After a long offseason, the Varsity basketball team is making the final preparations necessary to succeed in their first game on Dec. 5 at Milford.

Last season, they posted double-digit wins in back to back seasons for only the third time in 25 years. This year, their team motto is “We Will,” meaning that “they will play with passion, and they will play for each other.”

“We Will was chosen by our seniors. It’s a play-off of the Adidas I Will campaign. It signifies our team’s willingness to do whatever it takes to have success, on and off the floor. For example, We Will compete, We Will scrap, We Will defend, etc,” Head Coach David Moss said.

The team will have to cope with the loss of eight seniors. Class of ’14 graduate Mitch Hill played his first Division I minutes with Winthrop University and scored four points in his first game.

Four current seniors will lead the squad. Jalen Shropshire, Mathew Green, Eric Stepp, and Nick Gehrlich will serve as leaders to the team.

“Our four seniors have done a great job so far leading a young team. We have 19 players between Varsity and Junior Varsity, and 11 of them are in the 9th or 10th grade, so we are very young. Our seniors understand their leadership role and how important it is to this year’s team success as well as to our program’s future success,” Moss said.

After battling the Eagles of Milford on the road, the team will open up Greater Miami Conference (GMC) play on Tues. Dec. 9 at home against the Oak Hills Highlanders.

“Milford is a tough opener, as they are well coached and prepared each year. We are in the process of discovering the strengths of our team and who we will be this season. Our program goals are to compete for a GMC title each year and to win a sectional title. Another GMC title is always at the top of my list,” Moss said.

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