As the ACHS girl’s basketball season comes to an end, senior night is celebrated.
This year, two senior players and four senior managers were honored for the commitment and leadership they brought to the team. The evening began with parents walking alongside their seniors, smiling proudly as they escorted them onto the court. Each senior was greeted by teammates, coaches, and friends, and presented with flowers and baskets filled with small gifts.
When the seniors met with their coaches and athletic staff, emotions were flying through the air.
Senior Jacari Jahi, who has played girls basketball at ACHS for three years, said “[My coaches] believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself, so they pushed me to improve a lot in a short amount of time.”
Many eyes were filled with tears as memories of tough games and shared struggles came rushing back. Younger players watched closely from the sidelines, realizing that the teammates, mentors, and role models, their “big sisters,” would soon be moving on.
Although the game ended in a 50-23 loss against the Robinson Rams, Jahi said, “we already knew that we were going against a hard team, but I feel like me and my teammates played well, and even though we lost it was still a good game for us.”
Zaria Edwards, an attendee of the game said, “I thought the game itself was fun to watch.” The gym was filled with friends and family coming out with signs to support the seniors getting to watch their children play for the last time on their school court.
Beyond the crowd, the bench had more emotions than ever. One tenth grade teammate, Gabby Thomas Barnes, gushed about senior player Jahi. “She’s like a big sister to me, and I look up to her a lot because she taught me not to get mad at little things, and made me become such a calm person and made me like basketball more,” she said. Knowing that presence would no longer be on the court next season made the moment even more bittersweet. Jahi shared the same sentiment, “I’m definitely gonna miss my teammates and the connection that we had, I’m gonna miss being with them every day. “
Though the seniors are leaving the program, their impact remains with the players they inspired and the example they set. The scoreboard will reset next season, but the legacy they leave behind will not.
