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Ironwood's second straight Division II state badminton title victory was as difficult as the first one was dominant.
It also may have been more rewarding because of that struggle.
The Eagles fended off top seed Prescott 5-3 in the Division II finals Oct. 28 at Cortez High School in Phoenix.
Ironwood led 4-2 after the singles matches, but fell behind, losing the opening game of all three doubles matches. Seniors Diana Batrez Ramirez and Evelyn McHenry bounced back after losing the first game 22-20, winning the next two 21-6 and 21-13 to clinch the crown.
“I was not focused. I was paying attention to everybody else’s game. The second one we got together and I played a lot better. We played a lot really good,” McHenry said. “The second one made me so much more confident. It was amazing. After that I knew we had it.”
This is #3 Ironwood's No. 2 doubles team and features the team's top singles player in Ramirez.
She said the duo knew it was better than its first game and had to forget about the pressure, the other two matches going on and even the fans to a degree.
“We had to keep saying positive things because we knew we were better than our first game,” Ramirez said.
Coach Brett Stafford said he knew this Prescott team would be tougher than anyone the Eagles faced en route to the 2020 title. Ironwood lost only five points total in dominating the competition that season.
He was happiest for Ramirez, who finished second in the individual state tournament Oct. 23, but had lost her last three singles matches in the team state playoffs, including to Prescott junior Megan Townsend earlier this night.
“I knew they’d be good. As a matter of fact, I was nervous that they might be too good. We lose all three doubles first games and I thought, ‘How can we do this?” But the girls fought back,” Stafford said. “I was a little shocked they lost the first one. I thought they gave it up. When they came back it was awesome because Diana has to fight the No. 1 on every team. That’s one of the toughest things to do. It was awesome that she was able to be the one that pulled it out.”
Ramirez is one of two returning varsity players from the 2020 champs. The other, senior Juliana Traylor-Rowen, had a moment in the spotlight that was crucial to the repeat.
As the Eagles No. 3 she lost her first game to Prescott sophomore Riley Crockett 21-19, then bounced back to win the second by the same score.
All the other five singles matches were over and Ironwood led 3-2. So the entire raucous crowd was at full throat as Traylor-Rowen won the third game and the match 21-16.
“She’s a fighter. She plays multiple sports and has been under pressure many times before. I think that’s helped a lot,” Stafford said. “That pressure could crumble anybody and I think it took its toll on the Prescott girl.”
The Eagles had a 3-2 lead while that match played out thanks to their depth.
Ironwood #4 senior Zofia Matinez, #5 McHenry and #6 junior Elizabeth Sharp all won their matches with relative ease in two games.
“A lot of times people say that 4, 5 and 6 are weak. We always say they’ve got to be strong and these girls were strong. It was huge that they were able to take those. They won commandingly and didn’t struggle. You can’t have two or three to win state. You have to have all six,” Stafford said.
The path to title two was not as easy. Ironwood lost 5-4 at rival Sunrise Mountain on Oct. 6 and dropped to the #3 seed.
McHenry and Ramirez gained a bit of redemption three weeks later.
“It made it sweeter because we lost to Sunrise Mountain during the regular season. Me and my doubles partner were the last players and we lost the last point. So being able to win the last game we needed made up for it. It was really great,” McHenry said.
The team played its best down the stretch, beating #5 Scottsdale Horizon 8-1 near the end of the regular season.
Ironwood beat Greenway 5-0, Chandler Arizona College Prep 5-1 and Gilbert Campo Verde 5-1 to reach the finals.
“Last year we had four dominating players. They all could have been No. 1s anywhere,” Stafford said. “This year, we’re overachieving I think. But then again, we’re not because we went through Campo Verde like they weren’t there again and then got a tough Prescott team. It just goes to show that perseverance pays off.”
Since starting the sport in 2013, Ironwood has been the top program in the Peoria Unified School District.
In the last five or so years the Eagles have become one of the premier high school programs in the state, as the large crowd there to enjot their second straight trophy with a mostly new team would attest.
“It feels very good because although we had four people move up, they all worked their hardest. It feels so good for the team to be supported like this,” Ramirez said. “Coach Stafford drills it in our head. He’s a good motivator and our team is very supportive and really connected.”
#WestValleyPreps Prescott trailed 4-2 and had to win all 3 doubles matches. And the Badgers won the first game of all 3. Diana Batrez Ramirez and Evelyn McHenry rebounded to win 21-6 and 21-13. That clinched @IronwoodHS second straight Division II title 5-3 pic.twitter.com/keVa429Jxh
Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.
An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.
For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.
As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.
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