For the boys basketball team this season has been more successful and filled with record wins compared to previous years. This season, their record stands at (12-7) whereas in the ‘23 to ‘24 previous season their record stood at (5-19). Key moments and turning points of the season have come from the ups and downs of tough games.
“I thought a key moment was the Eldon game when we were tied. Logan hit a three and we ended up beating them. That was a pretty good game. Also, the Lincoln game (a game that we lost) I thought helped us out a lot and showed us that we could be a so much different team than what we played that game and yeah I thought that helped us out as a team,” junior guard varsity player Brennen Slavens said.
Coaches have played a major role in the team’s development and success.
“Currently the season is going very well compared to other seasons. We are playing much better as a team and are more consistent. All the coaches, each have a huge role in our success. They push us hard each day and tell us where we can get better. Sometimes they have to play the bad guy and push us past our limit in order to achieve great success,”senior guard/forward Logan Gemes said.
Teamwork and communication are a major part of basketball and can help to improve sets. Accomplishing coming together as a team can result in memorable games and celebrations.
“I think it’s gone good, I mean it’s obviously a huge factor in basketball in helping defense and transition defense you need to communicate and running sets that we do. I think communication is big and we’ve done a pretty good job at it. Probably the most memorable game would be the Versailles game. We were down by nine at halftime and came back and ended up winning that game. That was a really good game. I thought that was the most memorable cause the celebration after was pretty cool and just showed the type of team we could really be,” Slavens said.
Senior Logan Gemes hit 1,000 career points during the second round of the Skyline tournament playing Wheatland.
“Obviously individual accomplishments like that are rare. It was great seeing Logan accomplish this with the help of his team,” head coach Matthew Brownsberger said.
Accomplishing 1,000 career points is surreal for Gemes as he grew up watching others hit that milestone as well. And he believes it also speaks volumes of his team.
“It feels pretty surreal that I am now one of those guys with 1,000 career points. Personally, it means a lot to me because I can remember growing up and watching a few others hit 1,000 and how cool it was to see that. It also is a good sign as a team that we can work together so well to get open shots for us as a team, including me. Now that I have hit 1000 points, nothing has changed when it comes to my mindset. The next step currently is to continue to improve each day and better prepare for the next game,” Gemes said.
The team traveled to Knightstown, Indiana for an experience and something to remember. The 1954 Indiana state championship is an achievement that’ll never be repeated nor forgotten. Milan High School with an enrollment of just 73 boys, won the 1954 Indiana state basketball championship among 752 schools in a single class competition system which inspired the movie ‘Hoosiers’ to where the team traveled.
“Just trying to do something out of the ordinary. High School sports should also be an experience. Experience, team building and something they will remember,” Brownsberger said.
Traveling for an out of state game was a great way for the team to get to know each other but required preparation.
“Coach wanted the team to really understand the game of basketball and Indiana’s roots are dug deep into the sport. It was an experience to travel with your team like that for the first time seeing them all the time so you’re really getting to know them better. Traveling that far really is a factor especially if you’re not used to it which can affect your game. I feel like I learned the preparation needed to travel and play competitively when traveling,” junior varsity guard/power forward Noah Siebert said.
On and off the court, the Cats furthered their knowledge on basketball and gained an experience to remember for years to come.
“On the court I mean I thought it was a really cool environment that we played in. The Hoosiers gym was really cool, there’s a like lot of history behind that. And off the court I liked everything we did visiting the hall of fame and practicing there was even fun and then going out to eat as a team was cool. Just the eight hour trip, that was pretty fun too!” Slavens said.
