Boys basketball team determined to increase playoff seed

The boys basketball team hopes to pick up its second win of the season against Mesquite Poteet tonight at 7 p.m. and stay in the playoff hunt after a close loss to North Forney.

“We looked at the film from the game [against Poteet] and saw what worked and what we need to improve,” head coach Kyle Herrema said. “There were things we did well on both ends of the floor but we need to clean up the little things to put ourselves in a position to win.”

Currently sitting in fourth place in the district standings, the team is in good shape to make playoffs. However, the work doesn’t stop there.

“We need to continue to get better so we can peak at the right time,” senior Braden Ledebur said. “That means not being satisfied with what we’ve accomplished thus far. We know we can beat anyone on any night so the goal is to win out.”

Last Friday the team defeated Wylie East, 69-47. Sophomore Kyle Olsen had 18 points at the end of the first half, matching the total of the entire Wylie East team. Olsen finished with 22.

“The reason we were so successful is because we prepared really well and we also did a good job executing on offense,” Olsen said. “I had a good game because my teammates really set me up well and I just took what the defense was giving me.”

On Tuesday the team traveled to North Forney to take on the Falcons. They walked away empty-handed however as the Falcons won the game on a buzzer beater 3, 58-55.

“We shot the heck out of [the ball] against North Forney going 13-19 from 3,” Herrema said. “Our foul trouble dictated how we had to play offensively and defensively and that really hurt us. My biggest take away though was our attitude. I thought we really battled considered all the people we had missing.”

Ledebur said the team knows this part of the season is a test as every game can affect the playoff picture.

“Since it’s a long season our bodies and minds tend to get fatigued towards the second half of district,” Ledebur said. “It really helps having guys in the locker room that are fun to hang out with and it makes practice fun. Also, winning tends to solve most of those problems, so if we do what we need to do and close out games, I don’t see focus being a huge issue.”