By Alex Stogdill

The regular season is winding down for the boys basketball team in 2012-2013 season. There are just a few games left and all of them are very crucial for this year’s team.

They have suffered some tough losses recently, including those against Columbus and Omaha Burke. With these setbacks, the Gators look forward to their last few regular season games that still remain. These games could very well make or break their season.

Of course the team wants to win out the rest of the schedule, which is very well possible for this year’s team. If they did accomplish this task, they could be conference champions, city champions, host a district, and if all goes well, accomplish the very goal that was set from day one; make it to the state tournament for the third year in a row.

The Gators were 10-7 as of press time. Their loss against Lincoln High on Thursday was rough since the Links are such a big inner-city rival. Even though they have had some tough losses, the team is doing nothing but looking forward. They know what is at stake within the rest of their remaining schedule. They have put in so much hard work over the course of this year. The nice thing is that they have received a lot of support not only from their teammates, but from the coaching staff as well.

The coaches have been there pushing them and working hard with them since day one. They want to see this team be the best they can be. It’s hard to bounceback from tough losses, but head coach Tony Quattrocchi said, “I believe that our guys will respond extremely well with all of the character we have on the team. I know they will want to come out and win the rest of our games.” Quattrocchi, along with the rest of the coaching staff, has extreme confidence in the boys and their ability to get the job done.

Heading into Districts, Coach Quattrochi is optimistic, “We need to keep improving on our execution and being consistent. We have shown signs that we deserve to be in the state tournament, but have also shown that we can be inconsistent . ” The coaches are doing their best to prepare the team for the rest of the games, and trust in them very much.

The players are also staying optimistic and motivated to finish out the rest of the season strong. It’s important that the team doesn’t get discouraged by the losses that they have suffered. They need to stay strong and stay together so that they can still accomplish the goals they have set for themselves.

Noah Housh (12) is a center on this year’s team. These last regular-season games are important to him, especially since this is his last season as a Gator. “It’s important to win,”said Housh, “but even more important to have fun.”

Teammate Connor Musiel (11) plays point guard. As leader on the team, Musiel feels his position changes, “I feel like the games we lose fall on my shoulders and every loss makes me want to work harder and harder.” Both players still believe that, despite the losses, the team still has the capability to make it to the state tournament in March.

It’s been somewhat of a rollercoaster year for the Gators. We have had some great wins, but have also suffered some devastating losses. No matter what happens, the team and coaches continue to give it their all, and strive to be their best.

With the support of the Gator community, anything is possible for our boys basketball team.

Next up for the boys are district basketball games. The location and time of the game was not available as of press time, but the first possible district game could be Saturday, Feb. 23.