In her first season as head coach, Tiffany Hill was upset that she didn’t reach her postseason goal.
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“I felt like we had the talent and the caliber of kids to get there,” Hill said. “But I had to be realistic with myself.”
In reality, the 2024 season exceeded expectations. As Hill mentioned, she wasn’t hired until July and didn’t have a real offseason with the Lady Jackets. The only real preparation for the regular season was the fall.
Additionally, Hill received a list of nine sophomores and one junior who had little to no college experience.
Despite these setbacks, Cleburne won 20 games and held on to many of its losses.
As a final reminder of 2024, Everman’s loss was not a representation of the end of Cleburne’s season; It is just the beginning of a program that is growing.
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“We don’t want to feel like that again,” power forward Lauryn Carrizales said of being eliminated in 2024. “I think about it a lot. I watch video of that game all the time. It definitely motivates the team because we’ve never been to the playoffs and we want to go.”
Almost a month into the 2025 season, Carrizales and the Lady Jackets sense something special is brewing. Impressive wins over Midlothian and Brock, a narrow loss to playoff contender Aledo and an even record in their two tournament appearances leave Cleburne with a 7-5 record.
“I’m happy with the way we’re playing,” Hill said. “We’re playing against high-level competitive teams.”
In addition to spending the entire offseason working together, the Lady Jackets highlighted improved conditioning. According to guard Alyssa Franklin, conditioning has helped the team develop a stronger mentality.
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Also motivated by the Everman loss, Franklin spent the past year working on her skills while playing AAU ball for the second straight year and attending college camps.
As your confidence increases, so does your ability to finish in the paint, your ball handling, and your intuition for taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.
“She’s so special,” Hill said of Franklin. “She reminds me a lot of me in a lot of ways because you want to please your coach and you want to work hard to get there.”
Hill, who rated Franklin as a leader during the offseason, trusted his junior point guard in the season opener against Midlothian on Nov. 7. In the 59-38 home win, Franklin scored a team-high 18 points.
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“I was definitely nervous because it was the first game of the season,” Franklin admitted. “Once we gave the tip and got possession, everyone relaxed and felt the energy from the bench and the stands.”
Carrizales finished the game with 14 points, scoring 12 in the paint area. For the junior forward, she has also gained confidence in her ability to get to the basket.
The pair lead a roster of junior Lady Jackets, but now feature three seniors. One in particular, a transfer from Mansfield Summit and football coach AJ Sheppard’s daughter, Lily Sheppard joined the program earlier this year.
In 2024, Sheppard earned District 8-5A Rookie of the Year honors with the Lady Jaguars, who went undefeated in district play and reached the area round.
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“She understands what it takes,” Hill said of what Sheppard brings to Cleburne.
When asked what he has brought to the team on the court, Sheppard said it is communication and encouragement in the little things, like boxing, rebounding and following up shots.
“I know what my role is on this team and how I can help them,” Sheppard said. “Knowing how they play and contributing my way to where everything fits has been a really good thing this season.”
Hill, who played more guard the past two seasons, has moved Sheppard into a much different role for the Lady Jackets.
Now, the dynamic hybrid will primarily play in the post while utilizing his guard skills when necessary.
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An option for Cleburne’s offense through the first 12 games has signed the name ‘Biggie Lily.’
“That’s where the guards look in and I go to work crouching,” Sheppard said.
As his father bounced around Texas with different coaching jobs, from Mansfield, El Paso and now Cleburne, Sheppard almost decided to stay at Summit for his senior year.
However, once she opened her mind and realized she could help the Lady Jackets expand on last year’s success, she wanted to join the team even more.
“She clicked,” Carrizales said when adding Sheppard. “She is a leader who is not afraid to speak up.”
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Sheppard praised the effort made by the Lady Jackets in including her when she first arrived and credits Avah Marcozzi for encouraging her while both were sidelined with injuries earlier this year.
Cleburne is scheduled to play three more non-district games before beginning district play on Dec. 12. Coincidentally, they will open their district schedule against Sheppard’s former team.