The boys form a huddle as Coach Carr explains the plays they will perform for the game. The only thing they can hear is the support from the audience, which seems to egg on their confidence even more. The coach says his parting words, and they break the circle, ready for battle.
The boys varsity basketball team kicked off the season with a scrimmage game against Kempsville High School on Nov. 22, 2014. After a long battle, they victoriously defeated the Kempsville Chiefs, and continued their winning streak with the defeat of the Hermitage Panthers on November 29th. Their fearless attitude towards outside schools is what has gotten them through the scrimmages, and they do not plan to back down for the real deal.
“We do not sweat other teams. We worry about us, and what we do in order to be successful,” Coach Carr, head coach, said.
This is the second year Coach Carr has been coaching the Boys Varsity Basketball team, and many feel that the past two years with him have been great.
“It’s good [having Coach Carr]. He’s a good coach. Very understanding,” Richard Hanson, senior and varsity Basketball player, said.
To say that Coach Carr is feeling like a “good coach” would be an understatement.
“I feel great. I had a lot more time to prepare for this upcoming season. I feel like I have [my guys] in check,” Carr said.
He does not only feel great, but believes that the best part of coaching the team is the ability to pick who he wants to spend the season with.
“It’s one of the perks of being a coach. You don’t get to choose your parents. You don’t get to choose your children. You don’t get to choose your students. You don’t get to choose your teachers. But I have the luxury of choosing my guys.” Carr said.
This season, the boys plan to have a heavy focus on the defensive side, but there is one player who is going in the opposite direction.
“Me, personally, I’m trying to work on my offense. I got my defense down pack,” Hanson said.
Along with focuses on the court, there is one who focuses their attention off of the court.
“[This season] I’m trying to stay healthy,” Mikale Harris, senior and Varsity Basketball player said.
The audience is also expected to see something in the players, on and off the court.
“Our audience can expect a hard working team of well-mannered gentlemen who will have a positive impact on this school,” Carr said.
Coach Carr, along with a few others, believes that teamwork is what will make the team successful in the end.
“Without a doubt,” Carr said.
Coach Carr also believes that the guys are ready, from the captains to the managers, they are prepared for battle.
“We have been preparing for [the] season since the summer. There are a handful of guys who have been putting in work for months,” Carr said. The official season started Tuesday, December 9 with the Royals going up against Hopewell. For the past two years, Coach Carr has not been able to choose a moment in time where he has been proud of the team.
“I am constantly proud of this team. I do not pin point times where I am proud and not proud. As long as my team puts forth every ounce of effort they have, I am proud of their results. I am more proud when I see a group of gentlemen who represent our school and community to the standards to which they are held,” Carr said.
