The Miami Palmetto Senior High School Boy’s Varsity Basketball team experienced a rollercoaster of ups and downs this 2023-24 basketball season, but continued with resilience, teamwork and pursuit of success.They continue to give the remainder of the season their all as they make their way to districts.
So far, the team has won 60% of their games: 15 wins, 10 losses. The season started off playing like 500 basketball — winning half and losing half. Throughout the season, the team has seen major improvements and progress through hard work and dedication. They hope to bring a trophy home for districts in the upcoming weeks. Reaching high, they also aim to make it to the regional championship.
Though their regular season has ended, the team is spending the next couple of weeks training for the district playoffs. The basketball team has high goals for this year’s finals, especially after coming off a high-achieving season the previous year.
“Last year, we won districts. We had a much older group. We beat [Christopher] Columbus [High School] in our district finals and we lost in regional semifinals. We are obviously not as old and as successful as last year, but the foundation of what we have growing has the opportunity to be very special,” Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Alex Ordoqui said.
Despite facing adversity, this season was filled with hard losses, which became crucial learning moments and led to incredible accomplishments. Earlier in the season, they lost 78-77, in an edge-of-your-seat game against Ferguson Senior High School. The team took home some outstanding wins, such as the 41-point score difference with Homestead Senior High School.
“One of my highlights this season was playing against Ferguson. It was a tough loss, though; but, it was a pretty good game. We lost by one point,” junior Santiago Henriquez said. “But, my favorite game…That’s a tough one. I would say it’s the Killian game. We won by 60 points and everyone got to play and we just really had fun out there. It just felt awesome; all the hard work you put out each day really shows on the court.”
The team chemistry has contributed to their on-court successes. The teammates have formed a close relationship with one another both on and off the court, empowering them to play with each other and trust one another. Although the team is young, they are on track to advancing this team’s chemistry over the next few years. This year, they are only losing one senior. They hope to pick up next season exactly where they leave off and start working towards an even better year with broader accomplishments.
“We’ve dealt with the adversity of not playing as well as we wanted to at the beginning. It’s kind of made the [players] tighter and it’s led to some of our successes later in the year,” Ordoqui said. “We fully expect to be one of the best teams in the county next year. We lose one senior and the rest of our team returns; our junior varsity just finished [a season of eight wins and one loss]. With the work our kids put in… by this point next year, we are going to be a very tough team to beat.”
Beyond the statistics of the game, basketball is a passion and a lifestyle for these players, many of whom plan to pursue a future playing it. As the buzzer echoes through the gym, the MPSH basketball team continues to leave a mark on the school’s legacy. Through highs and lows, the players’ and coach’s dedication, resilience and passion for this team and their love for the game remain inspiring. With eager anticipation, both the team and the crowd look forward as they make their way to district finals.
