This year for the varsity boys’ basketball team, easy victories will be no more – the winter sports season will look much different than years past.
“The big difference this year is the league change. We will have to play the best teams from around here. We don’t get any more free wins against teams like Juanita and Hazen,” junior Jackson Whitaker said.
The team plans to encourage one another throughout the season and believes their relationships with each other were made to last.
“What holds our team together is the personal connections we have with each other. They were built outside of just basketball, which is what makes them so strong,” senior Makai La Madrid said.
This year, specifically, the team is predicted to be upperclassmen heavy.
“I think we will have mostly upperclassmen but there will be some contributors from the lower classes. We have lots of returning players from last year who will most likely play a lot,” Whitaker said.
Though the barrier of grade levels separates them as team members, the underclassmen believe the upperclassmen do a great job bridging that gap.
“The upperclassmen have really stepped into their role of being leaders. They are helping us get ready for the season and are making sure everyone is prepared both mentally and physically,” sophomore Tyson Burley said.
Many upperclassmen remember how they felt playing as an underclassman and acknowledge the now graduated upperclassmen that inspired them.
“I played behind Denali Hatcher my freshman year all the way up to my junior year. When we were losing, his leadership and enthusiasm always kept everyone going,” La Madrid said.
Though the stakes will be higher this year, the varsity team members have faith that relationships will remain steady.
“I do not think the increased stress will affect any relationships within the team because we have all been close from the start. I think the stakes will bring us closer together because we know we have to work together if we want to win,” Whitaker said.
Amidst the league change, a fresh roster, and a new year, the Liberty boys’ basketball team believe they are ready to take on a new season. This is met with support from the boys’ varsity basketball coach, Omar Parker.
“This will certainly be the toughest schedule in Liberty Basketball history, but I know our boys are not only up for the challenge, they cannot wait,” Parker said.
