By Jaelyn Leyser and Lilly Dunkin
The week of January 19–23 marked a major milestone for the varsity boys basketball team as they competed in the War on 54 tournament, culminating in a championship victory. After a long and challenging week, the team came away with the win despite facing several obstacles along the way.
Junior Christian Barnett was sidelined with an injury and did not play, but he remained a constant presence on the bench, supporting his teammates throughout the tournament. Senior Brylan Sommer noted that the championship game was especially difficult due to illness spreading through the team. “It was a rough game because a lot of the boys were out with the flu, including myself,” he said. “I got better enough to play so we could take home the win.” Junior Dylan Hoffman added simply that it felt good to come away with the victory.
As the season continues, several players reflected on how the 2025–2026 basketball season has been going so far. Barnett shared that the team has continued to improve, saying, “Not bad—we’ve slowly been starting to play as a team as the season’s gone on.” Hoffman described the season as going well, noting that his favorite moment was a dominant Monday night win by 40 points.
Sophomore Landry Hedrick said the season has been “alright,” joking that his favorite part has been “riding the bench with Aleck.” He also highlighted the Prairie View game as a standout moment, as it marked his first varsity point. Senior Aleck Smith summed up his experience enthusiastically, saying, “Yeah, this season has been great!”
Junior Beau Howey reflected on earning his first varsity start as his favorite moment of the season. He recalled a strong opening performance where the team led by 10 points at halftime. Although they came out slow in the second half, the Bulldogs maintained the lead for most of the game before it turned into a back-and-forth battle late in the third quarter.
With a championship win already under their belt, the varsity boys look to build on their momentum as the season continues.
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