Although the Shannon community continues to celebrate Saturday’s delightful developments, party time is over for the Model girls.

Today, the No. 2-ranked and unbeaten Lady Devils (30-0) are officially getting back to work, as they begin their preparations for Thursday’s Final Four match-up against Henry County (23-8) at the Macon Centreplex.

Tip-off for the Class AA semifinal showdown is 4 p.m.

“It’s definitely time for us to shift gears in terms of moving forward with what we want to do,” said Model coach Sally Echols, who played for Model’s Final Four team in 1997.

“We’re thrilled to death to be going to Macon but we don’t want to be taking a trip to be taking a trip. We’re going there for a reason.”

Model, which will be making its first appearance in the semis since 1997, downed No. 7-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian, 62-52, on Saturday at The Forum in a hard-fought Elite Eight contest that wasn’t decided until the final two minutes.

The victory created much rejoicing among the Model players and their legion of fans in Lady Devil Nation, many of who packed the stands at The Forum and turned the venue into a makeshift M-Dome.

The members of the Model team –– who are, by nature, a low-key group –– didn’t hold back their emotions and elation after the win.

“We were definitely going crazy in there (the locker room after the game),” said Model senior post player Shelby Farrer moments after the win. “We just pretty much let it all out.”

Now, though, it’s time to move forward.

There are still bigger goals to be reached for the Lady Devils as they look to extend a magical season that has contained one enormous accomplishment after the next.

“The thing about this team is that they are very business-like,” said Echols, who has led the Lady Devils to four straight Region 7-AA titles in her four years at the helm.

“Off the court, this group is a bunch of cut-ups but on the floor, they are very serious and approach it with a business attitude.”

Model will be facing a Henry County team that advanced to the Final Four with an impressive 57-38 victory over Greene County in the Elite Eight on Saturday.

Prior to that, Henry County –– which entered the state event as the No. 3 seed from Region 4-AA –– had posted a 54-50 win over Albany in the second round and a 75-72 win over Dodge County in the opening round.