The Lady Cardinal basketball team prepares for their last season together as a team before the seniors head off to college.

Seniors Allie Graham, Sally Clemmons, Reese Martinez, and Bianca Mays are trying their best to make this last year count. Already the girls have enjoyed a number of amazing games together during fall league. Now, school league is starting up and the girls are so excited and are already starting to prepare.

As the school year zips by a lot of emotions are coursing through the girls. There’s anxiety, excitement, eagerness, and a little sadness. These feelings are to be expected as graduation quickly approaches.

“When I graduate I’m going to miss seeing my teammates and traveling on the road with them the most,” Senior, Reese Martinez, said. “This has been a really great experience for me and I am glad I get to enjoy it one last year.”

Juggling schoolwork and basketball is a skill that the girls have come to master. Of course, it wasn’t always as easy as it is now. A lot of sacrifices and tough decisions have had to be made to get to where they are now.

“When I first joined the team I was just winging it. But as the years went on I learned to set aside time to do my schoolwork and time to practice,” Martinez said.

Lots of memories, inside jokes, and tears have been shared amongst not only the team itself but the coaches as well. For the coaches, it’s not only about winning and going to districts, but it’s about instilling lifelong skills, memories, and friends.

“Enjoy every minute playing with your teammates because for some, this might be the last time you play basketball or a team sport. Have fun even with losses, enjoy the experience,” Coach, Jerrell Clemmons, said.

As the seniors graduate and the juniors prepare to step up, the seniors leave a few parting words of wisdom, “Don’t take your time here for granted because it goes by faster than you think. Take a step back and just enjoy it.”