Last year, junior Javon Bennett broke open for a pass with 2.6 seconds left on the clock in overtime. He shook free from a defender and hoisted up a half court heave to send Trinity to the regional semifinals. The shot banked in, and the team stormed the court to celebrate.
Following a successful season that ended in a regional championship appearance, the varsity basketball team this year looks to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Even after losing five seniors from the previous season, additions to the team have made an immediate impact on the court. Head Coach Irwin Hudson said the combination of new and returning players will make Trinity a top team this season.
“We got four transfers total, three freshmen and a junior,” Hudson said. “It’s going to be an exciting season and expectations are sky high for us right now. With the kind of firepower we already had plus the players that transferred in, we’re gonna be tough to beat.”
In order to gain familiarity with each other, the players began training and competing in tournaments together during the summer. The group went 9-1 in a tournament at Florida State University while matching up against some of the top high school players in the country. Athletic Director David Langdon said the team’s early preparation will help them overcome obstacles they will face this year.
“The players have worked hard in the offseason and have prepared very well to make another really good run this year,” Langdon said. “No matter how good a team is, there are always going to be ups and downs, but I think their early training has set them up to handle the adversity that may come their way within the season.”
The team is led by seniors Javon Bennett and Krishen Atwal, who were top scorers in the district last year. Hudson said Bennett and Atwal are special talents that can perform at levels that many other players cannot.
“Javon is just outrageously speedy and can basically shoot the ball from anywhere,” Hudson said. “He can finish with either hand around the basket and is a once-in-a-lifetime-type player. Krishen is big and strong. He’s a shooter also, which makes him an inside and outside threat. You don’t get that many kids like that in high school.”
With the success of the season prior comes high expectations from coaches, fans and the players themselves. Bennett said he puts pressure on himself to be the best player he can be and knows that working on his personal skills will help the team in the long run.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself to play at the high level I know I can play at,” Bennett said. “I want to be able to help the team the best way I can, and that starts with working on my own game.”
The team’s hard work and preparation throughout the year has made them believe they can beat anyone. Langdon said that the team expects to make it further than they did last year and believes they have the potential to go all the way.
“The goal is always to go to the state final four,” Langdon said. “And I think realistically, they might be disappointed if they don’t make it that far and push a little more than they did last year. They have the talent and work ethic, it is just a matter of their performance and health at this point.”
