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This year at AHS we have seen one of the most memorable basketball seasons in a long time. From the away game at Coosa High School to the neck-and-neck Christmas Tournament games, this season was full of exciting moments. Sophomore, Carlie Wolfer, a basketball cheerleader this past season said, “This season was full of crazy games and exciting moments that never disappoint. Every game had something special about it.”  One special game in particular from this season would be the senior night game against Trion. Alyrik Wood, a sophomore at AHS who played varsity this past season, described the atmosphere at senior night to be unlike any other game. Wood said, “This year’s senior night was really unique compared to what they’ve done in the past. They went all out this year with a projector on the floor for our only senior, Jordan Joyce. It was just a really special game. The energy was up and we all had a really good time.”  Even when taking a loss, the team never disappointed in providing the fans with a fast-paced, high-stakes game. 

In every sport, the coaches are there to help players maximize their skills so players can have the best performances. Jacob Seagraves, a junior basketball player, said that he was inspired by Coach Decker to try out and participate in this year’s season. Seagraves said, “I was mainly inspired to try out by Coach Decker. He seemed really excited for this season and had such high hopes for the team because of all of the freshmen that were moving up this year.” 

Many of the players had personal goals this season, and for Drake Ballard, one of his main goals was to make it onto the varsity team. Ballard achieved this goal by taking advice that has been shared with him over his years as a player. He said, “I’ve always been told to give it all I’ve got when I’m out on the court. Whether it’s a practice or a game I always put all my effort into playing.” While the season had its serious moments, there were also times when the only thing you could do was laugh it off. Ballard recalled his most memorable moment from this season being the time that he accidentally scored on the opposing team’s goal. He said, “One thing I definitely won’t forget from this season was when I accidentally went up and made a shot on the other team’s goal.”

As we saw throughout the season, some games are more challenging than others. During those more challenging games, it may be more difficult to keep up an upbeat attitude. For Alyrik Wood some games are harder than others to stay optimistic, when this happens he has to remind himself that what happens is in the past and that he needs to look forward. He said, “I have to remind myself to stay in the game and hold my head high. I have to move past whatever has happened and work to make sure that the rest of the game goes the way I want and just give it everything I’ve got.” Sometimes the responsibility of keeping high energy falls back on the cheerleaders who work hard in the background to keep the spirits of the players and audience members up. Mandy Salmon, a sophomore here at AHS, shared how she can maintain her upbeat energy during games. She said, “We have a specific cheer we shout for each player when there is a free throw. We shout their name and tell them ‘You got it!’ to encourage them to make their best shot.” This season had many special moments and milestones to be remembered for the seasons to come. We can’t wait to see what next season will bring.