This week’s athlete of the week is the Oriole boys varsity basketball team. Playing the Altoona on Saturday, the Oriole boys came away with a 58-54 against the Railroaders, securing the fourth regional championship in Oriole boys basketball program history and first since 2017.
Oriole boys varsity head basketball coach Dakota Nichols shared more after the scores were tallied.
“We had a great week of practice to prepare for Adams-Friendship,” he said of Friday before the regional. “We knew they were a physical team that had a few good scoring options. I thought our defensive pressure was outstanding, and led to easy offensive opportunities.”
Nichols shared more following the Saturday win at Altoona.
“It takes a lot to get to this point,” he said of the regional championship. “It really starts back in the summer with the time these kids put in the gym. Nobody sees the thousands of three-point shots and free throws that get taken when no one else is around. Credit goes to these boys for putting in the work and continuing to improve in multiple areas of their game.”
“What makes this team special is that our players truly buy into their roles. Everyone gives 100% effort and brings a positive attitude every day. They embrace being part of a team, support one another, and are genuinely happy when someone else has success. That kind of unselfish mindset and work ethic is what helped get us to this point.”
“There were a lot of key moments in the game tonight that made a difference for us. As a team, we went 24-28 from the free throw line. 16 of our 29 points in the second half were from the free throw line. It’s truly outstanding that our team hit that many free throws on the road with a regional championship on the line. I also thought we did an excellent job on defense, face guarding their two best players and helping on drives.”
“When Charlie picked up his fifth foul with about three minutes left, that could have been a moment where our guys got discouraged. He’s obviously a big part of what we do. But instead, our team just continued to battle and never gave up. That really shows the character of this group.”
“Different guys stepped up in big moments down the stretch. Troy knocked down a huge three-pointer for us, and Josiah came up with a big blocked shot on the defensive end. Those were momentum plays that helped us finish the game. It was a total team effort, and I’m really proud of how the guys responded when things got tough.” Way to go Orioles!
