As the days get shorter and the temperature drops, the temperature seems to just raise as the basketball players get back on the court with the upcoming basketball season right around the corner.
The teams undergo difficult preseason conditioning. As tough as the preseason workouts can be, an entire team can put themselves through the intense training if there is a goal put before them. For these boys, that goal is nothing short of winning. Coach Northcutt talked about the history of the boys on the court: “This was the group from the middle school that never lost a game, and now they are all back together again. Their pedigree is winning, since the start of their high school careers. I can only imagine that this team is primed for a winning season.”
This group of boys have proven themselves as powerhouse opponents in the past years, and the excitement is radiating from the players. Derek Mccuiston says, “We want to be league champions this year. We really feel like we have a chance this year. We also want to qualify in the open division for CCS because we feel that we have the team to compete in that this year.” Coach Northcutt also has positive thoughts about the upcoming season: “We have nine returning players, and for a few this will be their third year on Varsity: Davon Northcutt, Sebastian Vromen Nell, and Nick Salibi. So there is not a lot of coaching that needs to be done, I am excited to watch what this group can accomplish this year.” Coach Northcutt went on to explains the team’s mentality as the season approaches, “Our philosophy has been the idea of chasing greatness and always putting a goal in front you and doing whatever you can to achieve that goal.”
The optimistic outlook with their upcoming seasons approaching is not just amongst the boys basketball teams. The girls basketball team also looks ahead to the upcoming year with the goal of winning set in their eyes. Coach Andrea Trader believes in what the girls are trying to do this year: “We have a very strong team this year and we all are excited to implement new plays and defenses. Our goal is to be a threat in league and make a run for the playoffs.”
The girls are looking forward to different aspects of the upcoming season. Kenedi Kraten anticipates the team to really come together this year. She says, “I am looking forward to becoming a better and close knit team, and proving that we can become better as a team and as a program as a whole.” Coach Andrea Trader also believes in the power of the chemistry of this team saying, “Our team chemistry this year on Varsity is going to be our greatest weapon. These girls work so well together; they have fun together and they genuinely hope for the success of one another. I have coached all of these girls before and I expect another memorable season with a group of amazing ladies.”
As we transition out of the successful period of fall sports at SLV, we hope that this success continues into the winter sports. Being able to talk to members of the team and see the others in the halls around school, that winning sensation really looks like it is definitely going to carry over to the gym floors of San Lorenzo Valley Basketball.
By Ian Blair
The Claw 