With the winter sports season underway for high school sports, certain teams have stood out. One of them is the JV boys basketball team. With a winning record and a new coach, things are looking in the right direction for their squad.
Sophomore Ray Goldsby highlighted the teams success through the season so far.
“We’ve been winning games. In the preseason we went on a streak, just looking to pick up the pace and win some more games this regular season,” Goldsby said.
JV head coach Michael Johnson also highlighted the other positives as the season has progressed.
“Overall the player development, and our togetherness of our program, and setting the stage for the future has really been phenomenal, and the kids are really working hard,” Johnson said.
The players also agree with Coach Johnson.
“Us playing our game and not rushing, and running our plays and doing what we need to do,” Goldsby said.
Other players also have acknowledged how the team picks each other up.
“Mostly it’s our teamwork. Sometimes we fall apart, but we stay together,” sophomore player Weiming Zhu said.
Johnson also pointed out the trust that players have in him as their coach and vice versa. A big reason why the team has trust in him is because of his level of experience in coaching basketball, from 3rd grade to college level.
“The players believe in my past experience. I’ve been coaching for 23 years, I’ve coached all the different levels, and it’s helped me become a good teacher, Johnson said. “And the kids really work hard and I love ‘em.”
He also noted the level of commitment that the team has.
“They wanna change the narrative, and they wanna be a winner,” Johnson said.
As the season continues the team is looking to work on a couple of goals they have.
According to Goldsby, these goals include establishing more team chemistry and being more accountable and knowing how to talk to each other when something goes wrong.
There have also been a couple of standout players during the season, like Brandon Stillwell, a player who started on JV2 but now gets time in varsity games.
“I call him Mr. Jason Lee, cause he practices a lot. And he’s only 5’6 but he can really score the ball,” Johnson said.
Johnson also points out other players that have stood out this season, likeNumber 24, Saveon .Williamson.
“He’s really been clutching up with the minutes that he’s been getting coming off the bench, great roleplayer in my opinion,” Goldsby said.
Players have also pointed out standout moments so far this season.
For Goldsby, a standout was his game-winning shot during the match against Glencoe.
The reason why that moment was extra special for Goldsby and the team was because they have played against the same group of guys a couple of times throughout their high school career.
With a team that has been seeing success this season there have been a lot of key factors that kept that winning record. Some being their trust in each other, their commitment and their player development throughout the season. This has been noticed by the players and coach.
The boys basketball program’s future is looking very bright with the success that the JV squad has had this season.
