12 SPORTS

SEASON OF BASKETBALLThe Westside girls and boys varsity basketball seasons are in full swing,

and fans have been treated to dunks, clutch three-pointers, close games and more.

The girls team has climbed to a top-five ranking in Class A (it stands at fifth). Its season has been highlighted by the emergence of freshman Quinn Weidemann (read about her on page 11) as one of the team’s two best players alongside senior Jay Bridgeman.

Big games against top 10-ranked teams Bellevue West and Omaha Central loom. The Warriors travel to Bellevue West to face Bellevue West tonight at 5:30 p.m. Westside will face the visiting Central Eagles Friday, Feb. 6.

The boys recently fell out of the top 10 with three straight losses to unde-feated and No. 1-ranked Norfolk, No. 7-ranked Millard West and unranked Millard North. A 56-30 victory over North Platte Saturday, Jan. 24 got the team back on track.

The boys have been led by a “big three” made up of juniors Trae and AJ Meeks and sophomore Anthony Bratton (read about him in issue four of the Lance). Trae had the team’s best individual performance of the season in the loss to Norfolk as he scored 27 points.

Quite possibly the toughest month of the season is ahead for the team. The season winds down with games against top 10-ranked teams Bellevue West, Omaha Central, Omaha South, Omaha North and Creighton Prep.

Make sure to visit westsidewired.org and follow @westsidewired on Twit-ter and Instagram for coverage of the final month of the regular season.

Left: Senior Jay Bridgeman protects the basketball during Westside’s game against Papillion-La Vista Friday, Jan. 9. Below: The varsity dance team performs at halftime of the girls varsity basketball team’s victory over Millard North Thursday, Jan. 22. Photos by Sarah Lemke

Above: Members of Red Shield and the students section go wild after a junior AJ Meeks put-back dunk in Westside’s loss to Millard North Thursday, Jan. 22. Left: Senior KaVon Neelon drives to the basket during his team’s loss to Millard North Thursday, Jan 22. Photos by Sarah Lemke

AREN M E D I A CO O R -

Varsity TeamsThe story of “Team Stevenson” from Westside’s intramural

basketball league is not one of great success or tremendous ath-letic achievement. In fact, the team stands at 0-3 in the league filled with shenanigans and unpracticed basketball play.

Simply put, Team Stevenson is a below-average basketball squad competing in a below-average basketball league.

“We are the pinnacle of mediocrity and a model for children to exceed,” said senior Sam Stevenson, the team’s captain and namesake.

After losing an uneven game Monday, Jan. 26, the team isn’t likely to win the intramural basketball championship. In fact, they aren’t guaranteed to pick up a victory.

Team Stevenson features Stevenson, seniors Kyro Iskandr, Mark Coldanghise, Hayden Lehr, Jared Musser, Kyle Petsche and Erik Williams along with juniors Max Malnack and Troy Suwondo.

Through three games, Musser, Petsche and Suwondo have been the team’s best players. As a unit, the team has played mostly a two-three zone defense. It has set its sights on picking up at least one victory this season.

“[It] would be nice if we could win a game,” Stevenson said. “Other than that, [our goal is] just…dribbling down the court, showing off our limited skills, draining threes and trying to drain other threes.”

On its quest to claim a victory, the team has done exactly what any team in its situation would do: very little to im-prove.

“We sometimes go over what a two-three zone defense is before games,” Stevenson said. “Other times, we just play.”

Regardless of its record and not-so-lofty goal, the team still looks like the average intramural basketball team during

warm-ups. Iskandr was seen draining three-point shots dur-ing warm-ups Monday. Lehr was heard saying, “Everyone buys me McDonald’s if I dunk.” The players dress in theme, always going with a whiteout. Stevenson says keeping the consistent theme helps them “harness our inner chi.” It’s not until the game ball goes in the air for opening tip that things go south for Team Stevenson.

“During warm-ups, we seem to have our rhythm,” Iskandr said. “But when we get out on the court with real time and real pressure, we lose all composure and start to just throw things up.”

As far as good plays, Stevenson said his team hasn’t had many. However, a memorable one was Petsche hitting a three-pointer to put the team within two of Team Phillips. Unfortu-nately for Team Stevenson, Team Phillips pulled away shortly after.

“[Junior] Abdi [Abdinasir] turned on the jets, and he just de-stroyed us,” Stevenson said. “We got within two, and then the intensity was probably a little too much to handle.”

But however many shots they might miss or rebounds they might not get, it isn’t all about winning for intramural basket-ball ball. Stevenson’s team is succeeding at the most important thing about the intramural league: fun.

“It’s fun to watch,” said art instructor and intramural bas-ketball supervisor Shawn Blevins. “Everybody’s there for their own reason, but the key is that it’s fun.”

Iskandr said he is glad the Westside intramural basketball league has given him and his team the chance to play a sport in a fairly non-competitive atmosphere full of entertaining mo-ments.

“I for sure [have] a good laugh watching my team and others play,” Iskandr said.

Team Stevenson and the rest of the intramural basketball league hit the courts again Monday, Feb. 9.

13SPORTS

Above: Senior Erik Williams shields the ball from his opponent, senior John Neubaum. Below: Neubaum and senior Jacob Andrews watch their ongoing game. Photos by Jakob Phillips

Above: Seniors Jared Musser and Jared An-drews battle to win the opening tip. Photo by Jakob Phillips

AREN R E N -M E D I A CO O R -

Intramural Team

Left: Musser and se-niors Luis Torres and Kyro Iskandr get loose before their intramural basketball game held Monday, Jan 26 in the Activity Gym. Far Left: Senior Jared Musser pulls up for a jump shot with a defender, senior Kieran Carter, in his face. Photos by Jakob Phillips

SEASON OF not-so-BAS-