On Dec. 6, the boys junior varsity (JV) basketball team started off their season with a win against Forest Hills High School with a win in the 4th quarter. The final score was 53-51, a very close game.

The game began at 4:30 p.m., and the seats filled up quickly. Sounds of cheering filled the room almost immediately. By the end of the first quarter, Cardozo had already taken the lead against Forest Hills. From the very beginning, the players were ready to win. “Yeah, we’re definitely ready,” shared JV player Alexander.

Boys JV basketball coach, Coach S, also emphasized that his team of boys was ready to win, with all the training they’ve had and the talent that each of the young boys have. He believed his team was ready for a victory.

To play in a sports team, training is always involved. And, it’s not just one day of training. Instead, it’s various hours and time into training—weeks of training for the final moment: the games. But do these trainings actually help the players on the JV basketball team? JV player Ansoumane belives, “Yeah it has, helped me a lot we learn new things and the practices really help develop our techniques, and helps us where we need to be. We train everyday, 6 times a week.”

Despite every player wanting to win, every player has something different that pushes them. “What motivates me are my family and my teammates, I love them,” Ansoumane reflected.

With hard work and determination, everything pays off, and the JV boys basketball team is a great example of working hard. With such high scores, this first game was a great start to the team’s 2023-2024 basketball season.