really neat.”

The Lady Panthers are giving this Warren County community a special spark that hasn’t been present in decades.

The last time the team made it to the semifinal round was in 1978. They finished as the runner-up that year.

“It’s been 46 years since we’ve been able to do it and that tells you how hard it is to do,” Springboro coach Mike Holweger said. “But no group was ever more deserving than this group. They’re unbelievable role models for me as a coach, for the community, and these young players.”

Both appreciative and talented, this cast of hometown celebrities now hopes to earn their storybook ending.

The Lady Panthers will take on Pickerington Central at 8 p.m. Friday.

The winner of that game will then play either Olmsted Falls or Rocky River Magnificat for the state title on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

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