The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

The online student news source of Lovejoy High School

The Red Ledger

Win or go home

Boys basketball to rematch West Mesquite with a playoff spot up for grabs
Sophomore+Kolby+McSpadden+uses+his+speed+to+dribble+past+a+defender.
Kelsey Carroll
Sophomore Kolby McSpadden uses his speed to dribble past a defender.

With a tie for fourth place and the final playoff berth, the boys basketball team will extend its regular season to include an extra game Friday night at 7 p.m versus West Mesquite (10-18, 6-8) at JJ Pearce High School that will decide the fate of its season.

“We were 1-5 a month ago when we played West Mesquite the first time,” head coach Kyle Herrema said. “Now that we’re in the postseason at this point in time, I’m just really proud of the guys. They could’ve folded in a long time ago. I think they show a lot of guts and spirit in what they’re doing. We expect to walk away with a win and play Sulphur Springs [in the first round of the playoffs] next week.”

The Leopards won the first game versus the Wranglers by a score of 40-30 but were not able to come out with the win on Tuesday, forcing a play-in game to break the tie.

“I think specifically we have to do a better job of rebounding the basketball consistently,” Herrema said. “We didn’t do a good job of that in the third quarter, plus we turned the ball over. [We need] a few tweaks on how we’re getting open and just need to stay focused for four quarters rather than three.”

Junior Trevor Hawley noted other ways in which the team is preparing for this highly-anticipated rematch.

“We are focusing on their key players and making our offense flow better by adding options off our regular plays,” Hawley said.

The team finished the second round of district 4-3, dropping the last two games to Highland Park and West Mesquite after a three-game winning streak. However, Herrema is not worried and said he is confident in his team’s ability to pull out the win the Friday.

“The last two [games] have not gone exactly the way we wanted them to, but we just need to do a little bit of a better job in some of the things we know we’re supposed to do,” Herrema said. “Three games ago we played a great game against Royse City, so we’re not that far from where we need to be.”

After a roller coaster of a season, Hawley said a win on Friday is exactly what the team needs going forward.

“A win will mean a lot to us, as we know we put in so much hard work,” Hawley said. “It will be awesome when it pays off that night.”

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About the Contributors
Alexis Russell, Staff Writer
Alexis Russell is a senior this year, and it is her second year on staff. She mostly writes about sports, including volleyball, basketball, and baseball. Her favorite teams are the Mavs and Cowboys, and her most prized possession is an autographed cardboard cutout of Dirk Nowitzki’s head. Her hobbies include wake surfing, skiing, and sitting in her massage chair. Her all-time favorite movie is Dodgeball, and her favorite band is Del Water Gap. After graduation, she hopes to study International Relations at either UT or Arizona. She looks forward to a great year with The Red Ledger.
Kelsey Carroll, Section Editor
Senior Kelsey Carroll has never owned a dog or a cat, but she’s the proud caretaker of two mini cacti living their life on her windowsill, and she thinks that’s just enough. She never forgets to water them weekly, as she’s a fond planner user who prides herself on writing down just about any task, even “write staff bio,” which she just proudly accomplished. When she’s not strumming twangy ukulele chords in her bedroom on the weekends or attempting to play a cello countermelody in class during the week, Kelsey can be found dancing to whatever plays in her earbuds (which are constantly on her) while editing photos until her laptop battery dies each night. Her days start before the sun’s up at swim team, and end with her furiously deciding which of her 16 pairs of Harry Potter socks to wear the next day. Whether she’s shooting sideline photos and dodging officials on the football field, or manning a jumbotron camera for the fans to see, Kelsey loves to be involved in any visual coverage she can get her hands on. Although she’s soft spoken, Kelsey hopes to share stories through her photos and writing as she tackles her roles as photographer, community editor, and social media editor during her fourth and final year on staff.

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