The First Game of the Varsity Boys Basketball Season

By Emily Chew

In the locker alley, I heard the murmuring of the varsity basketball guys talking, and the rustling of them getting their jerseys and shoes on. It was the first game for the varsity-boys against Youngsters, a team based in Chung Ling High School. Every player was recognized with compression garments that fitted tightly around their limbs– these compression gears are very important for the basketball players. Some of the guys seemed excited, longing for this day to come, and some seemed nervous before they were called by Coaches Loustale and Lee to huddle around in a circle. The returning basketball players were filled with confidence, and positive vibes as they walked into the gym. This year’s starters were J Cho (12), Eddy Seong (12), Wansuk Kunawaradisai (12), Aaron Worten (12), Kaden Keefer (10).

The referee began the play with a jump ball, and the crowd went wild as Youngsters managed to get a head start. After several missed shots, Wansuk Kunawaradisai (12) led the team for offense. The game started off steadily, with the opponent team created many chances for the Dalat varsity starters to squeeze through the gaps in the opponent's defense.

Throughout the first and second quarter, both Eddy Seong (12) and Kaden Keefer (10) managed to receive most of the offensive and defensive rebounds, as the opponents raised their arms up in the hope of avoiding foul calls made by the referees. Eddy Seong (12) stated, “Kaden has such great wingspan, he could reach the rebound moving in any direction.”

Anxiously, the crowd stood up as every shot was made by the players. As Jae Cho (12) made his third three-point shot in the third quarter, the gym shook with excitement while the crowd cheered as hard as they could. The bench players were seen to be clapping and cheering for their teammates, and one of the audience sitting next to me, Daniel Choi (11), repeatedly shouted “Jae is on fire!”

The Dalat varsity boys basketball’s first game ended with a score of 67, leaving Youngster with a score of 47. The first game of the season allowed the boys to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses and find their own strengths. All of boys represented the school well– let’s earn more medals!