The varsity boys basketball team is playing away at Hawley tomorrow. Last week the school hosted the Wildcat Classic for the second year in a row after its COVID-19 cancellation.
“Two of the games in the classic I thought we played well, but one game we fell and had to come back from it,” head boys basketball coach Josh Castles said. “I couldn’t be prouder of our response to adversity because we sure got it right in our faces.”
This is Castles’s first year as the head coach for boys basketball.
“It’s been a roller coaster already,” Castles said. “It’s been stressful at times, but very rewarding as well. We’re still trying to figure out who we are and what we can be. ”
Junior Kline Mayo said that during the Wildcat Classic when the team played with intensity, they always did well.
“We have an issue with turning the ball over and blaming stuff on each other, but we have really good chemistry since we’ve played with each other since we were little,” Mayo said.

Junior Evonjre Donnell said he thought the team mostly played well in the Wildcat Classic, but agrees with Castle that there was a game they could’ve done better in.
“We’re good at getting out and running the court, but we need to improve our attitudes and work on rebounding,” Donnell said. “I think we can win district this year though.”
Castles said the Classic revealed some new strengths of the team.
“Our athleticism is the team’s greatest attribute,” he said. “But, this last tournament showed that our defense is a valuable asset for us.”
The Wildcats also competed in the Fantasy of Lights Tournament in Wichita Falls Nov. 25 and 26. Donnell said he felt that the rankings didn’t show how well the team played.
“I felt great about how we played for most of the tournament,” Donnell said. “We managed to knock off a top 10 team.”
Castles said the team played similarly in the Classic as they did in the Fantasy of Lights Tournament.
“We had a couple good games and a few bad ones, but we did end well,” Castles said. “That’s why one of the things we need to improve on more is self-discipline. That’ll have to be an everyday thing.”
Mayo said that the first day of the Fantasy of Lights Tournament did not go well for the team.
“However, the second day of the tournament, we beat the 6th place 1A team,” he said. “We just played like ourselves, which is what we should be doing.”
The varsity boy’s record after the Wildcat Classic is 6-3. Castles said he has three goals for the team to maintain a winning record: coachability, character and body language.
“I love our team,” Castles said. “I love where we’re going and where we can be.”