On Wed. Feb. 12, The Tracy High Boy’s Basketball team hosted their senior night against the Lodi Flames. With a very close fight through all four quarters, the Flames took down the Bulldogs 66-65.
The four seniors made their way down the court celebrating with their family and friends. They each had their own walkout song and speeches announced for each boy along with their own DJ, Suga Shane, and whiteout Dog Pound theme to add school spirit to the celebrations.
“Last night’s game came with a lot of emotion and I just wanted to leave everything on the court,” senior guard Jaden Martinez said. “Being able to play my last ever home game with my teammates meant everything to me.”
With a highly anticipated game, the Flames and Bulldogs battled back and forth, with Lodi leading 16-9 at the end of the first quarter.
“I felt like I needed to come out and give 100 percent since it would be my last time playing on a Tracy High court in front of a crowd,” senior center Ahman Hardman said. “We all made a plan to go out there and have fun and we ended up losing on a tough shot, but it brought all of us closer as teammates and brothers.”
The Bulldogs continued to fight by closing the gap but still fell short, with Lodi holding their lead at 32-26 at the end of the second quarter.
Maximillian Russell, a junior starting point guard, spoke on what he looks forward to for his senior year.
“My biggest goal is staying consistent in the off season because I got to see what that got me this year and I want to double that feeling,” Russell said.
After halftime, the Bulldogs pulled through to secure a lead with the score at 49-47 making it a close and exciting game all the way until the end.
With a close fight for the intense final minutes in the fourth quarter, the Lodi Flames put up a shot in the last few seconds of the game that secured the win with a final score of 66-65. Although this was a tough loss, the seniors appreciated their last game together and said it made them even closer as a team.
“My advice to varsity boys next year is to keep your head up through the tough times and play every game like it’s your last because that last game comes sooner than you think,” Hardman said.
