Strength in Numbers

By: Lisa Krmek

The days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder, which means that winter is coming and basketball season is just around the corner. This year there are more Culver Community girls who are enthusiastic about basketball than there has been for a long time. 

“I believe that the 8th grade team success from last year along with the soccer and volleyball teams this fall has carried over to the basketball season,”  said athletic director Mike Zehner. 

There is not just an increase in girls but coaches as well. 6 coaches and managers are working with players this year. All try to be present at as many practices as possible. 

The girls started practicing this year in the middle of October where the coaches started to lock them in. With hard practices and great team dinners, the days passed quickly until the first game against North Miami. Unfortunately, head coach Adam Neace’s varsity team 

lost that game and their first 3 games for the season. 

“I would sure love to play those 3 games again, now that we have our legs underneath us,” said coach Adam Neace. 

However, the whole team showed each other support and didn’t let themselves feel defeated.They trained harder and everyone showed so much commitment that the team was able to win the Bell Game against Argos for the first time, leaving them finally able to take the bell home with them. 

“Winning the bell felt like all our hard work and dedication had finally paid off. Being able to storm the court with my teammates gave me a rush of joy that you can’t even put into words,” said junior Brianna Schlemmer. 

The final score of the Bell Game was 51-19, which was well-deserved. Not a second went during the game where the girls and the fans didn’t show Argos whose gym they were in and how badly Culver wanted to take the bell home with them. When the clock hit zero, the whole gym shook with excitement.

Everyone is excited about how the girls basketball season will continue, and they keep their fingers crossed for them to be able to show what all of the coaches have given them this year.

“I think we can have an extremely exciting season with amazing opportunities. These kids are outstanding athletes and I’m extremely lucky to be their coach,” said head coach Adam Neace proudly!