After a difficult regular season, the Marengo Academy girls (4-18, 0-12) embrace new life today when they travel to Marion Military Institute for the AISA Class AA Region 2 tournament.

“All it takes is one game. They can be 5-18 and that one game gets them to state,” head coach Danny Stenz said of his team.

Marengo will challenge No. 2 seed Lowndes Academy in the first round of the tournament. A win in that game would advance the Longhorn ladies to Montgomery next weekend where they would compete in the state tournament.

“We could spoil their season for them by winning one ball game,” Stenz said of LA.

Regardless of the result on the floor Wednesday, Stenz said he is impressed with the way his team has endured this season.

“They have grown tremendously,” Stenz said. “We’ve got four girls that are varsity level and maybe one that has played a good bit in the past. Their games have improved tremendously.”

The team has a unique situation in which its core of varsity players consists of only four girls. The rest of its roster is comprised of junior high level players who compete for both the varsity and junior varsity teams, often playing two games in the course of a night.

“All four of them have been good for the younger girls,” Stenz said of his four oldest players. “They’ve been really good leaders. I think they’ve even helped them as far as maturity.”

Stenz said his varsity girls played an integral role in the success of the junior high team, which won the state invitational tournament at Lowndes Academy two weeks ago.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Shonna Hammonds, Casey Edwards, Anna Edmonds and Abby Huckabee,” Stenz said.

The ladies will take to the floor at 3 p.m. at MMI.