The current 8th grade middle school basketball team has been a team for the past two years, and have unfortunately won no games. At the start of 7th grade, they were just 13 people and a coach; none of them knew each other and just wanted to play basketball. By the end of 8th grade they came out as friends but with the same amount of wins they started with, none. In 7th grade they all met each other; our starters Dylan, Aiden, Jordan, Rocco, and Ethan including our bench-warmers Eddie, Jack, Ryan, Joakim, Davis, Noah, German and Dominec, and you can't forget coach Jason.
The team ran through the first season getting beat 10-30 every game. In 8th grade they all returned to the team with the same coach, this time determined to win some games.
They started the year off with a close game against Corona Del Mar in which they only lost by 5. This was considered a win for them as CDM is remarked as one of the best teams.
The next game was against Harbor Day in which, in the opinion of the players, the team had low chances of winning. They unfortunately lost by 25 in a heart-shattering game. The boys decided to shake it off and went into the next game against TeWinkle with confidence and a fighting chance.
The teams were neck and neck for most of the game. The second half rolled around and TeWinkle pulled ahead into the lead, ultimately coming out on top over our devastated team. The Costa Mesa boys were losing hope fast as the teams they were going to be facing were only getting tougher.
The next game was against Ensign, one of the best teams in the league. Costa Mesa unfortunately didn’t get a win there either.
The next game was a must win against Dwyer. They were the only other team who hadn't won a single game. Costa Mesa started the game in the lead at half-time. Dwyer then pulled a player from the bench who made 5 3 pointers in a row, putting Dwyer in the lead by 10 points.
For the last game, the boys were forced to play without their coach present. Unfortunately, by then the boys had given up all hope and lost by 30. On the bright side, they made the best out of their situation and had fun playing.
Overall, the 8th grade basketball team won zero games but, in the end, that's not what mattered to them. What mattered is the friendships they made along the journey and the bonding that came with being on a team.
