The girls basketball team has recently had their senior night on Thursday the 23rd. They have played amazing this season and we have seen all the players shine. It is a very sad time to see some of these players leave high school and move on with their lives, especially when their team is their family.
They went up against Saint Andrews school. This was not an easy game for them, since Saint Andrews was in the lead the first three quarters of the game until the girls made a comeback. At first, the scores were not that far apart but we were still behind, until the last seven minutes of the game. The girls kept defending and making amazing shots. The score at the end was 43-36, we won. The girls jumped with excitement and all hugged each other on their last game together.
Ariana Irizarry number 0, has been playing basketball since 6th grade, and she continues to play this sport because she really enjoys it, it's fun, and she surrounds herself with people who also play basketball so it's something her and her friends do together. When asked how she feels her and her team played senior night she said, “I feel like we did amazing. We came off slow but we locked in the 4th quarter and got the dub. It was one of my best memories for this season.” The people who came to support her on Thursday were her mom, old friends, her boyfriend and his family. She is very sad that this is her last year since she won't be able to play with the same people, but is also relieved that she wont have practice everyday. She feels that her most memorable moment was senior night, she says she thinks about it everyday, since the team they were opposing was good, and they were so close to losing but at the last second they locked in and she was very happy. Her favorite basketball team is the suns. Ariana's favorite basketball player is Devon Booker because he is a good player and she sees him in herself since they have the same playing style. She will not be continuing this in college. She would rather study something at FAU or go to the military airforce.
Moving on to Adrianna Harris, she is number 23. She has played basketball for a little time, she started her junior year. She continues to play this sport because she likes the team, they are very supportive, and she wanted to try something new. When Adrianna was asked how she felt on her senior night, she said, “Honestly I believe that we started out with the right energy but made a lot of mistakes during the beginning of the game, but when the game was coming to an end we really locked in and played our hearts out." The people who came out to support her were, dad, uncle, aunt, cousins and grandma. Their presence was greatly appreciated. She is very sad that this is her last year because she won't be playing with the same girls again. She feels that her most memorable time was when she joined the team, because it was a weird and happy moment since this was something new for her. Luckily her teammates welcomed her with open arms and they are all close now. Adrianna will not be going to college for basketball since this was just a hobby for her. She rather continue with track or study bio in Saint Thomas, or Berry college.
Last senior player we have is Jayde Riley, number 22. She is very sad this is her last year but is also excited to start a new chapter in life, being able to be independent and not rely on her parents. When asked how she thought senior night went Jayde said, “ I think me and my team played well on senior night. Although. We started off slow in the beginning. We ended up working hard and pushed ourselves to be able to pull the win.” She will also not be continuing basketball in college. Instead she wants to focus on her profession being a veterinarian. Since she thinks it would be hard to balance both.
last but not least the assistant coach, Nathalie Arroyave,. They call her coach Nat. This is her first year coaching these girls and yet she has grown such a close bond with them. She explains that the team brought great energy to the court and did well with getting a run on their own. This is what she said about each senior player. “Jayde Riley has been great for us as a leader and she has developed her game tremendously in such a short time.” “Adrianna Harris for only playing the game of basketball for such a short time has had a big turn around in her abilities this year so we are very proud of her for that and wanting to learn.” “Lastly our captain Arianna she has been great, and Jayde have worked great together in the leadership role. Ari has also developed her game to be more than just a 2 guard; she is all over the court and has learned to take control.” She believes all these girls have a bright future and will accomplish everything they put their mind to once they leave highschool.
In the end, basketball is way more than just a sport. It will teach them life lessons, and help these girls learn friendship and leadership. These skills not only benefit them in school but can be applied anywhere. May the future hold great stuff for them in whatever path they choose to follow, whether it's basketball or a separate profession.