The start of the new year kicks off the official start of region basketball, as both the girls and boys basketball teams opened play last Friday against North Charleston. The varsity girls team opened with a dramatic 54-52 win thanks to a buzzer-beater from sophomore Lily Ku to win the game, and the boys fell 63-54 to fall to 0-1 in the region. Both teams play away twice next week, visiting Garrett and Whalebranch.

The girls team’s roster features several seniors, as Hanna Kent, Isabel Eicher, English Laserna, and Natasha Tirpak look to expand on their great 10-3 start moving forward. The team has already surpassed last year’s record of 4-13, winning eight straight games after dropping their season opener. The girls also had great success in their two pre-season tournaments, winning two out of three games in both of their tourneys, defeating Hebron Christian Academy from Dacula, Georgia in a premier matchup. Magnet’s great start places them fourth in the AA state rankings, and 77 in the state across all regions.

The boys finished last year as co-region champions, and look to rise to the top once more in a new-look region. Last year’s region champions Battery Creek left the AA Region VI with Bishop England, and were replaced by 2016 A State Champion Burke and Woodland. The region now features AMHS, Burke, Woodland, North Charleston, Garrett, and Whalebranch, and will be as competitive as ever. This year’s team is highlighted by seniors, lead by Alex Pastis, Ethan Linhart, Joe Sanders, Nate LeRoy, Ethan Grantham, Zach Harley, Jackson Pogue, and Maxim Fisher. After a rough 0-5 start against some of the better teams in the low-country, the Raptors won 6 of their next 7 games to pull even at 6-6. The loss to North Charleston placed the boys Varsity team at 6-9 and 0-1 in the region, with nine region games left to secure a playoff spot.

For both teams, one of the most important games every year is senior night, a time to honor all the sacrifices and hard work the seniors on both teams put in over the last four years. With twelve seniors across both teams, this night is special for many players, friends, and family members. Senior night will also wrap up our second Spirit Week, as the ComingHome and senior night festivities combine for what will surely be a memorable event. On January 27, Academic Magnet will play Garrett Technical Academy at home, and we hope to see many people there to get the Bird Cage rocking.