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Kriss Ethridge was born into a family of basketball players.
His father, John, played at TCU from 1950 to 1952 and was the head basketball coach at Amarillo High when he was born. Ethridge’s mother, Mitzi, was an all-state selection at Dimmit. It meant growing up, Ethridge was surrounded by basketball.
She started playing in youth teams at the age of nine, quickly falling in love with the sport. That love stayed with her in Monterey, where she was a three-time all-district draft pick from 1978 to 1981 and a member of a state championship team in 1981. Later in life, she got involved in basketball practice, serving as Coronado girls. coach from 2011 to 20.
Her accomplishments earned Ethridge a spot in the Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Honor in 2020. After a long COVID-19-induced delay spanning two years, she will finally be inducted at Saturday night’s ceremony at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. at 18 o’clock.
Ethridge loved basketball all his life. She will officially receive one of her highest lifetime honors because of it.
“It’s so humbling,” Ethridge said of his induction. “A lot of great players, coaches and teams have come through Lubbock ISD and been inducted, and I feel privileged to be a part of that.”
Ethridge arrived in Monterey in 1979. At the time, high school was only three years long, so she was a sophomore. It was Monterey’s first season under new head coach Tim Tasker, who instituted an all-court pressing system.
For some it would be tedious, but not for Ethridge. She thrived there, feeling it best suited her style of play. Ethridge started off with a bang, receiving her first nod in any district that season.
“It was right up my alley,” Ethridge said. “The team we had at the time was perfect for us. It suited perfectly. Things took off from there.
Ethridge struggled confidently as a sophomore, not getting the playing time she wanted. She came off the bench as a backup playmaker, which Ethridge expected, but wasn’t thrilled with.
In 1980, she would not only become Monterey’s starting goaltender, but would be joined by her younger sister, Kaime. The two grew up competing against each other, sometimes for the same starting guard spot on a team. Before Ethridge focused on basketball, the two played doubles tennis together in Monterey in 1979.
Kriss and Kaime would play fierce one-on-one matches after practice, with Tasker occasionally having to throw them out of the gym due to the intensity. The two traded wins for each other and the loser tasted the taste of defeat.
“Whoever lost went home, that’s how it went wrong,” Ethridge said. “When she beat me, sometimes I was so hurt that I walked home. Mom always knew who won one-on-one matches this way, because the loser would always be last home.
Despite the intense battles, the two have always pulled for each other, sharing a special brotherly connection on the pitch.
“Every time you play with a sibling. …it makes it a little easier,” Ethridge said. “There is always this connection. You always shoot for each other. That was always the most fun part.”
Ethridge earned his second all-district selection en route to a state championship appearance with the Lady Plainsmen. However, Monterey fell at South Oak Cliff. The following season, Ethridge and the Lady Plainsmen were determined not just to return, but to win it all.
Monterey won 32 games in 1981 as Ethridge earned his third consecutive All District honor as well as a date with Duncanville in the state tournament final. With about three minutes left in the fourth quarter, the previous year’s result seemed to be repeating itself as the Lady Plainsmen trailed by eight points.
That’s when Tasker called timeout, hoping to inspire a return to Monterey.
“I looked around and said to everyone, ‘We’re not losing this game,'” Ethridge said. “And we came back and played some really good basketball in those last minutes.”
Monterey fought back and only led 71-70 with less than 20 seconds left. Ethridge was fouled while attempting a go-ahead and was sent to the free throw line to shoot two potentially game-winning free throws.
As she walked forward, memories of her free throws at the end of each practice flashed through Ethridge’s mind. Now his practice could pay off in the most important game of the season.
Ethridge didn’t miss, sinking both free throws to give the Lady Plainsmen a 72-71 lead, which they would hold to win the state championship. It was the first time a LISD women’s basketball team had won a state championship.
“It wasn’t really about that last game for me, it was about the journey to that game,” Ethridge said, recalling that season. “That’s what stuck with me and that’s what it’s always about. It’s always about ups and downs when you reach that ultimate goal. That’s what I get out of it more than anything. »
Both Ethridge and his sister would earn full scholarships to Texas, going undefeated in Southwestern Conference play for their entire college careers. Kaime even won a national championship with the Longhorns in 1986, a year after his older sister graduated.
Even with his successes after high school, Ethridge will never forget his time in Monterey. She will always be proud of the two state tournaments the Lady Plainsmen hosted during her career there, especially the one where they won it all.
“We’ve made it to the state tournament twice, not many schools can accomplish that,” Ethridge said. “I think it’s quite an achievement. There must be some commitment to the team and a goal. That’s what I feel is the greatest achievement of the success we had in Monterey at that time. We focused on one thing, and that was winning.
Lubbock ISD Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony
Saturday, 6 p.m. at the Memorial Civic Center
2020 Inductee Promotion
2000 Coronado Boys Golf Team
1970 Estacado Track Team
Tommy Ricks, Dunbar High School boys’ basketball player (1962–65)
Greg Lott, Lubbock High football player (1961-1964)
Kriss Ethridge, Monterey basketball player (1978–1981)
Class of 2021 Inductees
1965 Dunbar High School Boys’ Basketball Team
1981 Monterey Women’s Basketball Team
Brandi Cantrell, Coronado volleyball coach (2001-2004)
Larry Miller, Estacado football player (1967-1970)
Weldon B. Chapman, Lubbock High football coach (1931–1939)
Class of 2022 Inductees
1989–90, 1990–91 Lubbock High Women’s Gymnastics Teams
Mindy Sullivan Mammen, Coronado track and cross country athlete (2000–2002)
Laquinta Manahan, Estacado track and field athlete (1994-1997)
Grady Newton, Monterey Boys’ basketball player (1970–72)
William Malone, Dunbar High School boys’ basketball player (1958–1960)
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