As it starts to warm up outside, indoor sports start to wrap up their seasons. The boys basketball team had a long season and let nothing get to them. The team went up against many opponents and fought hard. The boys went 1-21 this year. Despite their record, they still showed off lots of hard work and pushed through the season.

Three seniors will exit the gymnasium this season, but there are many underclassmen that the coaches believe will be able to fill their shoes. The team will gain players from eighth grade as well. 

As the season started to wrap up in January, a few games were also played in February. The basketball team went up against some challenging teams, but they never let that stop them from fighting to keep up. 

The first February game was held on Feb. 3. The Bulldogs loaded onto the bus and traveled to Beaver Falls. The boys fell short in the end with a score of 65-29. Senior Nathan DiNardo led the team by scoring nine of those points. After this, the boys were back in the gym preparing for their next game.

Some important components of the games are the fans, student section and winter cheerleaders. At each game, all of them cheer on the Bulldogs. The fans bring support, the student section brings laughs and the cheerleaders cheer on the boys. 

On Feb. 7, the team hosted the Riverside Panthers. This night was an important game since it was senior night. At the beginning of the game, each senior player was recognized, along with the two senior winter cheerleaders. The game got underway after the ceremony. The boys ended up falling short with a score of 54-37. Junior Logan Bickerstaff led the team with 12 points. While this could be upsetting for the seniors, the boys pushed past it and prepared for their last game of their high school career.

The boys were back in action to play their last game on Feb. 10, where they traveled to their rival team’s gym, the New Brighton Lions. The stands were packed with students from each school. The Bulldogs fought hard but ended with a tough loss, 58-69. Sophomore Dekota Roberts scored 18 points and sophomore Jake Hilberry  scored 12 and Dinardo scored 10. 

“This group of kids won one game, no matter what happened they did not quit, even when things were tough,” assistant coach Ron Kelm said. 

The boys lost two of their players in the last few games due to injuries, but the team came together and never gave up, even if that meant a new lineup. 

Even though the season is over, the boys will stick together and be back in the gym in no time. They will start with an open gym during the summer to learn new techniques with the new players.