Boys basketball finished the first half of their season the other day finishing in second place behind a tough team. The Warriors beat AMS, FMS, and CMS but unfortunately lost to the  IMS Panthers. 

Rookie sensation Coach Salinas beat the critics by showing he can perform under pressure and win close games. Coach Salinas said, “Just win, baby, win.”

Dylan Stephen, 7th grader, “thinks the team itself can improve.” Stephen said, “We’re very good at handling pressure and very clutch when the shots mattered.” He said he feels that the fans change the atmosphere in a good way because they are the home team and “they succeed from that.”

8th-grade sensation Breon (Breezy) Bariono said, “I handled the pressure with good defense and putting pressure on them.” He also handled it well on offense, keeping control of his emotions. When he was at the free throw line in the final minutes he was feeling the pressure, but he overcame that force by believing in himself

7th grader, Dillon Diaz, said he thinks the team did really well and said, “Avenel put up a great fight.”  Diaz handled the pressure by telling himself to relax and keep his cool. He continued, “The fans have helped Diaz through this game and made him feel better.” 

Diaz made the game-winning shot after he was fouled in the paint.

Dr. Lott, the principal of WMS,  said when she saw Dillon Diaz at the end of the game she “was almost scared to see what was going to happen, but [I] couldn’t look away because [I] love the team and the players on it.”

Dr. Lott said she thought the game was “very calm” and she said the fans have a significant effect on the players by the energy the fans give off. 

Coach Salinas said, “The team is doing good in the first round of games and I feel that the team has improved a lot since they first started.” He also thinks that the team is very good at handling pressure during the game. 

No matter how good a team is, there is always room for improvement.  Coach Salinas said, “The biggest challenge the team has is the ego of the players and getting too selfish, and only focusing on yourself.” In the last game during the final seconds, he said, “To make sure you keep your emotions in check and don’t let anything get in your head.”

Salinas also explained that situational awareness is a great thing to have during the game. He said the team is “excelling at hustle, teamwork, and grit” and he also said, “they have each other’s back no matter what.”