The varsity boys’ basketball team is starting out cold. They have played eight games so far and their record is 1-7. Their most recent losses came from Magruder, WJ, Churchill, and Damascus, with one major win over BCC.

Right before winter break, the team traveled to Damascus on Dec. 17, looking to secure a win after losing the first three games. Unfortunately, the Hornets took over and secured a win for the boys with a final score of 67-46.

A couple days following the Damascus loss, over half of the team tested positive for COVID-19, and the team was put on a two-week halt, not being able to practice or play. The team missed a game against Richard Montgomery on Dec. 20, and a game against RM on Dec. 22.

The players were devastated, and everyone was affected, especially the seniors. “Even though our record didn’t show it, we were improving as a team and it really stopped our momentum. After coming back I get rusty and out of shape. It also sucked because I didn’t get to see my teammates,” senior Liam Miller said. 

Right after the team came back from the COVID and winter break, they had to play their biggest rival, Churchill, after only being able to practice for one day. The team played in the Dawg Pound on Jan. 6 and was absolutely dominated by Churchill’s offensive presence, with a final score of 58-18. This extended the team’s losing streak to five games.

Two days following, the team hosted Walter Johnson on Jan 8. The team still couldn’t pull it together, and lost with a final score of 67-53. “It’s hard starting off the season 0-6 but the team has done well staying together and staying positive. There is still a lot of time for improvement and we are definitely looking for more wins in the future,” senior point guard Dylan Yoon said. 

However, following the WJ loss, the team picked up a crazy first win. They played BCC on Jan. 10, and the game came down to the last second with junior forward Peter Stanton-Shepherd hitting a game-winning three as time expired. The team went crazy and it was a huge momentum swinger that sets the tone for the rest of the season.

Buzzer-beaters are rare, but Stanton-Shepherd was able to get the job done and seal a win for the team. “It was a hard fought game against a good team and it felt really good to get our first win like that. I hope we can use that game and build on it for the rest of the season,” Stanton-Shepherd said. 

Following their first win, the team traveled to Magruder on Jan. 12 where they lost again 70-31, and two days after, they played RM at home on Jan. 14 and lost again, with a final score of 77-43.

Being more than half way through the season, the team has one last chance to rally together and steal a couple wins before the season ends. They have lost by a margin of 30 or more three times.

At this time the team’s strengths and weaknesses are starting to be exploited, and the team understands where the weak and strong points of their game are. Everything is a learning process, especially in basketball, and fans hope that the team can rally back and win a couple more before the season ends.