Basketball teams start season with new coaches, new goals

READY+FOR+GAME+DAY.+Practicing+in+class+for+their+scrimmage+tonight%2C+senior+Kylie+Santore+and+Izzy+Gonzales+are+ready+for+a+new+season+under+a+new+head+coach.+

photo or infographic by Bryce Keele

READY FOR GAME DAY. Practicing in class for their scrimmage tonight, senior Kylie Santore and Izzy Gonzales are ready for a new season under a new head coach.

Basketball season is right around the corner. The girls team will play their first game tonight at home.  The Boys Basketball team will be playing their first official scrimmage on Saturday.

“We have been working very hard to learn our plays and get ready for the first game of the season,” junior Lucy Smith said “We love our new coach. She brought a new way of playing Willis basketball, and I feel like we will have a great season. Our goals for this year are to make it to the playoffs and maybe go even further than that.”

With both boys and girls basketball getting new coaches, it makes for a fresh start and a way to get away from  last season.

“Our new coach has brought a whole new intensity to Willis basketball,” junior Adrian Pahudpod said “I have never worked this hard, and the first game of the season hasn’t even happened. I feel like this year we are going to go to the playoffs and go even further because of how hard we have worked and the amount of confidence we have for this season.”

Last year, the girls’ team struggled in their new 6A district.

“This is my last year playing high school basketball and I want to have a winning season,” senior Kali Hooks said. “Our new coach has really given me confidence that we are going to win this year. We have worked hard to come together and come in with a new style of play this year in order to win.”

Many students and staff are excited for the basketball season this year because there has been a lot of talk going around about the new coaches and how hard the players have been working. The “buzz” even brought in players from different schools

“During the summer I had friends that came to Willis, but I would play basketball with them and I heard how they got a new coach and how they were supposed to have a great season,” senior David Lewis said. “I came into one of their practices, and I loved the intensity that they had. I decided to come to Willis and to win a district championship and more. Our goal for this year is to destroy our competition and to make Willis known.”