Boys Basketball

Boys basketball is off to a strong start with seven wins and one loss. They are currently in second place just behind Branson who have yet to lose a game. Coach Bret Tovani’s first year coaching varsity seems to have already made an impact. Not only has he won the respect of his players but he has also started the Pirates off with a winning season. The team is led by captains, Danny Roland, Noah Bice, and Quinn Woodhead along with the other supporting players, Gabe Leary, Austin Clack, Ian Casey, and Cooper Jansen.

“I think our success this year is really because we’ve bonded not only as teammates but as friends. We have better chemistry than last year and Coach Tovani has really helped us come together as a team by implementing plays that allows us to bring out the best in all of us. Overall I think the root of our success this year is playing as a team and not as individuals,” Bice said.

Girls Basketball

The girls start has been a little more bumpy as they start the season with one win and five losses. Coach Jim Purkey is looking to try and turn the season around with the help of his captains Stella Purkey, Hailee Eastus, and Allie Korst. The rest of the starting five includes Kate Wulff and Romy Holsher.

“We started off this year pretty rough and just accepted it. But after our win yesterday I think we really got to see what we can do when we are all working together. The win was a big confidence booster and I think it’ll help us start playing like the team we all know we can be,” Purkey said.

The team sits at 2-7 going into the last five games of the regular season. Playoffs aren’t out of the question, if the team can rally around their veteran captains in the weeks to come.