The oft-uttered coaching axiom is that you have to play the best to be the best.

The eight-team bracket for this year’s Class 4A State Girls Basketball Tournament couldn’t have lined up better for the Española Valley Lady Sundevils. Their journey to Saturday’s state championship game involved playing three programs (Albuquerque St. Pius X, Kirtland Central, Gallup) that have combined for 28 state championships.

If Española Valley, the second seed in the tournament, beats No. 4 Gallup for the 4A title Saturday, it will collect its first state title in its first finals appearance. The two 13-1 squads will face off at 10 a.m. in The Pit.

Joe Estrada, the third-year head coach for the Lady Sundevils, said having to face such distinguished programs in order to bring home a blue trophy should alleviate any arguments that an asterisk should be attached to it because it happened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Even though it’s COVID and there’s only eight teams [as opposed to 16], this tournament came down to the four best teams, no question,” Estrada said. “We had a tough road.”

Then again, nothing has come easy for the Española program over the past 14 years. The program has always been overshadowed by its boys counterpart, which has won two state titles and made four state championship appearances in that span. It also had to overcome the ignominy of an 0-27 season in 2006-07 that served as the elixir for unparalleled success for the girls program.

Since that season, the Lady Sundevils have not missed a single state tournament. What was missing, though, were finals appearances and state trophies. Española has come close, reaching the semifinals five times before finally clearing that hurdle with a 42-38 win over Kirtland Central, owner of 19 state championships, in Thursday’s semifinal.

Estrada said those factors helped the players develop a chip on their shoulder, but it also belies a commitment that goes beyond basketball.

“Sometimes it feels like it’s Española against the world,” Estrada said. “For us to come through this and experience this pretty special. My girls are the leaders at that school. They’re academically at the top and they’re involved in clubs and organizations and National Honor Society. They all have plans to go to college.”

The Lady Sundevils learned a little bit from Kirtland Central about how to close out games. They held a 28-10 lead late in the third quarter, but became complacent with such a big lead. The sense of urgency grew after the Lady Broncos use a 20-3 run to get within 31-30 midway through the fourth, but

the senior leadership of Anita DeAguero, who has been a five-year varsity member, helped Española down the stretch.

Her five points over the final four minutes were crucial in preserving a spot in the finals. It also avenged a semifinal loss to Kirtland Central in 2019 when the Lady Sundevils made a spirited run as the 13th seed.

Estrada said this journey was just as difficult, and not just because of the caliber of opponents Española faced. The past 14 months have been difficult for not just his players, Estrada said, but all players in the state as they waited out the pandemic. He added that the pod system of four players to one coach during workouts in the fall and winter ended up being a boon because it forced coaches to work on individual skills and helped develop a stronger team chemistry.

“We were smart about what we did and what we talked about,” Estrada said. “We talked to the kids about being thankful every day that they at least had that. It was a journey, and it was tough to there. But it was sweet.”