THE GIRLS of Granger’s basketball team have been on a great run this season, especially with their past few games. With this promising start, the team’s outlook for this season will be bright. “It’s been pretty tough. We’ve had good ups and downs, but overall, I think it’s just been something new we haven’t seen. Because in previous years we’ve had tougher games, but this year I think we’ve had a lot more improvements,” Angelia Naeta (12) said.

“We play West, and West is a great team. I think they have a good shot of winning the region. But I think if we put up a good fight against them, we will have a pretty good outlook for this season,” Neata said.

The team has already had a good start to this season. “One of my most memorable games this season is when we needed three points to tie the game and go into overtime. There was one minute left, and I shot and scored, putting us into overtime,” Haylie Harper (12) said. Harper also thinks that this season, she’s most confident in the jump shot she’s been practicing.

This season has not only been good for the team through wins, but also through team bonding. “I think I have really grown to trust my teammates. I struggled with that at the start of this year, but my teammates have grown together these past few games. We learned a lot about each other, and I think that helped us a lot to grow,” Hoku Pili (11) said. This team has grown by facing more challenging teams. “A lot of schools in our region are really talented. But I think West was the toughest competitor this season. They are an excellent team,” Pili said.

This year has also been a morale boost for both the girls and boys basketball teams. “Since we’re doing ‘Same Night, Same Sight’ (meaning it’s both the boys and girls playing at the same night), and our win record has been great lately, we’ve been getting more support,” Miranda Chap (11) said.

The team has had a great season with many wins. “Our coach told us that he’s had the most wins this year compared to all his years coaching. We’ve been winning a lot of regional games compared to the year before,” Chap said.

These wins this season have not only brought growth to the team as a whole but to the players individually. “I feel like my confidence has grown. These past few games have helped me build up my confidence on varsity. I’ve been more confident in my shots and working with my team,” Chap said.