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Raquel Christian
Midland High School
5'7 Guard
Over the next couple of
months TexasGirlsBasketball.com will be presenting stories on some of the top seniors (’06) across the STATE. We plan to bring you face to face with the best players in Texas.
We start our coverage with a perfect role model for the sport. A young lady, that has the respect of the tough competition in district 3-5A, as well as, her teammates and coaching staff.
Midland High's Coach Loftin has been coaching basketball for almost 40 years and says, “Raquel is the best and most skilled offensive player I have ever coached”.
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Coach Loftin, himself, was once a member of the Texas High School All-State team. He started his coaching career in Sunray, Texas. Where he won back to back state class A championships with Claude high school. He has coached college basketball at Murray State, and Southeastern Oklahoma State University where he won 5 NAIA national championships. Coach Loftin took over the helm of the Midland High School Girls' basketball program in 2003-2004.
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Coach John Loftin <<click for more
Slash & Burn
Raquel is a dynamic offensive force that draws double coverage in almost every game and still averaged 17 pts a game during district play in 2004-05.
Midland’s #15 penetrates with a devastating hesitation cross-over dribble that leaves most opponents in her dust. She is simply a scoring point guard that can slash or pull up and drop it from downtown.
Raquel set a school record for most three pointers in a season (last year) and already holds the Midland high school record for three point shots made in a career.
Gordon Loucks lists Christian as the #12 over-all ’06 senior in Texas, mostly on her offensive prowess. |
Ms. Christian shot a phenomenal 43% from behind the arc in 2004, prompting most opponents to try a box and one, or double coverage to try and slow her down. Maybe the best pure scoring guard in the Texas, Raquel amazingly also led her team in steals as well as assists. She clearly brings more to the court than just her offensive moves.
Raquel credits her grandmother for much of her success, and praises God as a major force in her life. Having been pursued by both, Kansas State and Texas Tech, Raquel has recently verbally committed to staying home and joining the Lady Red Raiders in 2006. Coach Marsha Sharp of Texas Tech will lose two formidable guards before Raquel’s arrival, so the chance to see some playing time early in her career is good.
Next spring Tech will lose point guard Erin Grant (5-8 junior) to graduation and possibly to the WNBA.
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Erin Grant <<click for more
Replacing Grant for the Lady Raiders will be a tall order. Grant is simply the most successful high school basketball player in the state’s history. In her four-year career for Samantha Morrow’s Mansfield high, Erin won an unprecedented 145 games with only 6 losses. And is the only female athlete ever to win 4 consecutive state championships in Texas High School Basketball history at the class 5A level. She still holds the record for most free throws made in a Final Four game with 16.
At Guard Texas Tech will also lose the services of Chelsey Dabbs.
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click for more >> Chelsey Dabbs
Before Raquel takes her dynamic game to the college level she has some lofty goals for herself and her team.
MHS 2004-05
Coach Loftin and Raquel share some of the same aspirations for her and their team in the upcoming campaign. They both point to her defense as the area where she needs to raise her game the most, as they hope to climb to the top of district 3-5A. In the 2004-05 season, Midland fell one victory short of the playoffs, behind 3rd place finisher Odessa Permian who fell 66-49 in bi-district play to North Crowley.
North Crowley of course is the team that boasts one of the other great ’06 senior guards, Brittainey Raven
(pictured at right)
(who has committed to the University of Texas).
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Raquel Christian is a class act. She represents her family, classmates, school and community with enthusiasm and dignity. We are proud to have her as one of our first '06 seniors in a feature story. We wish Raquel, coach Loftin and the rest of the Midland team great success next season.
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