Even though the winter sports season is coming to a close and spring activities are starting up, the varsity boys basketball team reflects on their successful season and a tough loss during the conference playoffs.
This season presented itself with some challenges from the beginning. Head coach and anthropology teacher Daniel Hale guided the team to a successful season even without some of last year’s upperclassmen players.
“Going into the year we were very inexperienced, losing our top two scorers. Over the course of the year, the team has come together and played very well, beating a number of much more experienced teams,” Hale said.
The season consisted of many high points, but a few stood out for Hale as much as “winning the CKA basketball tournament, beating Fairfax at Fairfax, and of course beating Madison.”
However, the memories did not consist of winning alone. For Hale, the bonds created between the players made the experience not only memorable, but enjoyable.
“The boys have bonded off the court and are a very close group of young men. They are a real pleasure to be around,” Hale said.
Off the court, students and the community boosted the team’s morale every week and proved to be a major contributor the team’s success.
“The support we have received this year has been tremendous. The administrators, teachers, and students inspire us to do the very best we can for our community,” Hale said, “Additionally, the Marshall Mob has been unbelievable and I can truly say that we have the best fans in the entire region.”
Sophomore Jordan James agrees with Hale regarding the spirit exhibited by students and teachers.
“It was a special feeling having our peers cheer us on, but really the entire school was invested in our season to a degree,” James said. “Having teachers and administrators showing up to games showed just how much everybody cared about the team.”
The support from the Mob was especially meaningful for seniors on the team, like third-year player Mark Leduc.
“Everybody seems to play better in front of a big crowd, and it’s always a lot more fun to play when people are supporting you and want you to win, so playing in front of the Mob makes playing a lot easier and fun,” Leduc said.
Even though the regular season was an overall success, the final game of the season ended in angst over a tough loss against Lee High School.
“After the Lee game I was sad that our season had ended, but I also felt bad for our seniors,” James said. “They have contributed so much to the program throughout their time at Marshall and they didn’t get the sendoff they deserved.”
Leduc elaborated on the emotional aspect of the Lee game for the seniors.
“The last game of the season was tough because we lost by one point after a very questionable call… And of course, being a senior, I just thought about how much I’m going to miss playing,” Leduc said.
Despite the disappointing end of the season, seniors like Leduc have gained much more from their time with the team than season records.
“I’ll take away a lot of great memories from being on the team and apart of the Marshall community,” Leduc said. “I’m just really thankful to have been a part of it. I had so much fun playing the last three years because of the guys on the team, the whole coaching staff, and of course, the people in the Marshall community.”