On December 3, the official opening of the Boys' Basketball season commenced. The Kodiaks took on the visiting Thorp Tigers in the first game of the season. Under the lights of their own stadium, the Kodiaks, hearing their names being announced over the loudspeakers, ran out onto the court anxious to hit the hardwood.
Varsity starters Ethan Davis (12), Ivan Alejandre (12), Graham Campbell (11), Ezra Week (11), and Julian Feeney (10) had the first chance at action. The game kicked off with a jump ball and the team sprang into action. The game started off back and forth showcasing the strong defensive skills of the team as neither team was able to score. The Kodiaks broke the deadlock, however, as super sub-Artie Northrup (12) sunk a layup off a fast break to take the lead 2-0. The first quarter continued with Kodiak domination as they took the lead 8-4 into the break.
The second quarter saw Cascade looking to maintain the lead going into halftime. Will Biebeshiemer (12) started off the scoring, followed by Alejandre and Davis scoring free throws respectively. To finish off the quarter, Northrup drained a three-pointer, the first of the season, to cement the lead going into the half with a scoreline of 17-6.
As the boys went into the locker room, satisfied with the game but not done yet, the Kodiak cheer team came out onto the court to give a performance to the crowd. Flips, tricks, dances, and cheers were made, hyping up the crowd for the team to build off.
The Kodiaks came back ready to fight. Week started off the scoring with a layup off a rebound, and the points started flowing in from there. Layups, free throws, mid-range shots, three-pointers, this quarter had it all. The team doubled their scoring, sinking 17 points and increasing the difference between the teams. Milo Gibbs (9) entered the game for the first time in his high school career, excited to gain experience and confidence in the season. “It was tough competition and there were definitely some nerves, but I went out there and did my best,” explained Gibbs. The quarter ended with the Kodiaks up 34-15.
The final quarter was the highest scoring of all. The two teams combined to score 35 points, entertaining the crowd and making an intense back and forth quarter.
Notable performances included those from Beibeshiemer and Feeney, scoring six and five points respectively. The game concluded as the Kodiaks took their first win of the season by an impressive scoreline of 52-32.
The game was a success for the program as the team started off the season with a win, looking towards more in the future. The scoring was led by Beibeshiemer, Davis, Campbell, and Feeney. On defense, Max Spiegel (11) and Alejandre led the team on rebounds. “The game had a little bit of an ugly first half, but we cleaned it up and got the win,” Spiegel stated. “We have had lots of conditioning this season and it payed off. We could run around out there like no one else,” he continued. The game included varsity debuts from Northrup, Gibbs, Marshet Redman (12), and Gene Witt (10).
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