On November 25th, the HEHS girls basketball team participated in the annual Tom Kendall Thanksgiving Tournament. Taking place on Hoffman’s home court, the girls secured a well-deserved victory against Jacobs high school and got third place overall in the tournament.
“I am proud of my team and I am excited for many more future wins,” said Kendall Burdick, junior.
From the jump-ball which commenced the game until the final seconds of the fourth quarter, it was a constant battle for dominance between Jacobs and Hoffman. However, at halftime, Jacobs was in the lead with a score of 10-13.
The game prominently consisted of a back and forth between the Hoffman hawks and Jacobs eagles. For the majority of the last quarter, the score was tied and it became evident that the intense desire to win had consumed both teams.
“I have been practicing so much and I came into this game thinking ‘I need to score so many points,’’’ said Paige Hocking, senior. Hocking was the highest scoring player on Hoffman in this game with 18 points.
The fans were on the edges of their seats, unknowing of which team would overpower the other. For the first three quarters, it was never truly apparent who would be walking off the court with a victory. Ultimately, though, it came down to one singular shot to make or break the game for Hoffman.
“We were tied with four minutes left on the clock and it was a very big play when Marleigh [Andersen] made the shot that put us in the lead,” said Molly Bell, freshman.
In the final, crucial, minutes of the fourth quarter, Hoffman achieved the concluding score of 30-28. The Hawks had to use their intelligence on the court and create quick plays for each other, highlighting their strong team bond.
“I have to give credit to Paige because she was attacking hard to the basket and getting us the points that we needed to make our comeback,” said Bell.
The girls are looking forward to future victories this season and are continuing to portray positive work ethic, determination, and perseverance on and off the court.
When asked to give a final comment, Hocking said, “Go Hawks!”
