Lesley Moreno 

Freshman basketball: 

Besides all the smacking, shoving, and scratching, there has been one serious injury on the freshman basketball team. 

Jazz Raya (9) has been playing basketball since she was five years old. Raya is a post on the freshman basketball team. She popped her kneecap out during the game against Madison. A Madison player went for a shot and missed, Raya went to the rebound and had her feet straight but then twisted her leg and her kneecap popped out. 

As a result, Raya said the injury has caused her to play less, and instead of working on the game, she has to work on her knee. 

Overall, as a team, Raya said they are working hard on their plays and they are working hard on their offense. She prepares herself by doing warm ups and going over plays. “In the game we try to work smarter and not harder,” she said. 

Although freshman team has a 0-10 win/loss record, they are working extremely hard on their plays. They practice every day except Sundays and occasionally Saturdays. “ My team is really helpful… We are growing and we are building together,” Rachel Lee (9) said.  

Junior Varsity: 

The Madison game also proved hazardous for the JV team. Kenzington Taylor (9) broke her hand during the game also. She went to go steal the ball from a girl, and the ball hit right on her pinky and broke right underneath her knuckle. Taylor said she wasn’t able to play for a while, but it made her shoot better because she had to shoot one handed a lot. She has just recently been able to start playing again. “Staying focused on the game and not focused on anything else besides the game,”  is how she prepares herself for success. 

Aspen Leatham (10) also had a run in with an injury. During practice she went up for a rebound and got an elbow to the nose and her nose went crooked. This happened right before Thanksgiving break so leatham was able to have surgery. She didn’t miss any games but she said her first practice and game back she was more timid because she didn’t want to get hit again.