The WHS boys basketball team is finishing their first full season since the COVID pandemic. They finished 4th in the ECC’s and lost in the quarterfinals with a score of 71-48. The chemistry of the team has grown this past year leading them to more wins. They are currently second in the league. This season feels like a new start for most of the players. The drive from last season has not gone unnoticed by their coach, William Bassett.

Coach Bassett says, “There were a lot of disappointments last year.” Last basketball season was much different than any other season Bassett has coached. He is happy to see that this year has treated the team better. “The motivation is so powerful this year,” Bassett states.

The spectator policy last basketball season eliminated the student section. Only parents were able to attend the games. At the beginning of this year, the same policy was in place. The rules ended up being altered a few times based on how many people per player could attend. Just recently, WHS has finally allowed the Lancer Nation section to be back in the gym during games. The guest team student section can now attend as well, if they buy tickets online before the game.

Last year the team was left without a large fan presence because of COVID cases. Many players felt the low energy during fanless games. Logan Peabody explained, “Something that kept me going was my teammates because they were always there for me.” Like any other team, they face problems throughout their season. Ayden Bousquet explains that “practices with everyone can be hard but it all pays off in the end.”

As the boys confidently moved into the new season, they were more positive. Bousquet affirmed, “the vibes during the games this year are so much better with the Lancer Nation there.” The student section and having fans are more appreciated by the players now because we lost that for a while.” Before every home game, the starting five players are all announced with their names and pictures put up on the wall. This acknowledgment amps the players up from the start.