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Basketball Recap: Closing Out the Season and Looking Ahead
By Kaeden Ackley
It was an amazing season in the new Mac McCarty Athletic Center for both the girls and boys basketball teams.
From “Pack the MAC” to the hugely successful Dunk Alz fundraiser, it was a great winter full of Purple Pride, not to mention success, with both the girls and boys Varsity teams making it to the regional finals this year.
The girls team fell just short of a regional championship, but with a number of strong returning players, invested coaching staff, and great team chemistry, they are poised and ready for a regional re-match next year.
“Most of the girls had played together previously, and we welcomed the freshman into the program which created a sense of chemistry,” explained Reese Myers ’26.
The boys team had a memorable season as well, capped by the school’s fifth ever regional title, following a thrilling game-winning buzzer beater by Luke Ryan ’25.
The varsity boys also won both the Hiawatha and Mather tournaments over holiday weekends. Coach Rashid Smith acknowledges the loss of many strong senior players from this year, but he is also optimistic about what lies ahead: “I’m excited to see the growth of our younger players and to see who will step up and fill roles next year.”
When asked to use three words to describe this year’s team, Coach Smith responded, “Resilient, passionate and dependable.”
Both of the Raider basketball teams improved their records from the previous season and are in good spots to be successful next year, and potentially make runs into the state playoffs.
