Back to the grind: Kicking off 2021 with boys’ and girls’ basketball

BY ALYSSA KHAN

COVID-19 has led to uncertainty in almost everything, including school sports. Athletes participating in fall sports have been anxiously awaiting to hear when they can get back to playing. After months of uncertainty, Cooper City’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams finally get to start their seasons as 2021 begins.

This week, both teams had their first home games of the season, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday. The girls’ won both games, ending the week with a record of 2-0, while the boys’ lost both games with a record of 0-2.

On Wednesday, January 6, the Cowboys and Lady Cowboys played against J.P. Taravella High School Trojans. To start the night off, the girls’ team won with a score of 37-18. The Cowboys lost an intensely close game with a score of 70-69. 

The boys’ team put forth a valiant effort in their game and it was neck-and-neck throughout. Each time CCHS scored, Taravella responded back, leaving the audience at the edge of their seats. The first quarter ended with Cooper down by 2, with a score of 23-21.

The boys’ team put forth a valiant effort in their game and it was neck-and-neck throughout.

The Trojans stepped up their defense in the second quarter, securing the lead with a score of 38-27. 

In the third quarter, Taravella was able to put up 17 points, while the Cowboys put up 14. The third quarter ended with a score of 55-41. The Trojans seemed to begin losing momentum, though, as they started to have more turnovers and hasty ball movement.

The Cowboys stepped up their game on the defensive end as they went into the final quarter of the game. Their lockdown defense challenged Taravella while they climbed back up. The Cowboys were also hitting their three-pointers, which slowly closed the gap. The game ended with a loss of 70-69. The Cowboys never gave up though, even when it seemed like they couldn’t pull through.  

New player Jaimere Burford finally got the chance to play with his teammates in a game that showed the true spirit of the Cowboys.

“It felt great to finally be able to play with my guys in front of the home crowd, even if we didn’t get the result we wanted.”

New player Jaimere Burford

“It felt great to finally be able [to] play with my guys in front of the home crowd, even if we didn’t get the result we wanted,” Burford said. “I just feel like if we stay committed to our defense and never lose our identity, we’ll start winning games.”

On Thursday, January 7, both teams played against West Broward High School. The girls’ team won 36-27, while the boys’ team lost with a score of 57-54. 

The boys’ game was another intense one, as it was close throughout. West Broward versus Cooper City was quite the matchup. 

The first quarter ended with a score of 12-12. Both teams were able to communicate well and move the ball efficiently, setting up the plays they needed to score throughout the first half. Cooper had the upper hand at the end of the second quarter, with a score of 30-27.

“I feel like if we trust each other more, the sky’s the limit going into next week.”

Junior Nathan Hickman

West Broward stepped up their defense with their full-court press and took the lead by the end of the third quarter, 43-35. Cooper climbed back up and fell just a bit short at the end of the game. Junior Nathan Hickman hit a three-pointer at the buzzer bringing the game to a score of 57-54. They fought hard and brought the loss to solely a three-point difference. 

“It felt great to start playing again and we are all extremely lucky to even have this opportunity with all the issues going on in today’s society,” Hickman said. “I feel like if we trust each other more, the sky’s the limit going into next week.”

Both the Cowboys and Lady Cowboys play next week, and both can use what they’ve learned from these opening games to help them succeed further in the season.

Photo courtesy of CCHS Athletic Training on Twitter