Ella Aniel

They shoot, they score. Senior Braden Buza protects possession of the ball. The team scored 58-38 in the first game of the season.

The Varsity basketball team opens their season strong, with a 58-38 win against Warren Woods Tower High School.

“We knew we had to come out with energy and that’s what we did,” senior Varsity basketball player Alex Varner said.

Tryouts were Tuesday, Nov. 13, providing the team two weeks of practice before the season opener game.  Additionally, they attended open gyms, team camps and scrimmages in the off-season—focusing on rebounding and defense.

“Our goal was to play defense like we know how we can play it and play fast to try to outrun them,” Varsity basketball coach Thomas Antishin said.

The last time they faced off against Warren they were defeated and the game went into overtime. This time they were up 33-19 at halftime. 

“Ian Patterson had a couple of threes in a row that got us really moving and kind of put some distance between us and Warren. And Preston Crum was the biggest scorer with 15 points,” Antishin said.

In the second half they lost some momentum but still played strongly, according to Varner.

“Adjustments at halftime were made on both teams and they [Warren] certainly did a better job of coming up and meeting us rather than just letting us get out on the break,” Antishin said.

Despite this, they pulled off the win. Antishin attributes this victory to the team’s strong sense of teamwork. 

“Our camaraderie in our team is great. The kids like playing for each other and they have a strong willingness to share the ball and get someone else a chance to score,” Antishin said.