Girls Varsity Basketball Secures First Wins of the Season
Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Basketball Team for earning their first win of the season on Senior Night, then following that up with a second win the next day on Friday, January 23rd. After starting the season with eleven straight losses, the Eagles showed perseverance pays off by sticking together and working as a team to overcome the losing streak.
"Getting our first win on Senior Night was really special. The girls have worked hard all season, and our senior captains have been great leaders from day one. I’m proud that their effort paid off and that we were able to come through for the seniors.”
-Varsity Coach Thomas McCloughan
We caught up with senior Co-Captains Lucy Spreen & Jiondae Dewald to learn more about their journey. Lucy had 20 points and three assists in Thursday's game, and Jiondae helped motivate her teammates from the sideline as she is recovering from an ankle injury.
Senior Co-Captain Lucy Spreen
Q: How satisfying was it to secure your first win on senior night?
LS: It was more exciting for me for our team to finally experience a hard earned win during our season. I know we always try our best during our games, but sometimes it becomes too much or we become overwhelmed. I am glad we finally got what we work so hard for and I wish for more wins for our deserving team and coaches.
Q: Do you feel a duty as a captain to keep your team motivated, and how do you typically do that?
LS: I do feel that duty, I love uplifting and making my teammates laugh and feel better. I feel like in the past our team hasn't had the most uplifting environment and I work to make everyone feel good after games win or lose. If you feel confident you play better, I want to make sure I give constructive criticism without making them feel insulted. I always wanna make sure my teammates know I believe in them.
Q: What makes this year's team special and unique?
LS: This year's team really has become a family, we have special bonds with one another. I really enjoyed becoming close and talking to girls I wouldn't normally talk to during school and I think this has really brought our team together. Our losses don't hurt as much because we don't blame one another and know we did our best without talking badly to one another. I am really enjoying the girls more than anything.
Senior Co-Captain Jiondae Dewald
Q: What was it like leading your team as a captain on this special day?
JD: I am currently recovering from an ankle injury, so leading my team looked like cheering and words of encouragement for me. I reminded my team to keep their heads up and clapped and yelled at every opportunity.
Q: Do you feel a duty as a captain to keep your team motivated, and how do you typically do that?
JD: As a captain, there is a balance between motivation and corrective criticism. I challenge my team to focus while still having fun. It is easiest to motivate my team after a mistake is made because it's the best time to tell them it's okay, and we can learn from these small mishaps.
Q: How has basketball shaped you as a person this year?
JD:Basketball has shown me that you can still have fun regardless of the score. Leading a team and always having a group of people you can trust is so special to me and makes this season exceptional.
Junior Erin O'Rourke had had five points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in Thursday's game. We caught up with her to learn more about what it was like experiencing the team's first win.
Q: What was it like helping your team secure their first win of the season?
EO:It felt really good, its been a rough year but, hopefully we can pick up a few more by the end of the season.
Q: What makes this year's team special and unique?
EO: We lost two starters that scored most of our points and making up for that loss has been challenging, but it’s pushed everyone to step up. This year’s team is special because we don’t rely on just one or two players and we play more as a team. As a result, we’ve grown a lot this season and continue to improve every game.
Q: What has kept you and your teammates motivated through losses?
EO: Even through losses, we stay motivated by supporting each other and focusing on getting better every day. We’re all friends, so we don’t let losses tear us apart. We keep each other positive, joke around when we need to, and use losses as motivation to come back better the next game.
Eagles Insider
This episode of Eagles Insider features career aspirations, Mrs. Ruvolo and her passion for teaching Spanish, fashion hot takes, tips for how to get organized in 2026 and a puppet PSA on global warming.
National Honor Society
Congratulations to the following students for being inducted into the National Honor Society: Yalexiz Abreu, Phineas Baker, Tucker Hicks, Juneabea Horsnall, Addison Koveloski, Heber Mendozza, William Murzenski, Erin O'Rourke, Sydney Powell, Jason Top Conde, and Lauren Zuniga.
What's Coming Up?
Into the Woodsperformance dates: Thursday, February 26, Friday, February 27, Saturday, February 28
Click HERE to see the Elementary School Newsbite Click HERE to see the Middle School Newsbite
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
