Shoes squeaking and the ball bouncing on the gym floor packed fans cheering in the gym, and rivalries stirring up throughout the conference, that’s all over now. The basketball season has come to a conclusion.
This year, the Spartan program reached new heights: The boys finished the regular season with a 13-9 record and beat Woodson at Woodson, ruining their senior night. They also beat Annandale at home to win their first playoff game in 8 years and secure their spot in the regional tournament. On top of that, Lewis Djonkam, a 6’8” junior at center who transferred from Bishop O’Connell High School, added assertiveness this year, and will look to be the main inside presence next year. The team made it to Regionals this year only to suffer a one-point defeat at the hands of Westfield, the top-ranked team in the region. The team lost by one in a very tightly contested game which the boys had the opportunity to win. Losing on a last second missed layup by Spencer Askew which resulted in a 61-60 loss to the Bulldogs.
“We had a goal to win the first round of Regionals this year and we came up short,” said junior forward Dwayne Branch. “That loss is going to fuel the team moving forward.”
The team under first year head coach Durmia Marshall did a lot better than anyone expected them to. They came out with a chip on their shoulder and showed that this program was nothing to be messed with, and the conference has noticed.
“Coach Marshall taught us that in order to win, we have to be disciplined,” said freshman and first year varsity player Gabe Kier. “He showed us that nothing is given to us and we have to earn everything.”
The boys team is looking to expand on the success it has had in the past two years. Last year they finished with a 12-win season, and this year finished with a 14 win season. This was a major improvement and one of the teams wins came in the playoffs, a win that ended the playoff drought and put the team on the map again.
On the other hand there is the girls team, a team accustomed to winning. This year the team finished the regular season with a 22-2 record and won the Patriot Conference Trophy once again. They made it to the Regional semis and lost to Oakton, the fifth-ranked team in the state in a tight one.
“We should have won that game,” said senior Emily Reba. “It was the little things that hurt us.”
Although that little blemish in their season, they team still had a good season and they went undefeated at home during the regular season and the post season. Although the team didn’t make it to the state tournament this year, the team still feels good about their success this season. The team will be losing five players next season.
“Playing on this team has been an honor,” said senior Gabi Carley. “I know these girls will hold it down after we graduate and will continue the winning ways of this program.”