With the season starting, the varsity boys basketball team is getting ready to show what they can do and the players say they’re confident, motivated and hoping to make a real run this year.
Senior Zavier Castillo said he likes where the team is at heading into tryouts and practices.
“I’m feeling very confident in our team’s ability,” he said.
Senior Brandon Harper shared a similar feeling,
“I’m feeling pretty great about this upcoming season. I can’t wait for it to start up,” he said.
Players have been putting in work individually as well. Harper said one of his goals this year is to help the team through consistent scoring, explaining,
“I want to average a decent amount of points to help my team win games and play a big role,” he said.
Leadership is a major point of emphasis, especially with several younger players moving up. Senior Tyler Roche said he’s trying to set the tone this year.
“My goal is to be a great leader and help the younger guys get better,” he said.
Harper said he appreciates the teammates who push him most.
“My closest teammates are Tyler Roche and Zavier Castillo… I’ve been playing with Tyler since 3rd grade,” he said.
Even with returning experience, the Panthers know chemistry still needs to improve before the first tip-off.
“One of the biggest areas to sharpen is communication,” Castillo said.
Roche agreed that the team isn’t fully clicking yet,
“Team chemistry on the court isn’t the best right now, but hopefully over the next few weeks we start to get better with each other,” he said.
This year in addition to the seniors there are seven juniors and one sophomore added to varsity, bringing fresh energy to the lineup. Junior Korben Pfeifer is excited for the season to begin
“I am excited for the atmosphere at varsity games,” he said.
Junior Ryan Hajewski said he’s looking forward to playing with others.
“I am excited to be able to play with different people,” Hajewski said.
There will be adjustments to playing on varsity.
“The competition and speed of the game will be different,” Pfeifer said.
Making the team was a big moment for Hajewski
“I was excited because it was my goal to make varsity as a junior,” he said.
As for the schedule, some matchups already stand out. Roche said he’s especially ready for a rematch with Greenfield,
“They beat us last season in basketball and they beat all of our other sports teams this year,” he said.
As the season approaches, the Panthers hope their confidence, leadership and developing chemistry come together at the right time giving both their seniors and their newest varsity players a chance to make a strong impact.
