As the winter sports season is nearing a close, some of the boys basketball seniors are facing bittersweet emotions. All five seniors, Milo Muitalo, Henry Lambert, Simon Emore, Jackson White, and Ian Johnson, were chosen to be captains for the 2023-2024 season.. This core group of players have built a culture over the past couple years of playing on varsity, a culture that they hope will carry on after they graduate this year.

 One of the hardest things senior athletes face is having to leave behind the underclassmen who still have years left to play. Passing on the torch to the next class is part of the cycle of sports, despite how hard it might be. 

Senior captain and center Milo Mulitalo aims to make it to the regional tournament this season, as well make some final memories with his teammates, as it’s his last opportunity to do so. 

“It’s a little strange knowing that these last few games might be the last times I get to play organized basketball, but what’s even worse, it might be the last time I get to play with these guys,” said Mulitalo. 

Many athletes feel as if the court is their second home, with the team being their second family. When the last season comes to an end, it’s important to remember that bonds created through athletics can hardly be broken, and definitely not forgotten. 

Senior captain and forward Jackson White feels this bittersweet pain, but aims to make the most out of the time he has left. 

“I don’t plan to play basketball after highschool, so leaving the sport and the team is going to be especially hard,” said White. “It hasn’t really hit me yet that after our last game I will never step on the court again. Every practice I just want to get out there and appreciate the time I have left with these guys and this sport.”

To watch this group of guys play at home together for one last time, Senior Night is Feb. 2 against Turner Ashby. The theme is college recruiter!