A sense of urgency is flowing through the varsity Eagles basketball team as playoffs approach and their spot is anything but locked.
“We have to win our next two games or Westlake will knock us out of playoffs,” senior guard Fred Barton said.
The boys hold a district record of 5-5 before they face off against the Del Valle Cardinals on Friday, February 8th.
“No disrespect to Del Valle but with the intensity of these next couple of practices I think we will blow them out,” senior guard Brandon Wasson said.
The Eagles are focusing on making the most of the rest of their season and finishing hot before playoffs.
“I don’t believe our team has peaked yet. We still have areas to improve in,” Barton said. “If we stay focused and stick to being a team and not individuals we can reach that peak.”
The team is aware of the potential they have as a whole team and how they are not playing up to that potential.
“I think that everyone wants to make plays and create something for the better of the team but it is not working,” senior guard Fredd Richardson III said. “We have to trust more in our teammates and their abilities.”
Coach David Peavy has made it clear to his players what he thinks about this year’s squad.
“We have decent size, good shooters, and good athleticism,” Peavy said. “We have potential to be great defensively. If we play unselfishly we are built to make a run in playoffs.”
The Eagles know exactly what Peavy means and they also know the pressure that comes with it.
“Coach Peavy told us we have the potential to be the best overall team he has coached or the most underachieving,” senior forward Courtlan Ross said.
With the team feeling some pressure from their coach, they know they need to become serious if they want to make a deep playoff push.
“We know, as a team, every game from now on is a must win,” Wasson said. “We need to stay focused and work to our strengths as much as possible so we can make the best of our season from this point on and start strong in playoffs.”
Ross believes that the team has overcome much adversity this season.
“This season we have played through some adversity,” Ross said. “We have lost players, lost district games, and failed to play up to our potential. We just need to bounce back and finish strong.”
The Eagles have two more games to play and now are focused on positioning themselves into a favorable playoff match up.
“We are currently in third place in our district,” Ross said. “The second half of district was all about positioning ourselves for playoffs. We will either play Pflugerville, Westwood, or Round Rock in the first round.”
Even with the sense of urgency surrounding the team they still believe they can win and are aware of how to achieve those wins.
“We are confident but we know we have to play each game like it is our last,” Barton said. “The team needs to realize our coaching is what got us here. We have to come together as a team and play up to the potential that we know we have to play at.”
