Warriors Fight Through Challenges in Last Game Against Graded

Caption: The MS Boys Basketball Team poses before their last game of the season, the semi-final game against Graded that became a disappointing loss for the team. [by Dr. Cristina Meier]

by Isabella Bruniera

On Friday evening, November 18, the PACA MS boys’ basketball team played their semi final game of the season against Graded. It was a tough game that pushed the Warriors to work hard, and it showed how much they have improved this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx0u_746nAE

The Warriors started the game with confidence, scoring the first basket while Graded tried to keep up. Just one minute and thirty seconds into the game, play had to stop because of a technical problem with the scoreboard system. After about eight minutes of checking the issue, the judges decided to keep score on paper, and the match continued. PACA stayed strong and ended the first quarter with an 8–5 lead. The second quarter also began well for the Warriors, who remained ahead for most of the first half. Near the end of the quarter, the ball even got stuck on top of the basket, but players from both teams jumped and managed to knock it down. At halftime, PACA held a narrow 14–13 lead. The second half, however, was more difficult. Graded scored early and took the lead, and from that moment on, PACA struggled to catch up. The Warriors began missing important free throws, and Graded played with more focus and precision. By the end of the third quarter, PACA was trailing by eight points. The game ended with a 38–28 win for Graded.

Caption: The MS Boys try to follow their coach’s instructions for the plays to stay ahead of their opponents. [by Dr. Cristina Meier] According to 7th grader Seth Meier, one of the biggest challenges was rebounding.

“We were not boxing out, so we kept missing the rebounds,” said Meier. Players on the team also reflected on their personal performance. James Swisher, another 7th grader in the team’s starting lineup, saw their biggest weakness was in shooting and passing.

“I think our defense was good and we had some good stops,” said Swisher. “But our shots weren’t that good, and our passes could be better. Still, we kept passing and we didn’t give up.”

Lucas Toledo, who is also in 7th grade, talked about what he saw were areas that the team could use some improvement.

“In some parts, yes, we played well. On offense, I think we needed to go in stronger,” he said. “If I was playing badly, I would change something, but if I was doing well, I would keep it the same.” Toledo also looked at his own performance and found himself lacking in his performance during that game.

“I don’t think I played well because I had many chances to score and I missed them all,” said Toledo. Even though this Warrior team did not win their game, their teamwork, effort, and sportsmanship stood out. Fortunately, with many players being in seventh grade, they will have one more year to play on the middle school level, before they move on to high school. This final game was a reflection of how united this middle school team has become and how much they have learned throughout the season. With the lessons from this match, the PACA boys are ready to grow even more and carry their team spirit into future games next year.