The boys basketball team will play in the Kids Inc. tournament this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 31 and Dec. 1.

After competing in three games this season, the boys’ team takes on their first tournament of the season. They play against Bushland in the first round and will compete in the tournament from there.

“We have really good competition this year at the tournament,” head coach Travis Schulte said. “We have Abilene Cooper, El Paso Hanks, Bushland, Randall, Perryton, Garden City, Kansas and Arlington Heights, Fort Worth.  We are just looking to get more game experience because we are so young and inexperienced.”

This year’s team has one varsity returner, senior Parker Howe.   

“It’s a building process so that’s the main thing we are excited about is just getting on the floor,” Schulte said. “We should be able to get to know who we are and what we are expecting this year.”

Junior Kolton Trimmier said one of Schulte’s goals for the team this year is be the best defensive team.

“One of the hardest things to do in basketball is guard the ball, so we really work on footwork and how to keep the ball in front of us,” Trimmier said. “Defense is what is going to give us a chance to win games, so we really have to work hard on that part of the floor.”

Trimmier said the team is playing to win a spot in playoffs this year.

“All the teams in our district are good teams so we really look at every team as our rival,” Trimmier said. “We have to play our best with extreme focus against every team and every game if we want to win.”

This year the team’s theme is F.I.<S.T., meaning five individuals is less than a single team.  

“You have an open hand and all the fingers are five individuals,” Howe said. “Once you start closing the fist, you have five individuals working as a team.”

Coach Schulte said the team uses F.I.<S.T. as the five fingers on a hand working together.  

“When one of those fingers comes out of the hand and is pointing at someone else, that finger is easily broken,” Schulte said. “There are five qualities of the fist that each finger represents, trust, caring, pride, collective responsibility, and communication.”

Trimmier said to be successful they will have to work to be a team, not just individuals.  

“We can’t just go out and play for ourselves only and do our own thing and expect to be good,” Trimmier said. “We have to play as a team and play ‘fisted up’ as Coach Schulte always says. This is what makes good teams great teams, by playing together.”