Tonight the RBHS varsity boys’ basketball team will face off against Miller Career Academy (MCA) in St. Louis. The players and coaches have been preparing for weeks to play against MCA and will take part in the Troy Invitation Tournament.
Assistant varsity coach Jordan Showalter has been an instrumental part of the effort to prepare for the game against MCA. Showalter believes the game will certainly be a challenge but one the team is ready to take on.
“We’re playing with a little bit of target on our backs this year, so we need to play well in order to win,” Showalter said. “It’ll be a nice challenge for our team. We think those [Troy Invitational] contests will be good challenges for us and hopefully help us improve as a team.”
The players are eager to win once again against MCA, as the Bruins were able to last year with a score of 72-56. Two years ago, when the Bruins faced the Phoenixes on the road, the buzzer went off, RBHS fell just short of MCA. Junior forward Grant Hajicek worries the same may happen this year but believes every player is determined to beat MCA and that will make all the difference.
Senior shooter Spencer Miles is considered a leader among his teammates and admires the nature of his team to keep moving forward.
“As a senior, you have to lead and help people through everything,” Miles said. “I admire our competitive nature and how hard we play in a game, winning or losing. Miller Academy might not be the best competition we play this year, but we will prepare for them so we can beat them and keep moving forward.”
Showalter hopes the game against MCA, whether the team wins or loses, will be a uniting and motivational factor in future games and seasons. With practice, he believes the team can win once again.
“Our guys have been working hard in practice,” he said. “The Miller Career Academy game is extremely important for us, as is every other game on our schedule. We want to take everything one game at a time and do our best to prepare and play up to our potential. Our goal for the rest of the season is to take one game at a time and to maximize our potential through perfect practice, day in and day out.”
Are you a member of the team? Let us know in the comments below.
Ross • Dec 13, 2018 at 12:05 pm
No I am not a member of the team. Good article though.