On January 30th, the Manitou Springs High School (MSHS) boys’ and girls’ basketball teams faced Trinidad in a compelling and exciting game. Both MSHS teams have done extremely well this season with a decent team ranking of 9th place in the 3A division for the boys’ team and 11th place for the girls’. Both teams have excellent players that have helped them get this far this year and have created a competitive and dedicated mindset and environment for all the players on both teams. This has arguably been one of the best seasons for both teams showing tremendous growth.

“We have the same coaches for two years in a row now, which I think helps maintain the consistency,” said first-year Captain Aniah Olson (12) who has been on varsity all four years, “The goal is to always get as far as we can.”

Though the girls’ team has done tremendously well this season, they do have their own struggles like any other team. “I think something we really struggle with is our height,” said Olson, “I feel like it prohibits us from playing to our full potential and makes us a little scared to go for things like rebounds.”

It was a nail-biting game to watch with the MSHS girls’ team in the lead at half time and winning with a final score of 39-33. “The game was kind of nerve-wracking, though the close score motivated us to do better,” said junior Sophie McKeown, who’s a first-time varsity player. Overall, the girls played a hard game with a turnout in their favor.

The boys’ game was also a sweat-breaking game, though they had a little less of a challenge. “No game is easy, although the amount of skill we have and our defense helps us beat teams by a great amount,” said first-year captain Isaiah Thomas (11) who’s been a skilled varsity player all three of his years. “The chemistry of the team has increased greatly,” said Thomas “we all share an unbreakable bond that really helps our game and the way we play.”

The boys’ team defeated Trinidad in an effortless win with a final score of 67-33. The MSHS boys’ basketball team has a great chance of going far and hope to make it to the state championships. “If we keep up our momentum until the end of the regular season and bring that into the state playoffs, I think we’ll go far,” said Thomas.

This game, in particular, was dedicated to Kobe Bryant since his recent passing. The Manitou crowd dressed up in yellow and purple to show their love and grief of the remarkable player. “He was one of the most influential basketball players of all time,” said Thomas, “He really impacted the game because of his energy and mentality and has not only inspired me but our whole team.”

Both teams have become extremely successful this season and have put in so much heart, sweat and dedication to become the best team they can be. The Trinidad game has pushed both teams up in their rankings and has them one step closer to their end goals.