Sophomore basketball

By Chris Ripley

Of the Gleaner

Basketball season is right around the corner, and the sophomore class is eager to get going. This year, there are 14 sophomores on the basketball team, including Owen Funke, who will not be participating this year due to a severe back injury. “Even though I can’t play this year, I’m still looking forward to helping out in any way I can. I’m going to keep stats, run the clock in practice, and keep people pumped on the bench,” said Funke.

Last year, the class of 2018 placed first in their freshman basketball league. Craig Collins said, “Beating Senior in the championship last year was one of the best moments of my life. We are trying to use that as momentum going into this year.” While there is a lot of excitement for next season, the sophomores also realize that they are playing at a much higher level.

Will Leytem said, “I am really looking forward to this year because we will be facing a lot better competition. Playing in the MVC will show us how good of a team we really are.” Leytem will be playing point guard this year, taking the ball up the court and running the offense.

Most of the players on the sophomore team are new to this level of basketball. Matt Rusch said, “I think the biggest change between sophomore and freshmen basketball will be the number of people that attend the game. It will be fun to play in front of more people, but it will also add more pressure.” Not all of the sophomore team is new to this, however. Peter Timmerman played on the sophomore team as a freshman, and knows what it’s like to play in front of a crowd. “At first, it is a little intimidating to play in front of a lot of people. After a couple games, though, you get used to it and focus on the game.”

Overall, the sophomores are really looking forward to this year’s season in many ways. They are excited because of last year’s success, realize the challenges this year presents, and understand what they need to do to succeed. As of December 7, the sophomores are 1-2, and they face Hempstead on December 10.