DALTON, Ga. — During her time in the crimson and gold as a member of the Christian Heritage School Lady Lions basketball team, Maggie Peeples accomplished many things never seen before at the school, including scoring records and postseason success.

After a four-year playing career at Shorter University, Peeples came back to her alma mater and is again making history.

Her playing career was at a time when the school played under the banner of the Georgia Independent School Association. Starting with the 2012-13 season, Christian Heritage moved to the Georgia High School Association, but success didn’t come with it. In their first four years in the GHSA, the Lady Lions’ best record was last year’s 9-14 mark.

Peeples took over the program prior to this season and in not even one full year on the job she’s already led the program, again, to new heights. The Lady Lions finished the regular season 15-10 and are preparing for tonight’s first round state playoff game against the Paideia School in Atlanta at 6 p.m.

“We’re really excited because it’s the first time in school history since going to the GHSA that the girls team has made state,” Peeples said. “This week in practice we’ve focused on having fun and getting excited. By this time of the season, your style of play has already been set. You know what you need to do, how to win ball games. Now, it’s all about really soaking it in. This is state, let’s have fun and give it our all.”

The excitement level was evident among the players as they prepared for the playoffs. But while there’s a lot of anticipation and smiles, there’s also a focus and drive to excel.

“We’ve been working hard in practice and want to keep it going,” sophomore forward Kelsey Schneller said. “Coach has really helped get us here and keep us going, keeping us serious and getting us back on track if we start to goof off.”

“We’re doing really well in practice,” said guard Ashlyn Clements. “Our past few practices have been really good, really solid. I’m looking forward to it, I’m seeing good things.”

Clements, a senior leader, said one of the biggest factors in the team’s success has been the way the group has jelled as a unit.

“The biggest thing for me is to always make sure our excitement level is up and we’re having fun together,” she said. “We have very talented players, but unless we’re together in unity, it’s not going to work out very well. This year I’ve seen us come together so much more.”

That togetherness is something Peeples said she’s seen develop as the season’s progressed.

“The one thing that’s really stood out to me is how much better they work as a team,” she said. “Summer ball and the first couple games, we were still trying to do everything on our own. Now, you kind of see them working as a team, making the extra pass for their teammate to score. That’s awesome for a coach to see that.”

“It’s teamwork,” Schneller echoed when asked the reason for this year’s turnaround. “Having (point guard Meghan Schneller) dribbling it down and dishing it off to everyone and getting layups. Getting it to (Sydney) Stafford in the post, that just helps, to pass it around and get good, open shots.”

While this team is new to the state stage, Clements is not. She starred on the Lady Lions softball team that made it to the state tournament each of the past two seasons. She says there are lessons to be learned of what to expect when it comes to competing at state.

“My biggest thing will be to go in and just take it as another game and give it the best you got,” she said. “My junior year was our first year I went to state with the softball team and we like freaked out ’cause we heard we were going to play a team with a real good pitcher and we were nervous, which is common for a small team that goes to state for the first time. From what we’ve seen, we think we match up well (with Paideia). We need to go in having confidence and having fun.”

Peeples has been watching film of Paideia and says it should be a good matchup for her team. Paideia is 17-10. The Pythons were ranked 16th in the final GHSA Class A-Private School power rankings while Christian Heritage was right behind them ar 17.

“I know we match up really well size-wise. I’ve only watched a little bit of film so far and I think we really have a great chance of winning,” Peeples said. “Their record is about the same as ours. It’ll come down to who wants it the most.”

Regardless of what happens tonight, the foundation appears set for a sustained run of success.

“It’s exciting to see for our eighth-graders that moved up,” Kelsey Schneller said. “When I was an eighth-grader I moved up. It’s getting them the feel for it and it’s going to be nice to have them being able to play varsity next year.”

“I hope it’s building excitement and getting them wanting to come play high school ball,” Peeples said of what this year’s success shows future Lady Lions, “and that hard work does pay off.”