Winter Sport Preview
The once bright new turf has been completely covered by a blanket of snow, the air that was once warm makes you shiver and your breath visible as you step outside, and Halloween and Thanksgiving have been washed away with thoughts of Christmas like they have never existed. All these signs of winter make it clear that Weedsports fall sports have ended and it’s time to welcome in our winter sports. This winter season will be filled with new teams and more competition for our athletes. The 2023 fall season was definitely one to remember. The standards are high for this winter season but our athletes are hoping for the best. To understand more on how our athletes are feeling, students were asked questions based on how they think the season will go.
Basketball:
If there’s one thing other than football that Weedsports’ students go crazy over, it’s basketball. Basketball is one of Weedsport’s prized sports. As soon as the music starts and the players run out you automatically know it’s going to be a good night. Last season basketball games were full of students decked out in outfits corresponding to the theme for that night screaming and cheering for a win. The good energy seemed to work as they won 18-3. But there’s a new team this year, a lot of good players lost, and a whole new gym to play in. To see how our athletes are feeling about the upcoming season two athletes from the boys team were interviewed and one athlete from the girls team was interviewed.
Lucio Cole (Senior)
Q: What are you expecting the basketball season to be like this year?
A: Very fun because we have a good team and we all get along together.
Q: What are you looking forward to this season?
A: The games. Home games because they’re very fun and loud.
Q: How are you feeling knowing it’s your last year playing high school basketball?
A: It’s sad but I’m using it as motivation, kind of because I want to do the best I can to get to the next level.
Q: How do you think the kids next year are going to do without you?
A: They’ll be fine. I think I’ll leave a pathway for them to follow.
Treston Williams (Sophomore)
Q: What are you expecting the basketball season to be like?
A: Pretty good. Catching some dubs (wins).
Q: What are you looking forward to this season?
A: Just playing with everyone on the team again.
Q: What do you think it’s going to be like with the new gym?
A: Pretty dope (awesome). I don’t think it’s going to cause issues, it’s going to look fire (nice).
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: To not suck. I’m going to practice every single day after football.
Q: Is there anything you’re going to do differently or anything that’s going to be different than last season?
A: Well if I get moved up to varsity then I’ll probably sit the bench which is different because I played a lot last year, but it’s okay.
Q: If you do get moved up to varsity and end up playing do you think you will do good?
A: I mean I don’t think I’ll be bad but I think I’ll do pretty decent because I can shoot and I can drive.
Lucio Cole who is in his last year of playing for Weedsport has made a mark on his team and everyone else who watches him. It’s evident when you watch him play that this is what he loves to do. Lucio brings a good energy to the court when he plays. It’s without a doubt that he will forever hold a special place on Weedsport’s basketball court. Treston Williams who played JV last year has done nothing but improve. Treston expresses he intends to work hard this season especially with being moved up to varsity. There’s a lot of room for growth every year on a team but now more than ever with some good players being lost but the hopes are high for these two athletes.
Colleen O’Neil (Senior)
Q: How long did it take for your knee to heal?
A: Well I was cleared after nine months after the surgery so really like nine months and eighteen days after I hurt myself but that’s like really soon for someone. Recovery is usually nine to twelve months. I’m cleared now. I’ve been cleared just over a week but it’s still very different getting back.
Q: How was your recovery?
A: There was a lot of work into it. You just had to be consistent with all of your exercises and everything but I mean as long as you were consistent it was pretty- I mean it wasn’t awful to get back.
Q: Did you go to physical therapy at all?
A: Yeah I still do usually once or twice a week. Before surgery I was going just about the same amount between when I hurt myself and surgery I was going like once or twice a week the same. They were having me do a lot of exercises mainly focusing on your quads and your hamstrings just to get everything strong before surgery and then after surgery obviously you have to recover the muscle cause that protects the joint and then a lot of just like strength stuff a lot of relearning how to run, cut, jump like just everything to get it to match your uninjured leg.
Q: Are you nervous to play on it this season?
A: I wouldn’t say nervous but like once I’m on the floor I feel fine it’s just like getting back to the same intensity that’s’ difficult. I don’t realize when I’m nervous to do something until I’m in the moment doing it, so like thinking ahead I wouldn’t be nervous to do something but maybe when I’m on the floor I’m like ‘oh shoot maybe I should adjust what I’m doing’ to make it feel safer.
Q: What are your expectations for this season?
A: I just want to do as well as we can. I have a feeling we’ll do really well this season, hopefully win the section championship because we were so close last year but I’m just really hoping we get as far as we can and play our best.
Q: Do you think you’re going to have more of a challenge this season because of your injury?
A: Maybe not more of a challenge but I’ll just have to work a little harder to get back to the point I was at last year and be on the floor more but honestly I just need to work a little bit more and practice but I don’t think it will be challenging it will just be more of a mental toughness sort of thing. I just need to lock and do what I do and hopefully I’ll be back to where I was last year.
Colleen O’Neil tore her ACL last February during a home game against Port Byron. The senior says that she was changing directions and could feel it pop. Ever since then Colleen has been working hard nonstop to get her leg better in time to play this year. With all the time she spent at physical therapy before and after surgery Colleen is coming back for her final year to play basketball with her team. Weedsport hopes to see Colleen do her best and play hard on the court like she has done many times before.
Volleyball:
If anyone’s looking for a sport all about communication, throwing your body onto the floor, spiking balls across a room, or even cute hairstyles, the Weedsport’s volleyball team has you covered. Every game the girls are putting in all their energy into bringing home a win and at practices they are spending their time improving. This team brings all their Weedsport spirit onto the courts when they play, showing everyone how much they want a win. This season the girls have a new team with two sophomores joining. To understand how the girls are feeling about their season Emma Stephens a senior who plays libero and Megan House a sophomore who plays as a setter were both interviewed.
Emma Stephens (Senior)
Q: What are you expecting the volleyball season to be like?
A: I don’t know, I think we’re going to play good this year. We have a lot of good skills on the team all around. We’re doing pretty well.
Q: What are you looking forward to?
A: I’m looking forward to our senior night because I’m a senior so that’s going to be fun and just getting to play again because I miss playing.
Q: How are you feeling knowing it’s your last year playing with this team?
A: I am actually really sad because the people that I play with I’ve played with a lot of years it’s going to be hard but I’m excited to see what’s next
Q: How do you feel about the kids who are being moved up?
A: I’m very excited they’re actually very good. They’re very into the sport so I think we will be good with them.
Megan House (Sophomore)
Q: What are you expecting the season to be like?
A: I don’t expect it to be easy. I feel like we have a lot to improve on. We’re good at certain things but we definitely can improve
Q: What do you think you need to improve on?
A: Communication, we really need to work on our defense and then I need to work on squaring up more when I set and probably being a better and more supportive teammate.
Q: What are you looking forward to this season?
A: New jerseys and the bus rides.
Q: What are you going to do to impact your team this season?
A: I’m doing other volleyball things to better myself so I can help benefit the team. I’m playing in camps and playing in different leagues so I have the ability to get better.
Q: How do you think it’s going to be different than last year?
A: I think that it’s going to be different because we have a new group of people that we’re not familiar with that need new skills and I think that just we’re a lot more connected and friendly with each other than last year.
Emma Stephens, who is known at Weedsport for her love of volleyball, is going onto her last year playing. Emma has been a great aspect to this team as she shows how devoted she is every time she steps out onto the court. On game days Emma wears her jersey like a shiny gold star reminding everyone who has ever doubted her that she made it and she deserves to be on the team. Emma has been a great role model to the other girls. Megan House who has been moved up to Varsity this year also shares Emma’s same passion for volleyball. Megan plans to work hard to keep proving why she is a value to the team. The setter in volleyball is the glue that keeps everyone working together. In order for Megan to keep her role as the ‘glue’ she keeps doing out of school volleyball activities that will benefit her team in the future. Weedsport wishes these two good luck into the season.
Swimming & Diving:
When you think of swimming you think of a fun day at the pool to cool off on a hot summer day but this sport is quite the opposite. In swimming and diving there is no cooling off, relaxing, messing around in the water, or playing marco polo. Weedsport’s swimming and diving team go through long practices that would make you wonder why they chose the sport in the first place but for these athletes this sport is what life is all about. To understand how these athletes are thinking about the upcoming season, two of them were interviewed.
Nolan Carner (Senior)
Q: What are you expecting the season to be like?
A: Yeah you know I think it’s going to be a good season. We should be getting some new swimmers so that will definitely give us an advantage. I think we have a chance at winning sectionals this year.
Q: What are you looking forward to this season?
A: I’m just looking forward to swimming with my team again. We kind of have a bond that’s like we’re really close knit I guess.
Q: How are you feeling knowing it’s your last year swimming for Weedsport?
A: I’m a little sad but since I know that I’ll be swimming in college I’m a little less sad. I kind of know what’s going on after school like once I graduate too so it’s not that bad.
Samuel Platten (Freshman)
Q: What are you expecting the swim season to be like?
A: I am expecting the swim season now that we are getting a bunch of new swimmers it’s going to be a tough start of the season but I feel like we’re going to figure it out and maybe get to even states this year.
Q: What are you looking forward to this season?
A: I am looking forward to getting personal bests on times and working towards doing up to 100 yard fly.
Q: How are you preparing for the upcoming season?
A: I am doing club swimming right now which is an hour and a half of swimming every single day six days a week. It can get somewhat of a burn out but I’ve gotten used to it liver the past four weeks.
Q: What do you think this year will be like for you?
A: Hopefully just a bunch of personal records and just a lot of hard work because I have to replace people who have graduated last year. I’m not nervous because the person I am replacing told me good luck and he thought I would do very well.
Nolan Carner who is a senior has done exceptional things during his years being on Weedsport swimming and diving team. It’s safe to say that all his hard work has paid off. In November Nolan signed his letter of intent for LeMoyne College. Samuel Platten on the other hand is a freshman. Samuel has had lots of time to learn from people before him but as a freshman it’s almost his time to teach the other athletes on his team what he knows. There’s high hopes for both swimmers this season and that they complete their set goals.
Bowling:
Some would think bowling is not really a sport but more of a hangout with friends on a Saturday night but in reality it’s a sport that requires a lot of hard work and practice. Weedsport’s bowling team has been around for four years. The team really hit it off when they went to sectionals last year. This year they have lost some valuable players from graduating but also an injury. The team is having high hopes because the players they do have are working hard to keep up the success from last year.
Daniel Burtless (Senior)
Q: What are your expectations for this season?
A: Just improve to get more consistent and win.
Q: Who do you think are going to be some of your strongest bowlers this year?
A: Ethan and probably Jordan.
Q: How do you guys plan on keeping the success from last year going?
A: Practice. Our practices are usually every other day for two hours.
Q: What are some of the things you guys are going to have to overcome this season?
A: Missing Kaiden Eipp and our seniors. We don’t have as many good players. Kaiden was one of our best. He was number two.
Daniel Burtless who is a senior this year shares his thoughts about the season. Daniels hopes for the season are to get more consistent and win. With every goal there’s truth and the truth to uncover was that his team needs to overcome their loss of Kaiden Eipp who was one of their best players. Daniel has hopes that with practice and hard work they can overcome this and be as successful as last year. Weedsport is keeping you in their prayers. Good luck this season.
