The Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team is looking to improve on their early quarterfinal exit in last year’s CIF-SS playoffs. In their home opener against Valley Christian High School, the Lightning claimed a 47-40 won, bringing their season record to 4-2.
The team also took a 62-49 win against Calvary Chapel on Nov. 23 and is looking to continue their form.
The team underwent some significant changes this past year, graduating seniors Johnny Mayhew, Darian Hanjan, Brayden Brien, Antao Hu, and Sergio Maggette, son of Corey Magette, former NBA player who played for the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors. With those veterans gone, Head Coach D’Cean Bryant notes how returning players will need to take on bigger responsibilities. Last year’s juniors, for example, will now need to step up and fill in the roles of the seniors who left.
If losing last year’s seniors did not change the team enough, Head Coach D’Cean Bryant notes how the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team is “adapting to new talent” with Sophomore Timi Akomolafe, Freshman Tolu Akomolafe, and Senior Dillan Shah joining the team. With six of this year’s 14 players being newcomers, the Lightning are looking to quickly adjust to a big change in their roster.
Ahead of the upcoming season, Bryant notes how “one of the biggest goals we’re looking to improve is to realize that we’re constantly learning…everybody wants to win a lot of basketball games, and there is a standard that comes with that.”
While every team has days when they can play well, great teams replicate their level of play every game. The team can not lose their focus on a bad day and must always play at the highest level possible.
Bryant highlights the philosophy that as long as the team improves each practice, the results will come later. “Of course, you want to be a league champion, but you also want to make sure you are getting better each day. We want to be process driven not goal driven.” He heavily emphasizes the team’s “standard” and strives to elevate each team practice to that level, the team should learn to love the process just as much, if not more than winning games, Bryant said.
