With region play starting last Friday night, the second half of the basketball season is officially in full swing. This year, the region looks a little different with the move down to 2A, but the Raptors will still face both Oceanside and Bishop England this month. Apart from these familiar teams, the region group also includes Lake Marion and Timberland, both of which are teams that will challenge the Raptors in their attempt to make the playoffs. 

Prior to the official start of region play, Coach Jones gathered the team together after practice one day to instill some important values and remind the team of crucial steps that must be taken in order to reach the playoffs. At the beginning of the season, each member of the team was asked to write down a list of things that they will do to improve individually in addition to helping the team grow as a whole. After practice, the team was brought into the weight room and asked to look at themselves in the mirror while these previously written commitment statements were read aloud. After this, each player was called up individually to receive a mysterious zip-loc bag which was soon revealed to be filled with puzzle pieces that made up our team picture. Then, the team grouped together and assembled the puzzle, reminding everyone that they are an important part of the team, no matter their role when it comes to actual games. This was definitely a unique way to get the team refocused before the start of region play!

Over Winter break, the team participated in the Carolina Invitational tournament on James Island. Although the outcome of the games were not necessarily in our favor, the team was able to get experience playing against teams from larger schools and many things that were important to improve before the start of region play were revealed. During the first game against James Island, sophomore Street Wilson took some great action shots of the team from the bench. Along with these pictures, the girls basketball team’s instagram is very active and will keep you up to date with all of the team’s endeavors. In fact, you can often catch Coach Jones posting a Game Day post the second the clock strikes midnight on the day of the game! These posts are much appreciated as they keep our fan base in the know. If you do not already, you should probably follow the team’s instagram: @amhswomenbasketball.

Last Friday night, the Raptors had their first game back after Winter break against Timberland HS. Because of the location of Timberland, we were able to leave school that day at 2:45 PM and were given Chick-fil-A catering to kick off this trip. Apart from a little traffic, the bus ride there was smooth, but the game itself – not so much. The Lady Wolves were lead by a very impressive D1 commit that definitely did live up to this title. Although the first quarter was very rocky, the Raptors did not give up and play strong all the way through, but it was not enough to take home a win. In addition to Friday’s game, the Raptors took on the Oceanside Landsharks at home Tuesday, January 10th. This game also did not end in our favor. Having played Oceanside many times previously, it is still very surprising to see their new lineup of talent they bring to the games (in their cool bus!). Despite the outcomes of these two games, the hopes for playoffs are not yet lost with the Raptors waiting to face Bishop England and Lake Marion, and play the other teams again. There many only be a few games left, but this season is far from over.

On the other hand, as there are only a few games left, senior night is quickly approaching. This night is very bittersweet in all sports and everyone should come out Friday, February 3rd to celebrate the class of 2023. We will face region opponent Lake Marion, so it will be a very important game. Again, come support February 3rd!

As we get closer and closer to the end of the season, each game can become more important than the last. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time to come see your Lady Raptors in action. The remainder of the schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 1/17 @ Lake Marion

Friday 1/20 vs Bishop England

Tuesday 1/24 vs Timberland

Friday 1/27 @ Oceanside

Friday 2/3 vs Lake Marion

Tuesday 2/7 @ Bishop England