There was no way Justice Carlton was going to miss her senior season of basketball.

When Carlton tore her ACL last summer it could have marked the end of her high school career. Many players, especially ones in Carlton’s position would have focused on their next steps and looked forward to college, but Carlton was not going to let things happen that way.

Carlton made her way back to playing in just four and a half months, helping the Spartans to a historic season and capped off her senior year with one of the biggest honors of her career, being named to the roster of this years McDonalds All-American game, which Seven Lakes held a ceremony for on Wednesday at the Seven Lakes gym.

“This meant everything to me,” Carlton said. “Even before growing up, you wanted to be a McDoanlds All-American, you grow up watching the game when you’re young. Then you get older and you realize everything that comes with it and it becomes an even bigger goal. This is a dream that I’ve had forever and to be presented with the jersey and to have this accomplishment is everything.”

It took everything from Carlton to get back to this point after the ACL injury. But the University of Texas signee was determined to get back in her senior year and help her team, which also helped her earn her way onto the McDonalds All-American roster. She started physical therapy from here bed where she had surgery in the summer and didn’t stop, going every single morning of the school year at 5 a.m. and doubling up after school to help get back. She got back to strength and conditioning training in just three month and was cleared to do non-contact weeks later. It was a lot, it required sacrifice, but it was worth it for Carlton.

“The day I found out I tore my ACL I called (University of Texas head coach) Vic Schaefer and I told him and then said I was going to come back from it this year. He told me the earliest he’d seen someone come back from it was four months so I was like ‘okay, it’s possible, so I told them I’m coming back this year.’ Not everyone was happy with me, but it’s what I needed to do and I’m glad that I did.”

Carlton’s return sparked a surge for the Spartans in the second half of district and the team went on a 22-game winning streak, clinching a district title and making it to the regional semifinals for the second time in three years. Carlton surpassed 2,00 career points and became the Spartans career leader in blocks, proving herself to be one of the all-time greats that have come through the school.

“Justice’s character is second to none,” said Seven Lakes head coach Doug Watson. “She fought rehabbed and worked so hard so she could play her senior year with her teammates and the accomplishments on the court speak for themselves, but off the court she is just as impactful. Justice is humble and gracious, she’s always doing the little things for others and she makes everyone around her better. She’s everything you want in a player.”

The accomplishment of McDonalds All-American was a culmination of all that hard work for Carlton, and it meant even more with the games being held in Houston in April. Carlton knew that she wanted to have these moments in her senior year, and she wasn’t going to be told no.

“She’s stubborn but in a great way,” said Kacy Carlton, Justice’s mother and Seven Lakes assistant coach. “If someone tells her she can’t or that might be too lofty a goal then that just fuels her. It’s kind of like that Kobe mindset where if anyone doubts her or talks trash it just drives her. She’s very internally driven and when she wants something nothing is going to stop her from reaching that goal.”

That goal will be achieved at 5:30 p.m. April 2 at the Toyota Center when Carlton will compete alongside the 23 other best high school seniors in the nation in the game and it’s something she cannot wait for.

“I’m looking forward to it every day and I’m so excited,” Carlton said. “I’m excited to play with my friends and I’m excited to play against some of the best girls in the country. That’s the only word I can use to describe it, I’m just so excited for this.”