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Steve Jensen (11) likes to scare his opponents with his growl. Jensen started playing basketball in 7th grade, and hopes to get some double-doubles this season, but also to help his teammates to succeed. "I want to teach them to be good sports."

Steven Jensen (11) has certain ways to dominate the paint for his Manitou Springs Boys Basketball team: “Be mean, be very aggressive, I usually pinch them or poke them with my elbows,” but the best way to scare his opponents is his growl, he says. As one of the few upperclassmen on the team he steps up in his role as leader on the team.

Another familiar face is Lucas Rodholm (10). Rodholm played varsity last year, but was held back due to his knee injuries. “Mainly I’m trying to take it easy, I want to be cautious, but I don’t want it hold me back from my game,” he said.

Even though Rodholm is a young player, in a young team, he believes there shouldn’t be anything holding back underclassmen from stepping up: “Age doesn’t really matter, it’s just about who wants to step up.”

Rodholm isn’t the only young player stepping up for the Mustangs though. Guard Cole Sienknecht (9) has stepped up to a starting varsity spot.

As a young team, many have predicted that they won’t go far in playoffs. They still have high hopes for the post season, though. Rodholm says that his biggest goal would be, “Probably just making it to the playoffs, it’s probably the biggest thing because we’re not supposed to because we’re a young team.”

Jensen is also hopeful that he can help his team by putting up some double-doubles this season.

Even though they’re not the oldest players on the team, Jensen and Rodholm are still looked up to as leaders on the team due to what Jensen describes as their way of leading by example. “I want to teach them to be a good sport… Not to get emotional if you mess up,” he said.

“It’s a team sport, no one should think there’s an ‘I’ in team,” said Rodholm.

The young, dynamic Mustangs look forward to another season as they seek to accomplish their goal to make it to playoffs.

As they’re lead by Rodholm and Jensen, they must remember that it’s not about wins, and that “there’s no “I” in team”.