At Long Last, A Win!

“The ancient Greek God Atlas was condemned to carry Earth upon his shoulder for all of eternity. If he ever got to take a break and put the Earth down for a minute, I imagine that feeling he would have would be nearly identical to my feelings after getting our first win!” said Varsity Boys Head Coach Mr. Tischler.

After nearly three years of not winning a game, the team beat Westmont School by 20 points. “I was cool as a cucumber – on the outside. Nerves were running wild inside!” Coach Tischler said. “As the game went on, I started wondering if this could finally be the day!”

After finally winning his first game as a varsity player, senior Jack Bixler said that he felt “relief and happiness” and described the feeling as “pretty awesome”. “We kept our confidence, worked hard, and it paid off,” he said. Unlike previous games, Jack said, “we put all our effort into it. When we were up by a lot, we didn’t let up, and didn’t get cocky.”

Coach Tischler said, “The team really worked hard from start to finish, but most importantly they stayed positive and believed in each other.” He said he was proud of his team. “The boys have worked hard and they deserved a win. I was proud of their effort and teamwork.” He also mentioned that the strengths of this year’s squad are “passion and youth.” “Everybody on this team is passionate about the sport and wants to succeed. Also, of the 10 guys on the team, Jack Bixler is the only senior. This team is young and will only get better as the guys spend more time learning and playing with each other.”

Coach Tischler also pointed out some other positive moments so far this season: “Aside from the big win, we’ve had a few other highlights… Sophomore Marquis [Sloan-Mann] and [junior] Areeb [Sidahmed] challenged me to a game of 1-on-1 during practice, which they quickly regretted after I put on a show. During another practice, Areeb challenged the whole team and we played 9v1 against him! He actually did really well and kept it close!”

Soon afterwards the team won a second game. When Jack was asked if he thought the team could win another game, he said emphatically, “Yes we can.” Coach Tischler added, “Hopefully the boys have now realized what they are capable of when they stay positive and work together. If they continue to improve upon the things they did well this game (rebounding, smart shots, lock-down defense), we can win more… this season.”
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