May 24, 2023 by Eliza Krackeler (‘24)
The home game loss at the Unified basketball game on May 11th was the last thing on the minds of the players on the Saratoga Springs High School team at the conclusion of Thursday’s event. Toga put up a great fight against Shaker High School–maintaining a positive attitude, good sportsmanship, and a close score.
The Unified Basketball team emphasizes the idea of inclusion. The relationship the players have with one another, and even the other team, supersedes the need to win at any cost. “I think it’s a great place for our students to feel included. We’re all about making sure everyone has moments of greatness and success,” Coach Allen said, who heads up the Unified team alongside Coach Belanger.
With that being said, it was still a competitive game. An early breakaway by shooting guard Zach Hebert kick started the game, setting the precedent for all the points to come. Shaker High School seemed to take that as a challenge, consistently draining threes on a few successive possessions, putting the Blue Bison hot on Toga’s trail.
Yet somehow the Blue Streaks managed to keep their lead throughout the first quarter, in large part thanks to the contributions of Nicholas Goliber. Using his height to his advantage, number 24 was routinely able to edge his way through the defense, making him a go-to for passes from teammates outside the paint.
This display of teamwork reached farther than just the court. “Pairing up our Gen-Ed students and our Special-Ed students is really important to making everyone feel like a part of the school community. That’s of the utmost importance,” said Allen.
And the coaches and players have clearly accomplished this goal. Point guard Shyanne Boyd consistently cycled the ball around the court, passing it to her teammates at every chance she got. The remainder of the first quarter played out in a similar manner, with the passing and spacing of the players truly driving the game.
An expert pass to Megan Phelps provided the avenue for a shot on the basket later on. She brought the energy back to the team to finish up the first quarter. Phelps’ teammates rallied around her as she brought up the crowd’s energy. In her words, she got “the crowd to whoop it up.” Coach Allen agreed, seeing a standout performance from Phelps that game. She said, “Her [Phelps’] endurance showed. She’s been working really hard.”
At the end of the first quarter, the score was Toga 13, Shaker 8. As one minute bled into the next in the third quarter, Saratoga began to lose the lead with which they’d started the afternoon. But that didn’t seem to affect the players. They continued to play as a cohesive unit, utilizing open players positioned all over the court. The final score was 42-35 Shaker, but the team never gave up throughout the whole game. They took it well, congratulating the opposing side. Coach Allen said, “There are long lasting friendships that get created, and amazing memories.”