The Road To State
The Madison Boys Varsity team started their season off strong with three back to back wins against the toughest teams in the state and they ended their regular season at 23-3.
This year, the team consisted of seven seniors Jordan Porter, Spencer Hathaway, Bohlder Murray, Mason McWhorter, Jaden Schwab, Kyle Jackson, and Cooper Poll with three juniors Dawson Wills, Carson Downey, and Mark Williams.
The Bobcats were going strong with a 10-0 winning streak until they lost their first game to Skyview which was then followed by another loss to Idaho Falls.
But that didn’t slow them down.
In practices, the Bobcats have been working on rebounding and being more aggressive. “We don’t want anyone to outwork us,” said Head Coach Travis Schwab. When asked what makes them so successful, senior Mason Mcwhorter said, “We’re not selfish, we share the ball.” Their off-the-court team chemistry is another factor in their success since they have been playing basketball, football, and baseball with each other since they were kids.
The Cats didn’t lose another game after that until the district tournament came along where they faced their rival team the Rigby Trojans and lost 54-44. Luckily because it was a true double elimination, Madison was able to get a second chance.
The redemption game was at Rigby this time. The overly packed gym rose the intensity of the game even more. But the boys were able to push through the battle and take the win 62-52.
The District Championship game brought the whole town of Rexburg and Rigby to overflow the Madison High School gym. As the points were going back and forth between the two teams, with the crowd getting restless, Madison took the District Championship title. They barely pulled a five-point lead to win the game 46-41.
The juniors on the team were always there to hype up the starters and they were able to match the same intensity when put in the game. As for the upcoming season, junior Dawson Wills said, “The biggest responsibilities as seniors is to mentor [the underclassmen] and make sure they can fill in the shoes after you.”
Junior Varsity players Taden King and Wesley Jensen were also pulled up to play during the District Tournament and will be going with the team to state, in hopes to get in a game or two. The JV team finished their season at 23-0 and as district champions.
Overall, the boys basketball team had a very successful season, losing only 3 games and taking districts. The Madison Bobcats will be going to the state tournament this weekend in Boise, Idaho. Their first game will be on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Ford Idaho Center, where they will be facing Eagle High School.
