Boys' basketball scrimmages Loyola to begin its season

Amancai BirabenStaff WriterThe Samo boys' basketball season is just around the corner, and both the varsity and junior varsity teams played their first scrimmages against Loyola High School on Tuesday, Nov. 22.Though there wasn’t much of a crowd in the stands, the yelling of the coaches, screeching of the whistles and constant squeaking of sneakers on the polished wood made up for the low noise level. Because it was a scrimmage, the scores were not recorded. However, whether it was a win or loss for Samo, the game was played well.“The kids played hard today,” basketball coach James Hecht said. “They played competitively and made good decisions overall.”Last basketball season, varsity made to the first round of CIF. Alhough it is unusual for many high schools to get even that far, varsity junior Trevis Jackson thinks this year will go much better for the team.“This year is going better than last because there is a good vibe between the players. A lot of us, especially the juniors and seniors, really get along and that good chemistry is what’s going to help us throughout the season,” Jackson said.Though the result of the games was positive overall, the teams still believe that there are things to work on.“We need to do a better job passing and have a better defense,” Jackson said.According to Hecht, the game was a positive way to start the season.“We normally don’t play all the players in one game, and we did tonight," Hecht said. "I think everyone provided a spark in some way, shape or form."abiraben@thesamohi.com