Boys basketball seniors reflect on last season

Madison Neuwald, Staff Reporter
February 20, 2019

Brandon Paluch, Nolan Thier, Sam Eddy, Andrew Gonzalez and manager Kyle Schaller are the five varsity seniors who have been committed to the boys basketball program all four years of high school.  Because these players have poured countless hours into preparing for each season, their leadership has become vital to the team’s performance.
“Being a senior on the team with a bunch of younger guys, not only do we have to lead with our voices, but also by leading by example,” Eddy said.
Although many see leaders as being vocal, the seniors this year have emphasized leadership through action.
“I make my presence known on the court by actions,” Thier said. “We don›t really try to speak as leaders because actions speak louder than words.”
However, when the time is right, the seniors said they don’t hesitate to speak up and let the team know what they need to improve on.
“In the locker room I think we are kind of the loudest people, especially before games, always getting everyone ready to start the game with energy and focus,” Gonzalez said.
Some of the seniors also mentioned that they picked up these leadership skills from past upperclassmen and are now filling their shoes today.
“Going through the program these last couple years, one of the ways I learned from the upperclassmen was always watching when we were practicing with the varsity team– what the older players did and just feeding off their energy,” Eddy said. “I really just focused on doing the things they did that helped them become successful basketball players.”
The team started off slowly this season, losing their first two games, but near the end of the season, the team had a winning record of 17-9, an improvement from last year’s record, which was 14 wins and 16 losses.
Although the stars of the team may be two dominant sophomores–Connor Enright and Scottie Ebube–leading the team on the court, the seniors continued to play major roles throughout the season.
“Overall leadership for the seniors is often shown through how they accept their roles and often, more importantly, how they accept the roles younger players are assuming,” Head Varsity Coach Matthew Badgley said. “Older players can have playing time reduced when younger, talented players appear, yet their roles, then, can become even more important, and the leadership of accepting new or adjusted roles can often determine the culture within the team.”
Going forward, the Mustangs not only had major expectations for this season but for the upcoming seasons as well.
“This year, I hope our underclassmen learn from our seniors that patience is important over the four years,” Badgley said. “Graduation will often create opportunities that they must be ready to assume.”

Seniors share basketball memories

The end of the boys basketball season brings the end of the high school basketball careers of the seniors on the team. Nolan Thier, Andrew Gonzalez, Sam Eddy, Brandon Paluch and Kyle Schaller have all had basketball as part of their lives since an early age.

 

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Nolan Thier

What is your favorite thing about basketball, and why?

Spending time with my teammates. The team becomes a second family for me. They are like the brothers I don’t have.

 

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned from basketball, and how will it affect you later in life?

How to learn your role. Do what you know how to do, not what others do. You do you.

 

What’s one moment that you’ll never forget about basketball, and why?

Winning our first conference game in four years (my junior year). It really set our team standards for last year and this year.

 

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Andrew Gonzalez

What’s your earliest memory of the sport?

My earliest memory of basketball was getting cut from the seventh grade basketball team.

 

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned from basketball, and how will it affect you later in life?

One lesson I want to believe I’ve learned is you have to believe in yourself even at your lowest points. I believe this lesson will affect me greatly in life later because you can use this lesson for everything.

 

What’s one moment that you’ll never forget about basketball, and why?

One moment I will never forget was this past year when we won the 55th annual Carbondale tournament in Southern Illinois because being with my teammates for four days and coming all that way for the championship made it really special to experience that with my brothers.

 

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Sam Eddy

What’s your earliest memory of the sport?

Watching “Space Jam” in my family room while shooting hoops on my Little Tikes hoop.

 

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned from basketball, and how will it affect you later in life?

Patience is a virtue. Not only does it apply to basketball, but off the court people who wait and keep persevering will succeed in their personal and professional lives.

 

What is your favorite thing about basketball, and why?

The game itself and the feeling you get every time that you step onto the court.

 

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Brandon Paluch

What’s one moment that you’ll never forget about basketball, and why?

Hitting my first game-winning buzzer beater in eighth grade.

 

Why is it important to be a part of a team?

It’s important because you meet new people, form strong bonds and you learn the importance of working with others.

 

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned from basketball, and how will it affect you later in life?

[It’s] taught me how to work with other people to accomplish a similar goal.

 

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Kyle Schaller

What’s one lesson that you’ve learned from basketball, and how will it affect you later in life?

One lesson I’ve learned is no matter how good you are, you need everyone to win.

 

What’s one moment that you’ll never forget about basketball, and why?

Having Ryan Borucki as our freshman coach was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of. He made that year the most fun I’ve ever had.

 

How long have you played basketball?

I’ve been playing basketball my whole life. I started playing with Sam [Eddy] and Nolan [Their] in the fifth grade and have remained close friends with them throughout middle and high school.

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