Senior basketball players aren’t ready to say goodbye

Cooper Davis

Junior Eli Walton stretches his arms out wide to play defense on Evansville-Reitz best statistical Jaelen Sanford. SHS held Sanford to 2 points while his season average is 20 points a game.

Justin Ray, Reporter

The SHS boys basketball team is ranked first in the state right now but not everyone is staying after this year. There are three seniors on the basketball team that will graduate.

Seniors Josh Springer, DeMari Davis, and Malik Bennett are all graduating this year. Springer and Davis have been here all four years here at SHS and Bennett has been here for three years.

“It’s been fun,” Springer said. “I’m really glad I chose to come here.”

Springer went to Calvary Lutheran School and had the choice to either go to Lutheran High School or SHS. He made the decision to go to SHS. He made this decision because SHS is where his sisters went and the school was bigger.

He had to leave his friends when he transferred schools but he soon learned to make new friends. It was easier for to make friends due to him being on the basketball team. He is close with the players and coaches and will miss them.

“I’m going to miss everyone around me,” Springer said.

Davis is going to miss the team greatly because he feels everyone on the team are his brothers. He appreciates the coaches because they are always there for him.

He loves giving back to the community. Sometimes the basketball team will go to Homecroft Elementary School to help kids with academics.  He thinks the experience of helping those kids made him a more well rounded person.

“It helps me not be a knucklehead like some people,” Davis said. “It’s been pretty good, I love Southport, it’s like my family.”

Bennett transferred from Pike to Southport his sophomore year. He felt that he wasn’t getting the help he needed academically. He also had trust issues with his team at Pike.

He feels that it will be hard leaving SHS. He is going to miss his teammates and coaches.

“It was great,” Bennett said. “ I loved it. I love Southport.”

All together they all have the same goal. That goal is to win the state championship.