Nine years ago, Carissa Doyle, Bailey Fischer, Carson Flake and Maddie Wisdom started playing together in a Montgomery County youth basketball league.

Now, they’re part of a successful Montgomery County girls basketball team that recently clinched its sixth straight winning season, which is a program record.

“I’m really grateful to be a part of this team,” Wisdom said.

The senior quartet was recognized with their parents after the Wildcats cruised past the Louisiana Bulldogs 45-14 in a senior night game on Feb. 9 at Ballew & Snell Court. All of them received gifts from their teammates.

“It was really fun,” Fischer said. “It was fun to watch the girls come together and celebrate.”

The Wildcats, who recently earned the No. 1 seed in the Class 3, District 7 tournament in South Callaway, are 20-5 overall and won the Eastern Missouri Conference title for the fourth year in a row. Since Doyle, Fischer, Flake and Wisdom joined the MCHS program in their freshman year, the Wildcats won more than 70 games.

“I think it helps a lot that in practices and everything that we stay focused and we keep our mindset for every game,” Doyle said. “We do have fun every now and then, but it’s a good thing that in practice, we get things done for each game. We treat each game like it’s a district championship or a championship game.”

Flake turned in a strong performance on senior night, scoring 14 points with four 3-pointers. She hit two treys in the second quarter and two more in the third to finish in double figures for the third time this season.

Flake will be the only one out of the senior class who will continue playing basketball in college next year as she will join the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy team as a walk-on player.

“I got a basketball scholarship, too,” Flake said. “But I decided to take the academic one instead because I can’t take both of them. So I took the academic one to be safe, but I asked if I could also be a walk-on, so I’m going to be a walk-on.”

The four seniors have been playing together since third grade. They participated in a league of third, fourth and fifth graders that had coaches such as Stephanie Finke, Todd Oden and Wes Oden.

“That is a long time,” said Doyle, who will play softball at Central Methodist University next year. “It’s honestly something that a lot of other teams don’t really get. That’s why I feel like we’re so good because we play as one team and we’re so used to playing with each other, so that helps a lot, compared to other teams. Not all of them played in middle school or travel ball together.”

Flake said she enjoyed playing with Fischer, Doyle and Wisdom for nine years.

“It makes playing basketball more fun and easier because we have been in a rhythm since we were that much younger,” Flake said. “We don’t go with new teams or new people all of the time. We’ve always been with each other and we’re really comfortable with each other, so it makes our play a lot better, too.”

The seniors will be playing in their final home game at 6 p.m. on Feb. 23, when the Wildcats take on Moberly in their regular season finale.

“It’s definitely going to be bittersweet because it’s our last home game and it’s my last time playing on this court with everyone,” said Wisdom, who plans to attend Ranken Technical College next year. “I have new things coming for me, so I’m excited to start my new journey.”

Fischer, who plans to attend Lindenwood University next year, said she hopes her team pulls off a win in the last home game for the seniors.

“It’s just going to be like our first game (of the season) against Sullivan,” Fischer said. “We’re coming in as the underdogs, so we have nothing on our shoulders. We can come in, we can play our game of basketball, play our defense, play our game of ball and win it. In my opinion, that’s all we have to do.”