Boys’ basketball persists despite losing graduates

Although the team lacks experience, they are equally driven to succeed.

The potential of Southern Lehigh’s boys’ basketball team for the 2023-24 season has yet to be determined. After losing in both league and district semifinals, last year’s team fell short of bringing home gold. Since then, the roster has lost a lot of vital graduates.

On the surface, the situation may look like it could be better. Behind the scenes, however, the team could be stronger than ever.

In the 2022-23 season, Southern Lehigh started five seniors with even more on the bench. After ending the regular season with a solid 17-8 record, the boys went into the playoffs last year with confidence to make it far. Their journey was cut short, as they lost to Saucon and East Stroudsburg in leagues and districts, respectively.

This time around, the boys’ lineup is less experienced, though they might be even stronger mentally. Behind the scenes, the players have a positive mindset.

Senior and team captain Hansen Fan has been playing basketball for Southern Lehigh since eighth grade. His experience shines through in his attitude and the praise he directed towards the sport and his teammates.

“We’re working very hard [and] building trust everyday,” Fan said. “Overall, the chemistry is really good.”

Although the team has suffered some hard losses so far, it’s apparent that there’s a strong foundation from a leadership standpoint. Knowing the team’s attitude on the court can help see where a team is mentally. Looking towards the locker room can reveal even more.

“Being good friends off the court makes it a lot easier to play with each other,” Fan said. “We have a lot of fun together, but we also work well together as a team.”

It’s clear that our boys are in the right mindset. Turning this attitude into results has been a different story, however.

The varsity team has endured some tough losses this season. Some younger players offered their perspective of what may be missing.

“The attitude and effort is there, but the other teams are executing better. We need to execute.” junior John Savage said. “We’ve also lost a lot of seniors and height within our Varsity roster. [Ninety-six percent] of our points last year came from the graduating seniors.”

The Southern Lehigh roster is clearly aware of their weaknesses. Whether or not they can improve upon them is a different task. The team seems to have maintained a steady perspective on their goals, which could aid them in this ambition.

“We’re going to prove everyone wrong,” junior Josh Allen said.“We are dogs.”

No matter the obstacles faced so far, Southern Lehigh’s boys basketball team is maintaining the same ambition moving forward. This sort of mindset could push the boys past these losses and towards a stronger finish to the season.

About the Contributors

Tommy Morris, Staff Reporter

Senior Tommy Morris is a first-year staff reporter for the Spotlight and has contributed five articles to the newspaper. He enjoys being creative and is thankful for the outlet writing gives him to express himself and learn more about the school. “I joined the Spotlight because I have always had an interest in writing and creativity,” Morris said. “Journalism truly is a great way to express ideas and spread those ideas to ensure a society that communicates and is up-to-date with what is going on in the world and what people in the world are thinking about.” Morris is an active student in the Southern Lehigh High School community. In addition to being a member of the Spotlight staff, Morris is also a member of the boys’ soccer team, Fashion Club, and Student Council. He is also very passionate about playing soccer and wants to continue playing on club teams. “I’ll probably attend Temple University, but I am currently undecided with what major I'll choose,” Morris said. “I do know that I want to continue playing soccer with my friends and for a team because soccer has always been a big part of my life.” During his senior year, Morris started to look back on his high school experience and reflect on the memories he has made. He has enjoyed high school due to the friendships he has made and all the moments of joy he has shared with them. “I’d have to say that my favorite high school moments all revolve around meeting my best friends that I will probably have for the rest of my life,” Morris said. “I’ve loved the soccer season, thrifting clothes with friends, playing SPUD with my fellow journalists, going to fun school events and, overall, just sharing a bunch of laughs with my boys.” Morris feels that he had a good outlook on high school throughout the last four years and went through high school with a positive attitude that helped him maintain a mindset with limited stress. This outlook is still a part of his character as he is looking forward to the rest of his school career. “I always say take it easy and love life,” Morris said. “I feel like my life is still building up to my big moment, and I am ready to accomplish my goals and continue to have fun.”

Luke Fisher, Staff Reporter

Luke Fisher is a first-year staff reporter for the Spotlight who primarily wrote entertainment articles during the 2023-2024 school year. Fisher was also a huge contributor to the newspaper when it came to sports, whether it was reporting on the status of our teams or taking incredible action shots. Luke admits he joined the class senior year to be with friends, but his writing made him feel accomplished, and he enjoyed publishing articles of his own. “I thought it was a fun and easy class for senior year that I could enjoy with my pals,” Fisher said. “I enjoyed spending time with them and being allowed to write articles; it's always fun to see your name publicized even if you're the one who wrote it.” To future journalism students, Fisher shares advice that he himself learned while taking the class. “Use your time wisely, and just get ahead of your work,” he said. “Too often I was rushing to get my articles out because we would goof around for the majority of the classes.” After he graduates, Fisher will attend Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina, where he will study physics and engineering. Although he is not exactly sure what career path he wants to follow, Fisher is interested in mechanical and electrical engineering. “[My] interest has stemmed from always enjoying those types of things growing up I guess,” he said. “I've always liked taking things apart and putting them back together learning how they work and I've always been into building things and finding cool solutions.” Before he goes off to school, however, Luke is excited for his summer plans. “I’m looking forward to the summer camp I work at in New Hampshire. This will be my tenth year going from camper to counselor. I will be there for the majority of the summer,” Fisher said. “ I also look forward to senior endeavors and spending time with my friends before we all go off to college.” As his senior year comes to an end, Luke likes to look back and remember all the good memories he made while at Southern Lehigh. “I'm going to miss the freedom and lack of responsibility in a sense,” he said. “There is a special feeling about being in school and seeing your friends that I can't really explain, but I will miss it.” And to all underclassmen or incoming students, Fisher has just one more thing to say. “As long as you be who you are and want to be, you will find the right people who like you for the right reasons.”

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Boys’ basketball persists despite losing graduates