A look into Basketball’s Senior Night and the road to playoffs
Lady Eagles’ Varsity players hold their pieces of the net after their final district game against Little Elm.
February 8, 2018
Senior night marks an evening where senior athletes are recognized for their contributions to their teams. Feb. 2 was the Eagles Basketball Senior Nights at home against Carrollton Creekview.
The women played first, tipping off at 6:00 in the arena. They began by hitting almost all of their shots, which left them leading 29-12 in the first half. Sophomore Maddie Cleary lead the team with 10 points, and senior Mackenzie Hewitt was following closely with 9.
By the beginning of the 4th quarter, the Lady Eagles had already pulled ahead by 19 points, leaving the Mustangs in the dust. The Lady Eagles finished the game with ease and a score of 58-35.
After the end of the girl’s game, seniors Taveion White, Zachary Wrightsil, Kyle Jessen, Jerry McElroy, Kaleb Adams, Kris Wafer, Trey Utrup, Damon McLaurin, Ben Quinlan, Paxton Cleary, and Jevin Jackson were acknowledged.
The men tipped the ball at 7:30, and in the first quarter, White had two back-to-back dunks, leading the Eagles 19-8. By halftime, the boys were ahead 43-11. Junior Josh Davis lead with 10 points, while Wafer and Wrightsil followed with 8 points each.
The boys’ halftime acknowledged the seniors on the girl’s team, including Mackenzie Hewitt, Krista English, and Lexi Lightfoot.
Parents, the court-side cuties, coaches, and peers all cheered, ready for the second half to begin. In the 4th quarter, the Eagles were ahead 57-22. The boys won 68-33.
Although it was the last home game of the season, the Eagles are not done yet. Both teams traveled to Lake Dallas on Tuesday and won their games with the girls winning 65-39 and the boys winning 53-41.
After the victory, the Lady Eagles continued the tradition of cutting down the net in honor of their last district game against the Falcons. The Lady Eagles achieved a perfect district record of 14-0 for the first time in over a decade, and the entire women’s program is 42-0 in district play, which is a very notable accomplishment.
The win against Lake Dallas left the men’s team with a 11-1 district record (27-3 overall), which will likely improve if the men win their final two district games.
Both teams are currently ranked at 6th in 14-5A for the state of Texas. The Lady Eagles clenched a spot in playoffs, and their first Playoff Bi-District game is against Frisco Centennial at McKinney High School on Monday, February 12 at 7:00 pm.
On the other hand, the Eagles have two games left before they think about a playoff run. The men will be competing against Little Elm on February 9th at 7:30 pm and Newman Smith on February 13th at 7:30 pm.
If you are looking to support the basketball program, playoff shirts are available for sale in the cafeteria during lunches or by order form in Mrs. Mueller’s office for $15.
