Generally, high school sports captivate the attention of students and the local community, providing fast paced entertainment for many people. AHS basketball has officially started for the 2017/18 season led by former Division I player, Alex Schrempf. After reaching playoffs last year the team is hoping for a championship win.

“I have high hopes for this season. Our student athletes have given a tremendous amount of effort over the past 12 months. We’ve opened the gym consistently, three to four days a week since April, and our players showed up on a regular basis. Once we all started trusting and enjoying the process and the lifestyle that comes with being a basketball player, we were able to open the door to improvement. These guys have seen in themselves persistent, tangible growth, and I think it’s inspiring them to work even harder,” Schrempf said.

Over the years, AHS basketball has continued to improve due to intense practices and team bonding. Senior Preston Mottier is proud of what the team has become and what this season may hold.

“I’m very excited for the season. With a great coaching staff and team, I think that we are going to play very well. We have some great players with great connections throughout the team. We are all about fundamentals this year and are hoping to become state champs,” Mottier said.

Senior Nick Wilson is determined to approach this year’s competition with speed, while leading the underclassmen to playoffs.

“Our 12-man roster is full of athletic players, and we will be moving quickly into this season. We have mostly underclassmen, mainly juniors, two sophomores and only three seniors,” Wilson said. “I hope that aggressive defense and offense from our players will help carry us to state playoffs.”

AHS sophomore, Jonathan Woodrow, feels that the team has a special bond that will help them throughout the season.

“Our team looks really good this year. Having bonded with the team and gotten to know the upperclassmen, I feel more connected to the other players than I had before,” Woodrow said. “I believe that with our athletic ability we will go far this season and I am excited to be a part of it.”