By Sam Whittaker, Millard West High School
•
December 20, 2024
Sam Whittaker
Driving towards the basket, sophomore Cade Walker draws contact to the face on his way up. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49.
Inside the Bellevue East gym, members of the Wildcat girls basketball team take in their surroundings. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)Tipping off the game, senior Carter LaBorde attempts to win the opening possession for the team. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)Eying the basket, senior Anna Dunne takes a shot from behind the three-point arch. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)Distributing the ball, sophomore Cade Walker sets up one of his teammates with a one-handed pass. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)Blowing past a defender, senior Trey Abara drives toward the hoop. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)Looking for an open teammate, sophomore Kylee Millard hoists the ball up and away from the defending Chieftain. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)Taking a deep three-pointer, senior Jayden Kozney hoists the ball over the crashing Chieftain defender. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)After stumbling on her drive toward the hoop, senior Neleigh Gessert attempts to make a last-second pass to a nearby teammate. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)After a failed drive to the hoop, senior Reece Carson passes to another teammate under the basket. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)Concentrating at the free throw line, junior Vincent Long enters his shooting motion. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)After a tough call, Neleigh Gessert displays her frustration late in a close game against the Chieftains. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)Drawing contact near the basket, sophomore Leo Cauble adjusts his position and the ball away from a defender. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)Coming out of a timeout, senior Jayden Kozney wipes the sweat while heading back into position for the next possession. (Sam Whittaker)Near the basket, junior Kylee Paben prepares to hoist her shot up. The Chieftains defeated the Wildcats 60-55. (Sam Whittaker)Guiding the ball towards the basket, senior Jayden Kozney attempts to give the Wildcats a late lead. Millard West defeated the Chieftains 57-49. (Sam Whittaker)
This story was originally published on The Catalyst on December 18, 2024.
![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
