The boys’ basketball team’s charge for the state tournament came to an abrupt halt Monday night as the Eagles fell 58-39 to Cedar Rapids Xavier in the substate final. As disappointing as the result was, they are proud of what they were able to achieve throughout the course of the season.

The team struggled to take-off as the season began, losing its first five games. “We knew we would struggle, but what was important was that we stuck together,” Coach Tom English said of his team.“The focus has always been to keep getting better every month, every week, and every day so we are in a position to make a run at the state tournament.”

Ready, they were. Even after the rough start, the Eagles rallied in sub-state, making it all the way to the final game at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. Defying these odds is what kept them motivated throughout the season.

“We knew that there was a lot of skepticism surrounding the team at the beginning of the season, but we didn’t let it affect us,” Matt Bandy, ‘18, said. “We knew we were capable of making a run at state and proving those people wrong was just icing on the cake.”

The seniors on the team prefer to see the silver lining despite not returning to the state tournament this year.

“The bottom line is I had a lot of fun,” Sam Herrig, ‘17, said. “Of course, we would have loved to make it to state, but I think what we will remember most is all the time we spent together at practice and joking around on the bus.”

Ending one game short of the state tournament left something to desire for the juniors on the team. “The feeling in the locker room after the game is what will stick with me,” Will Leytem, ‘18, said. “All the emotion of losing the game to make it to state, our goal for the season. The loss stings, and I think that’ll give us drive to work hard in the off-season to get past that last step next season.”

Although the men’s basketball team didn’t punch their ticket to Des Moines, the experiences they were a part of what made the season unforgettable. Through the times of hope and the times of doubt, they always reminded you not to sleep.