As the winter season approaches, so does high school basketball season. This year is looking pretty promising for our Yellow Jackets and Lady Yellow Jackets. Both teams competed in the district championship last year, and have nearly all of their players returning for the 2018-2019 season. Our Yellow Jacket basketball teams have been working hard this summer and fall to improve their game so that they can reach their goals for this year. This fall they have been conditioning so that they are in tip-top shape for this season and, since October 15th, they have been practicing hard in order to develop their skills. The leaders of our basketball teams, the seniors and their coaches, gave us their thoughts on this upcoming season, and how excited they are to play as a Yellow Jacket for the last time.

The Lady Yellow Jackets have three seniors this year: Anna Manges, Savannah Karbach, and Nia Jaco. The girls competed in the district championship last year against Franklin County High School but fell short by one point at the end of the game. Looking forward to this season, the seniors are very hopeful. The Lady Yellow Jackets have a lot of returning starters, which other teams in the district and region do not have. “We are going to surprise people this year, we are more talented than we get credit for,” said returning starter Nia Jaco. The seniors all expect to go far, all wanting a district championship title and a good run through the Regional tournament. Coach Jaco intentionally set forth a harder schedule for the team, “If the team continues to work hard and mature through the season, we will be in the running with the best teams in the region.”

Senior leadership is very important for this team’s success this year during this difficult season. “The seniors are the cornerstone for the team to be built on. They have stepped up to build the team as a united group,” said Coach Jaco as he reflected on his leadership. Anna Manges said the seniors wanted to make a positive change this year, “As seniors, we want to take the team in a different direction this year, we have goals that want to lead the team farther than before.” When asked about how to reach the personal goals for the team, all the seniors answered the same thing: unity. “It’s important to me to know everyone, not just the kids in my class. We need equality because we are a family,” commented Anna on the team’s chemistry. Karbach stated she looked forward to this year because “our team’s chemistry is way better.” The team has already started team bonding this year, including having a lock-in and painting the locker room together. As a team, the Lady Yellowjackets will begin their season with a jamboree on November 17 hosted at the Woodford County High School.

The Yellow Jackets have seven returning seniors: Ben Nash, Justin Alexander, Alex Morgan, Corey George, Ryan Duke, and Brandon Cromwell. The boys won the district championship title last year against Frankfort High School and took a shot at the regional title. This season, the boys expect a lot more out of their team.“This year will be very similar to last year’s team since we only lost two players. The seniors have really stepped up this season, but we are still looking for a senior boy to be the verbal leader of the team,” said Coach Wilson. He is excited about this season and thinks his players are very capable of reaching their goals. All of the senior boys expect to win the district championship and have a good regional tournament. Justin Alexander commented, “I expect all of us to work hard and to push each other hard in practice so we can hopefully reach our goal this year. To win the regional championship and make a run at state.” When asked who the hardest opponent they will face this season is, the boys all named Scott County. “Scott County will be our hardest opponent this year because they didn’t really lose anybody,” said Ben Nash. However, Corey George, Brandon Cromwell, and Ryan Duke think Trinity High School and Saint Xavier will be tough competition for the Yellow Jackets this season as well. Alex Morgan commented, “This year we have improved in a lot of ways, but we are more of a team than we have been before.” This group of seven seniors has played together since middle school; this will be their sixth year playing together, and unfortunately their last season. However, this season is expected to be the best season yet.

Basketball season is right around the corner, and our Yellow Jackets have been working hard. Not only do the seniors expect a lot out of the team, but so do their coaches. This season both teams play more challenging teams and are also preparing to move to a different region next year. The teams have been preparing for a long time for this season, and are finally excited it is here. Everyone expects a lot out of our Yellow Jackets so, this winter, come out and support our basketball teams. The Jackets will kick this season off November 16th with Jacket Madness, so don’t miss it!