On Tuesday night, Antioch Community High School celebrated their senior night, with a conference game against the Grayslake North Knights, and a victory over them with a final score of 44-39. Prior to the game, all of the seniors from the basketball, dance and cheer teams walked out to half-court chaperoned by their parents and received rounds of applause and hugs from teammates, coaches and ACHS staff.
The Sequoit basketball seniors are Leighton Costello, Trenton Crandall, Cayden Caya, Andy Tindell, Leo Reband and team manager Brock Sooley.
After each senior was individually announced, emotions were high.
“Walking out on senior night was an experience like no other,” senior Leo Reband said. “It was weird knowing that [this game] was one of the last times [I would be] coming out to the Cardinal Crazies, but it also felt amazing having everyone cheering for me.”
Being a senior, and being in the program the longest, the unbreakable bonds with teammates that have been made will last a lifetime.
“The bonds I’ve created with my teammates are going to last a lifetime,” senior Andy Tindell said. “I’ve not only learned a lot about basketball, but I’ve learned how to be a good player and leader.”
Being the oldest on the team, makes the younger players think of you as a leader, and some look up to you.
“I’d say a senior I look up to the most is Leighton, I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate this year,” junior Kyle Glassman said. “He didn’t have to come back after not playing last year, but he chose to come back, and is one of the reasons we had a really good second half of the season.”
Although this is the last year of basketball for most of the seniors, the extra work they put in to better themselves and their teammates will leave a legacy.
“When [Leighton] was struggling in the middle of the season I saw him constantly shooting after practice to fix his shot, and find any time he could get extra shots in,” Glassman said.
After the ceremony, the game started, all seniors got playing time, and ACHS came away with a 44-39 victory over the Knights. With regionals against their rivals Lakes Community High School as their next game on Wednesday, Feb. 23, the seniors and the rest of the ACHS boys basketball team are trying to end their season on a high note.
