EDITOR'S NOTE: For full singles, doubles and team bracket results, click here.

PRESCOTT — The Prescott badminton team is hungry for another shot at a Division II state championship as the team tournament is scheduled to get underway Oct. 28.

The No. 3-seeded Badgers (14-0, 8-0 Northwest) were undefeated this season and were Top 5 for much of the season in Division II, suggesting that they’ll be back in the mix for a championship come Nov. 1.

Coach Bobbi Yoder said that her club’s biggest challenge this season has been balancing the “depth and opportunity,” ensuring that all 10 players continue to grow and contribute.

“All 10 girls deserve to play because they’ve shown up and worked hard to improve not only themselves, but each other as well,” Yoder said. “When you have that big a number on varsity, they all have to buy into the ‘we versus me’ mentality. They’ve done that beautifully – recognizing that unity is strength and trusting one another to achieve their goals.”

Prescott has made either the Division II state semifinals or finals in each of the past five seasons, including three straight trips to the finals between 2021-2023. In 2024, they lost 5-1 to Chaparral in the state semifinals.

The program’s success hasn’t been limited to team appearances as their singles and doubles teams have always done well.

Former Prescott standout Riley Crockett claimed an individual singles state championship in 2023, defeating Hannah Winschel of Sunrise Mountain, 21-17, 21-14. Megan Townsend made the state singles finals in 2022, but lost to Mathilde Jacobsen of Verrado, 21-6, 21-12.

Crockett and Elle Long teamed up in 2022, making it all the way to the finals before falling to Hattie Hearnen and Rylan Rhodes of Sunrise Mountain in a heartbreaker, 22-20, 21-18.

Yoder said her team has spent a lot of time focusing heavily on the “mental and physical” aspects of the game, while controlling only what they can.

“We’ve talked a lot about respecting the game and how it was meant to be played,” Yoder said. “At the end of the day, these girls understand that they aren’t defined by wins or losses, but by the values they live by, the choices they make, and the connections they build. Who they are matters far more than what they accomplish.”

And with the Division II Singles and Doubles State Championships underway this weekend, Prescott has a handful of players competing as competition got underway Friday, Oct. 24.

“We’re excited and grateful for the opportunity to compete at both the individual state tournament, and team state,” Yoder said. “Every one of these girls has contributed to our success, and I couldn’t be prouder of how far they’ve come together.”

Among the doubles team competitors are Annabelle Courtney and Claire Long. Allison Block and Liv Norman are also competing. In singles, Abigail Daniels, a senior, is competing.

Prescott opens the Division II Badminton Team State Championships with a home match Tuesday, Oct. 28, against No. 14 Barry Goldwater. Official start time is set for 4 p.m.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.