Basketballs are bouncy with air and the big gym is complete, ready for games. All that is missing is the roar of the crowd. But not for long.

“This year we have eight players returning and four of the eight are starters. Every year there are some rough patches with injured players. Even an attitude will affect the team,” boys basketball head coach William Churchill said.

Even though there are five players on the court, teams have a set amount of athletes on the roster.

“For varsity we will have from 12 to 15 players on the team depending on how long the football season lasts,” coach Churchill said.

The boys are ready for the new season.

“Our first game is against Eastwood and it will be tough but I think we will keep training hard like we have. I think we will have a great season. We have some tough games against two 6-A top 10 teams this year,” Churchill said.

The girls season starts two weeks before the boys, Nov. 4.

“We have 11 girls on the team and six of the players are returning. We have had a big setback with injuries, no gym and no weight room because we would use the one in the big gym. We made it work and already had our first game against Socorro with a score of 45-32, Bulldogs,” varsity assistant coach Eric Romero said.

Every team has to work together to be successful.

“Everyone improved to contribute to the team, whether it’s understanding their roles or building that chemistry and bringing us closer together. My goal is to be the best team in the city and do anything to win,¨ boys basketball captain Jack Gallegos said. 

Chemistry is important especially for young teams, but setting goals can be just as important.

“I have been on the basketball team since freshman year and it is my third year on varsity. We have a young team so we need to get our chemistry going to be great. Our goal is to win the district championship and go for a good playoff run but we have a long way to go,” girls basketball captain Grettel Atterberry said.

Players have goals for the team and themselves.

“I have been on the basketball team for two years on varsity. A big rough patch for me is that  being too hard on my teammates because I want us all to succeed at the highest level. My goals for the season is to win every game and win district so we can go far in the playoffs. I want to get an offer from the college that I want to go to,” boys basketball captain Donovan Black said.

There is always a tough opponent to play.

“I have been on the varsity team for two years and I feel that the toughest team we’ll play this season will be Bel Air. They have an overall well-developed team with a good coaching staff. My goal is to make my last season memorable and push each other to the district championship,” girls varsity captain Mayra Sosa said.