After finally reaching the mountain top earlier this spring, the recognition just keeps coming.

When the Tulsa World recently announced its All-World teams, Lincoln was well-represented from a player standpoint, but a particular key figure was selected for a singular honor that was long overdue.

Head coach Melody Stewart was named the All-World Coach of the Year, after leading Lincoln to a 30-2 record and the program's first state championship.

Stewart and her team took down Douglass in the Class 4A title game in the last game ever at Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City.

It was the Bulldogs 3rd straight trip to the state finals and 5th state semifinal appearance in a row.

"I am honored and humbled to be selected by the Tulsa World for this award," she said. 

Stewart did it with a mix of experienced upperclassmen and talented newcomers, as the Bulldogs ramped up the defense during the state title run.

However, still, even two months later, it's still hard to believe for the head coach.

"It is still very surreal," Stewart said. "I am so proud of this team and what we have accomplished. I am excited for the legacy that this group of seniors have left and for the taste of hunger for the groups that are following them to get back there and do it again."

In 11 seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs, Stewart is 201-97, which includes an 83-8 record over the last three years.

Stewart is quick to give credit to her staff, praising assistants Rabu Leyva and Logan Froese.

"I have an incredible staff," Stewart said. "They are the primary reason this program has seen the success it has seen over the last five years. We have had consistency in our junior high programs and knowledgeable, passionate coaches at the high school level."

She also talked about the culture within her program from a family standpoint, highlighting the players day-in, day-out attitude and the support from parents.

"The players and parents are a massive part of why this program has become successful," Stewart said. "Their commitment to the process, especially when that has required struggle and sacrifice, is the rudder that is driving this ship."

This mindset and belief across the program has been the key to continued success, according to Stewart.

"In this day and age, everyone wants the microwave version of things but they have been patient to let the slow cooker version marinate and cook. That's why we were so deep and continue to reload rather than rebuild."

You can't help but notice the intensity and toughness that Stewart's groups play with, which was never more evident this year than when her team won 23 in a row close out the year.

"I pride myself on training players to be resilient and tough," Stewart. Said. "I want them to be competitors but when the challenge comes and they get knocked down, I want them to bounce back quickly and utilize that knowledge to move forward and be better. I also want them to fully understand that they who they are in Christ and that He is their source in all times."

Her group held the three state tournament opponents to just 28% from the floor collectively, as Lincoln was as connected and closely-knit as any group you'll find, which comes from the environment she has created.

"Players will only do what you allow them to do," she said. "You have to teach and reteach, as well as reinforce the things that drive winning. You have to be patient in your teaching in practice and expectant in your execution on game night. As a coach, I have to work hard for my kids by being prepared, adjusting to personalities, creating a healthy dialog with players and parents and always provide vision."

As several garnered postseason honors, including senior star Audrey Hopkins and junior standout Maddi Stewart, the head coach was fast to praise some of the younger group and role players that played a huge role.

"To be honest, this team probably really didn't get all of the awards and recognition it deserved because it is so deep," she said. "There are several younger kids that are elite players and they deserve recognition for what they did this season. Freshmen, Azariah Woodruff and Niya Willoby, and sophomore, Ivey Wheeler, all played significant roles for this team."

"These three often times played 'starter minutes' and were called on all season to drive the ship forward while others were grabbing a break, injured or saddled with foul trouble. Without those three kids on our team, we look completely different. They deserve way more recognition. The fortunate part for me is how incredibly unselfish they and their parents were to allow them to be great in the roles this team needed from them to win a state championship."

The one-team mindset and unselfish culture that has been established allowed Stewart to trust everyone that stepped on the floor in March, as the standouts had no issues sacrificing for their teammates to gain experience.

"This group of players were so unselfish from the beginning," she said. "When you have multiple college level players and a handful of D-1 players on your team and you ask them to get on board about sitting on the bench, trusting that reps for their teammate, as well as rest for themselves, is critical to yield an unbelievable end result in a state championship, you know you have something special."

And that's exactly what took place.

"We had no complaints, just hard-work and encouragement for the teammate in front of and behind them," Stewart said. "This is what was so special about this team. There were no egos overshadowing the goal — just the commitment to the process and the byproduct of that was a state championship."

That state championship is something that Stewart had her eyes on when she arrived at Lincoln 11 years ago.

And while she was close the last couple of years, it was her trust in God's path and timing that helped her continue to push for excellence, believing that the ultimate goal was not a matter of if, but when.

"Eleven years ago, God led me to an unlikely place for me on the trajectory of my career and at times it was hard to see where we were going," she said. "But that's what real faith is — trusting when you can't really see where you are going and believing that He is working all things to the good of His people."

As Stewart has the summer to reflect on an amazing 2024-25 that resulted in a gold ball, she believes her team is already locked in on return trip, hoping to defend their title and reach the mountain top once again.

"I think our kids are hungry to go back," she said. "I think they understand the sacrifice it takes individually to win collectively. Our expectations won't change because we focus on the process and I think the process is what drives winning and culture."


Photos by Lee Talley