Students, parents, faculty and Warrior fans alike will agree: the boys Varsity team had an incredible season. They never lost a home game and they went undefeated in every conference game. Last Friday night in Mt. Pulaski the Warriors suited up to take on the Storm of Sangamon Valley for the regional Championship. Within minutes of the first quarter, junior Michael Houran set the tone for what would become an intense battle with an impressive three pointer. You could tell, even from stands, that these boys came to win. They worked the ball so fluidly the Storm’s defense just couldn’t hold them. And when Sangamon managed to get the ball, the Warrior defense made scoring a hard task. In the latter part of the first quarter junior Michael Hohm had a block that silenced the entire Sangamon Valley crowd. In the moments following, the Storm’s players acted like they didn’t know what just hit them. It was an incredible display or hustle and focus. The Warriors finished the first quarter with fifteen points to the Storm’s sixteen. A heated second quarter made sitting down impossible for spectators. Senior Brian Armour had a truly amazing game! He saw the hoop and had the ball; no one was going to stop him. He took fouls without protest and was a constant reminder to everyone on the court that they came to win. The second quarter ended with the Warriors trailing by five (32-27). The third quarter proved to be a tough battle with the Storm leading 53-37. For the Warriors a sixteen point lead was unacceptable. With some great plays from Coach Rapp, the boys reignited their passion to win. Fans of both Decatur Christian and Sangamon Valley stood in amazement as they watched the Warriors make a red-hot comeback. Each player on the floor worked with every fiber of their being to let Sangamon Valley know that it was going to be hard to shut them down. Clean shots were taken and amazing plays were executed. But when the clock ran out the Warriors trailed by a mere two points. Although the score board was a difficult thing to see, one thing stands out to everyone present at that game. It takes an incredibly talented team to have a comeback like that. These Varsity boys showed that they weren’t just a basketball team from a small Christian school. They proved that they were Champions.
For the entire season these boys have given their all on the court. They have suffered injuries and faced up-hill battles. But at the end of it all, the entire student body and parents couldn’t be more proud of them. So congratulations on an outstanding season! Your dedication and hard work took you so far! And most importantly you were great examples of Christian athletes by helping fallen opponents and keeping good attitudes.
Goodbye to seniors Brian Armour, Andrew McDowell, Alex Newbon and Wes Osborne! You were such a big part of this team and you will be missed! But buckle up Warrior fans; they’ll be coming back with a vengeance next season. Also, congratulations on moving on to the next round of the 3-point contest Michael Hohm! You can come to support him on Saturday, March 3 (time and location information will follow).
Karrissa Spangler
Junior Student
