Warren’s Taylor Childress (1) puts up a 3-pointer during the first quarter of the District 10 Class 5A consolation game against Harbor Creek at the Hagerty Family Events Center, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Childress finished with eight points as the Dragons topped the Huskies, 48-38, to become the first team in program history to reach the state playoffs in consecutive years.

The sounds of Journey’s famous hit song ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ echoed off the walls as the Warren Lady Dragons began practice on Wednesday.

On the surface, it was just the start to another practice, but in this case it also served as a mantra that this group is embracing as they embark on their first PIAA first-round playoff game against Chartiers Valley on Saturday (South Fayette H.S., 3 p.m.).

The Colts are the defending state champions, winners of 55-straight games and have checked into the MaxPreps national Top 25 poll.

But Warren (17-8) isn’t backing down.

“The biggest thing is for us, the pressure is on them,” said Warren coach Lisa LaVan. “For us, it’s just another game. With this young group that we’re trying to build and continue to grow, it’s going to be a great atmosphere and a great challenge for them. It’s why we do it. It’s why we travel in the summer and find some of the best competition so games like this are just games.”

And they have every reason to be confident.

The Lady Dragons have just one senior, Taylor Childress, but have continued a run of great success in 2019-20. They are in the state playoffs for the third time in the last five years and have established themselves as one of the best programs in District 10.

LaVan, in her 12th season, along with assistant John White and others, have built a winning culture built on attitude and toughness.

On Saturday, they will be facing another great program with a great culture of their own.

After a long and successful stint as the Chartiers Valley boys coach, Tim McConnell has the girls program soaring. His daughter, Megan, is the lone senior starter and a Duquesne commit. Her brother T.J., whom her father also coached, is currently in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.

“We know what we’re getting into,” LaVan said. “We know it’s not going to be easy. Tim McConnell is a great coach. I saw him in action a few years ago at a Char Valley boys game and I was in awe of him as a coach. As a coach, you have to respect him. He knows his stuff and does a phenomenal job. He’s doing a great job with the girls.”

The Colts (25-0) typically play just their starting five, but it’s as gifted a group as you will find.

McConnell (14.6 ppg., 4.4 apg.) is the ring leader, and her four sophomore teammates 5-10 Aislin Malcolm (16.7 ppg.,), Perri Page (12.3 ppg.), Hallie Cowan (13.1 ppg.) and Helene Cowan (6.1 ppg.) are all considered high-level college prospects.

Page is the daughter of former Pitt standout Julius Page, Malcolm already claims an offer from Duke, among others, and the Cowan twins are AAU teammates with Warren standout Emma Ruhlman and have ties to Sheffield.

As a team, they shoot 37 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

“They shoot 3’s really well,” LaVan said. “Their range is just across halfcourt pretty much. We have to do our best to make sure we always have a hand in their fact. The funny part, I don’t think anybody has exposed their depth yet. They defend very well and defend without fouling.”

Ruhlman and fellow sophomore Riley Childress have been brilliant for the Lady Dragons this season and, also just sophomores, are already commanding college interest as well.

Junior Teagan Paris has grown by leaps and bounds this season and provides toughness, rebounding and defense underneath.

Freshman Gracie Ruhlman was thrust into the starting lineup from Day 1 and has also grown considerably throughout the season.

When Warren looks to its bench, junior Kelsey Stuart and freshman Carly Beers are the top options.

Against a team like Chartiers Valley, getting off to a good start will be more important than usual.

“We used to joke, our first seven, eight years we were terrible starters, every game,” LaVan said. “We’ve overcome that as a program. But this one, it can’t be a good start, it has to be a great start. Just go out and play some basketball and have some fun with it.”

For Warren, they are a team and a program that has long since shed the underdog label in District 10. But there was a time when that wasn’t the case, and they can certainly draw on those experiences.

“We’ve had that quite a few times through the years,” LaVan said. “Mercyhurst Prep back in the day, that was a huge upset for us. A team with one senior, no juniors and all sophomores and freshmen, beat General McLane who was at the top of the game back in their day. And Villa last year, obviously. Why not?”

And this has been a group effort, one that takes all hands on deck, including the JV players who take a back seat during these playoff runs.

“I give them a lot of credit,” coach LaVan said. “They show up and put in just as much time and effort. They keep practices light. They’re fun kids and they want this to. My saying is accept the role you have, work for the one that you want.”

They’ve all worked, they’ve all prepared to get to this moment.

And they don’t look at a game against an opponent of this caliber as a negative. They see it as an opportunity.

“The best thing about these girls and I joke with them, you know what, we’re a bunch of country girls,” LaVan said. “We’re going to get on our big yellow school bus, roll in and play some basketball. We’re going to give it everything we have. If we do that, I think we can be in a game with them. And if you do that, you never know what can happen.”