Athletics Blog

If there is one certainty I know from my twenty years of working at OES, prepare for the unexpected.  Friday night reminded me of this law of sports.  In November we all talked about the senior led boys basketball team. This veteran squad would start five seniors and the 6th man was a returning letter winner.  Well, as the boys secured the victory against Catlin I looked on the floor and saw two freshmen, Max and Porter on the court to close out the victory over our league rival.  Injuries to two starters and our 6th man meant new faces and new opportunities for our underclassmen.  Coach Kirk played 10 players in the second half as OES held on to a slight lead.  Haris and Edward played critical minutes early on and when AJ got into foul trouble Solomon played great defense and secured big rebounds.  Levi and Henry may not get any rest for the next few games, but both seniors are ready for that responsibility.  The entire girls varsity team returned from last year's magical season and they added freshman sensation Cici.  But 2022 Player of the Year Cayton S was on the bench with an injury she sustained during volleyball season.  They started the season 2-6.  No one forecasted that the girls would have such a tough start.  However, since Cayton has returned from injury, the girls have gone 4-2.  They defeated De La Salle to move into third place, and on Friday they dominated Catlin to improve their record to 6-10.  They have the second half of the league season in front of them and even though all seemed bleak in December they are heading into February with a chance to qualify for State.   Both teams find themselves in different situations than they forecasted in December, but the plan for success doesn't change.  Go to work every day.  Try to get a little bit better at every practice.  Sweat the small details. And most important, be present.  The season will be over before you know it.

On Saturday I walked into the Athletic Center and was blown away with the great basketball atmosphere.  From 9am until the early evening there were OES basketball games going on all three courts.  No one will remember what the final scores are of these games, but the experience will affirm skill development, improve decision making, and foster a love for competition and basketball.  

Highlight of the Week:

Congrats to the OES Boys B team.  On Thursday they earned their first victory of the season and Coach Holzman's first career victory as a head coach. This team's energy is off the charts.  Grant K is the ultimate teammate.  Even though he doesn't start, he is the most vocal player during warm-ups.  Every time a teammate makes a play, he is on his feet cheering.  Grant may not make it in the NBA, but he is already an All Pro teammate.

Ski Team results:

Find the results for all Ski Races here: http://metroskileague.org/2023_results