- November 1, 2024
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Smile! It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! No, I’m not talking about the arrival of the various winter holidays. I’m talking about the arrival of high school basketball season.
All around the area, high school athletes are dusting off their favorite sneakers, practicing their most intricate handshakes with their teammates and warming up their creative bench celebrations. And yes, they’re actually going to practice and playing playing games, too.
Atlantic High School's boys team, which tipped off the preseason with a 112-67 win over the Hudson Cobras, begins its season on Wednesday, Nov. 29, with a neutral tournament game against Lakeland High Preparatory. Spruce Creek's boys team already started its season with a 62-45 loss to Seabreeze. As for the girls teams, the Sharks opened with a 56-31 loss to Potter's House Christian on Nov. 18 and bounced back with a 64-24 win over Deltona on Nov. 21. And the Hawks won their first game 76-15 over University on Nov. 21.
But no matter how good or bad your favorite team is, the point is, basketball is finally back, and I couldn't be happier.
All sports have their merits. Who doesn’t love seeing a bone-crushing hit in football, a miraculous double-play in baseball or an awesome goal celebration in soccer? I think there's a certain unique beauty in every sport, and this column isn't at all my attempt at slighting other sports or their players. But in my very specific opinion, no matter how great each individual sport is in its own right, nothing comes close to basketball — it doesn’t matter if it’s at the professional level, college level or high school level.
There’s just something about the excitement of seeing a point guard drop his or her defender with a killer crossover, seeing a big man swat a shot into the stands or seeing a pure shooter rip the net from beyond the arc.
There’s nothing like watching a team in perfect sync: the ball flying around the court with crisp, unselfish passing, and players diving on the court for 50-50 balls. There’s a beauty to this game that captivates me like no other — and I hope it's something that you can find the utmost entertainment in, as well.
There’s just something about the opening of basketball season. The joy and passion — or maybe dread — experienced throughout football season has come to an end. The fan base needs to turn its attention to something else. Maybe they were just trying to get through football season with the hopes of seeing a successful basketball season.
Who knows?
What we do know, however, is that from now until February, the area’s fans have yet another reason to come together again. And regardless of which team you root for, I think that's something we can all be grateful for.
