On Tuesday night, Feb. 10, the varsity boys basketball team took an electric win against the Eastmont Wildcats in the annual Litterbox competition. On top of the rivalry game bringing in more fans than the average game, the seniors on the team were recognized at this game as senior night was underway.
“We want to compete as hard as we can and there’s no reason not to be excited, right? It was a great crowd and we knew it was gonna be that way and that was gonna be a tough battle, so there’s a lot on the line,” said head coach Kellen Drake.
This win did not come without work, as the team put in effort to secure the win for not just the fans, but the seniors as well.
“It’s a big game, so we’re just all trying to get mentally prepared and just get ready for the game,” said senior Travis Torres.
Adjusting to the intense game play was crucial in securing the big win, people coming in off the bench and big plays helped to make a comfortable lead for the team.
“We got into a little foul trouble in the first half and Naveen [Nayak] went in and got a charge, that’s a huge play. Travis has been so steady the whole year and him hitting those threes in the second half helped extend our lead and kind of put us in a mode of like, hey, we’re gonna we’re gonna do this thing,” said Drake.
With all the adjustments made and game play well throughout, the win came to the team with the crowd in high spirits and support felt widely around the court.
“All these types of games, I mean it was just a big game with a lot of people. Got a lot of stuff going on. It was good to win,” Torres said.
For anyone who has kept track of the varsity basketball team over the past few years, the amount of growth seen in this team over the season has been recognized by many, especially the growth of the seniors.
“Wenatchee’s basketball’s had a few years that have been a little bit of a struggle and we’re trying to correct that and that’s a long process. These seniors have really done what I’ve asked them to do and that’s not easy,” said Drake.
The team’s success this season has led them to the playoffs and extended their season farther than it has gone for many past seasons.
