Though the season came to a close quicker than she would have liked, Moffat County High School hoopster Halle Hamilton will have one more game of high school basketball. She will suit up this weekend for the All-State game, hosted by Colorado Coaches of Girls Sports.

The event, hosted Sunday at Grandview High School in Aurora, highlights the best female players in divisions 1A through 5A.

“Only 80 seniors throughout the State are so honored,” read the selection letter from CCGS. “It truly indicates that your athlete is a quality person recognized by other coaches in your division.”

Halle, who will play for the 3A red team, has competed at the varsity level for Bulldog basketball ever since her freshman year, amassing 855 points in the past four years, averaging 11.1 per game overall.

Her senior season proved to be her highest scoring, leading the team in total points with 283 across 23 games, ranked fifth in the 3A Western Slope League count, with teammates Rylie Felten and Lizzy LeWarne also in the top 10 of the conference.

Halle also led the squad this season in three-pointers (35), steals (86), and assists (51), proving a dual threat on offense and defense.

She noted that her only complaint from this year was how soon it finished as the Lady Bulldogs fell to Colorado Springs Christian in the first round of the 3A state playoffs.

“This season ended too early for me,” Hamilton said. “I could never have prepared myself to walk off the court when the time ran out and for it to be the last time I played with the teammates I’ve been with since I was a little girl.”

Part of that was the other person with whom she’s shared the sport.

“I think the hardest part was walking off the court knowing I was no longer going to be coached under my dad,” she said. “He truly has had such an incredible influence on the player and person I have become and I didn’t realize how much I took his coaching for granted until it was gone. He was an awesome coach and gave our team every opportunity to succeed.”

Her father, Eric, has coached her at the high school level for only two years — previously heading the boys program — though he also oversaw Halle and fellow senior teammates much earlier in outlets such as AAU.

Coaches will join their athletes in being honored for the CCGS All-State game, an event Eric wouldn’t miss.

“She is such a tough competitor and has worked extremely hard throughout her career, so this is a great honor to be chosen for the team, but very well-deserved,” he said. “I am pumped to watch her play in one more basketball game, and this will be a super fun experience for Halle.”

As a multi-sport athlete who also runs cross-country and track and field, the wintertime sport is the one that may mean the most to Halle.

“Basketball has meant the world to me my entire life. It has allowed me connect with many people that I am so thankful for. It has taught me poise, mental toughness, self-control, and confidence,” she said. “I have so many memories that I will cherish forever, and I will try my best to give 110% effort in life as I did on the court. I truly am so thankful for this nomination, and I completely owe it to my teammates and coaches throughout the years.”