Boonville’s Hunziker Reflects on Lady Pirates First Basketball Title

Boonville is a state champion. The Lady Pirates won the Class 4 girls basketball championship 58-52 over Mount Vernon Saturday. The victory secured Boonville its first girls basketball championship. Lady Pirate coach Jaryt Hunziker acknowledged he hasn’t had much sleep the last few days.

With a team that started four seniors and an All-State junior, Boonville initially struggled to get into the state bracket. The last three years, Boonville surrendered two district titles, and a district semifinal. Hunziker talked about how the team translated its sense of urgency into a state title.

The last time Boonville made the Show-Me Showdown, the current starters were middle school students. They witnessed the 2015 team take home a third place trophy. Hunziker said the 2015 team deserves a lot of credit for motivating the 2021 group.

Hunziker shares what he’ll remember most about this title.

The Lady Pirates finished 27-2 and rattled off 14 straight wins to end the year. It’s the fourth team title in school history. The football teams won Class 3 championships in 1974 and 1998, and the scholar bowl team won a Class 3 title in 2000.

You can hear Hunziker talk about Boonville’s state title here.