Bartlett leads Lady Patriots to playoffs in first campaign

Victory Christian Academy girls basketball team makes playoffs in coach's debut season

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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After a slow start, the Victory Christian Academy Lady Patriots basketball team finished the 2025-26 season 13-11 overall and 11-3 in league play, earning a spot in the TAPPS 2A playoffs under first-year head coach Jeremy Bartlett.

Why it matters

Making the playoffs in Bartlett's debut season is an impressive accomplishment, as the Lady Patriots were not expected to perform this well. The team's turnaround from a slow start highlights Bartlett's coaching ability and the players' resilience.

The details

The Lady Patriots capped off their district schedule with a 39-30 road win against Wichita Christian School on Monday. VCA's offense struggled in the first half, trailing 21-11 at halftime, but the team rallied in the second half with a 28-11 run to secure the victory. Keenan McClure and Sage Routh each scored 13 points to lead the team.

  • The Lady Patriots finished the regular season 13-11 overall and 11-3 in league play.
  • VCA defeated Wichita Christian School 39-30 on Monday to cap off their district schedule.
  • The Lady Patriots open the 2025-26 postseason at home against Amarillo Holy Cross on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The players

Jeremy Bartlett

The first-year head coach of the Victory Christian Academy Lady Patriots basketball team.

Keenan McClure

A key player for the Lady Patriots, tying for the team lead with 13 points in the win over Wichita Christian School.

Sage Routh

A key player for the Lady Patriots, tying for the team lead with 13 points in the win over Wichita Christian School.

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What they’re saying

“It was definitely a goal of mine to get to the playoffs this year — you never want to be that first-year head coach that absolutely bombs. I really don't think anyone expected us to be where we are. It looked really bad at the beginning of the season, but we got after it and turned it around. They've done everything I've asked them to do.”

— Jeremy Bartlett, Head Coach (wcmessenger.com)

“We didn't go into the game thinking we were going to lose, but we knew it was going to be tough because [Wichita Christian] outsizes us by a lot. The first half was terrible — we couldn't hit anything, and we looked really sloppy. But like we have all season, we came out in the second half with a little bit more fire and kick.”

— Jeremy Bartlett, Head Coach (wcmessenger.com)

“Everyone we play knows they have to stop Keenan, so we've been looking for that other girl to provide that value for us. It'd be nice to have a third girl be able to do that, but it's coming.”

— Jeremy Bartlett, Head Coach (wcmessenger.com)

What’s next

The Lady Patriots open the 2025-26 postseason at home with a first-round matchup against Amarillo Holy Cross on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The takeaway

Bartlett's ability to lead the Lady Patriots to the playoffs in his debut season, despite a slow start, demonstrates his coaching prowess and the team's resilience. This accomplishment will likely raise expectations for the program going forward.