As they approached the final three weeks of their season, the varsity boys’ basketball team had one goal in mind, making the playoffs, something that hasn’t been done at this school since the 2011-12 season.

The team was excited and optimistic about the success that is within reach for them this season.

“During our game against Sanderson, we were down by 17 points going into the fourth quarter, came back and won in overtime. It was a great team win, and it showed our resilience and how we can really do some damage. We will not be an easy team to beat, and I can’t wait for the playoffs,” senior Theo Howard said.

Howard is a shooting guard who had 2 assists, 4 rebounds and 11 points in the victory.

The team has better chances for success than teams in previous years for reasons other than just raw talent.

“There is great team chemistry this year. We work really well together. We can push each other during practice in a positive way, something that we lacked last year,” senior Trey Vest said.

Vest averaged 6.7 points per game.

The team needed to win two of its last four games to secure a playoff berth, but with three games remaining in the regular season, Vest was sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.

“We are already playing pretty well, but we really need to focus in and make sure that we are playing strong and really playing our best,” junior Xach Gill said.

Gill averaged 6.6 rebounds per game.

The team dropped the first two of those for games, losing 47-37 against Broughton and 64-49 versus Leesville.

Heading down the stretch, players look to certain guys for leadership and inspiration.

“Our most motivational teammate is Demetrius Everett because even though we play different positions, he always pushes me to play my best and play intense and energetic,” junior Isaiah Jones said.

Jones averaged 10.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

With this leadership, Everett hoped to lead the team to the playoffs.

“We absolutely need to make the playoffs. All we need is a chance. Even if we get the lowest seed, with the talent that we have on this team, we can definitely make some noise in the playoffs,” junior Demetrius Everett said.

Everett averaged 10.5 points and 2.6 assists per game.

Gaining that chance came down to last night’s rematch with Sanderson, a must-win. The Cougars let another one slip away, losing 59-41.

“That really hurt us, it’s no guarantee anymore. We must beat Enloe in order to have a chance at a wildcard,” Everett said.

Coach Todd Seymour praised his players as they closed out their season.

“I’m very pleased with how our team has responded to adversity. We usually bounce back after tough games and play well. That ability has given us a chance to be in a position to possibly make the playoffs,” Seymour said.

Although the loss to the Spartans Tuesday may have shut the door on the hopes for the playoffs, Howard’s comments as the team was three weeks out, reveal many of the team’s goals for next year.

Howard said, “We just need to put it in our minds that we are better, that we’re just as good as everyone else in the conference, that we are good enough to make it to states. All we need is the aggressive mindset to go out there and accomplish what we are capable of accomplishing day in and day out.