Starting off the season with a high note, the eighth-grade boys basketball team seems optimistic about how the season is going. Teamwork and support is an important part of any sport, but for this team, it’s a must. For them, it’s a big thing because of the chemistry and the fact that the team has been known each other for years now.

“Teamwork is huge for us,” eighth grader Tyson Clingerman said. “We strive with it. We’re not a team that argues a lot and we get along pretty well which is good for our playing.”

Basketball is big for me and I think the others will want to continue this into high school too.

“Teamwork impacts a lot of it,” player Alex Wilson said. “For the first two games, we weren’t really close then we started to get along and form a bond and it did a lot for us.”

Although basketball is something these students love, like any other sport it has its setbacks. One of the main ones being the fact that it cuts time out of their day that they could be doing something else.

“It takes away from things that I do with friends because I practice a lot,” Clingerman said. “But then again it has given me different friends different looks of people and it has made life better.”

According to their coach, Lonny Harger, they have all have potential, but they’re going to struggle a little bit when they get into high school. He seems pretty confident that next years eighth-grade team is going to push and be good enough to fill the shoes that are being left behind for them.

All in all, it’s a deciding season for the eighth graders, whether they’re going to stop or keep doing the sport into high school.

“I never really had a thing for basketball,” Wilson said. “But this year has been pretty great for me and I’m looking forward to next year.”