Coming off of the recent victory of their football team, Oakdale students are anxiously anticipating the Basketball season.  The season has started off with a bang, bringing home their first win over Williamsport 86-51. They are now lead by the new head coach Brad Long, who was also assistant to Coach Terry Connolly in previous years.

As far as victories go, these boys have a championship on the agenda. “We’re definitely trying to make it back to Xfinity [center] this season,” Junior Ethan Reifer states confidently. Reifer plans on bringing enthusiasm and aggressiveness to the table and is ready for the season to commence.

He also shares that since the team is smaller this season, they will have to “talk more on the court”. However, the team seems positive that although many of their players are starting their practices later in the season (they were busy winning the States football championship), it will not affect how they play on Friday at their opening game.

As for the coaching change, the team is taking it in as if nothing has changed. “It’s no different, we’re just going to take it the same way,” Junior Dylan Berney comments. Since Coach Long isn’t a new face to the team, it should be no big deal.

As far as the fans go, the Oakdaliens plan on living up to their title of “Best Student Section in the State”. “The team feeds off of us. We’re pretty much best friends with every single player, so our energy helps them,” Senior Reece Antognoni explains. He promises that there will never be another student section better than Oakdale’s.

The Bears game plan to make it back to the State Finals? “Work hard,” Senior Mussa Crawford shares. “If we work hard then we can achieve anything.”

The most challenging team the team will play this season is most likely TJ, but Crawford believes that if they challenge each other and communicate in practices, they “will be able to beat any team in the county, no matter how good they are.”

Since Oakdale is a well-known successful team, the players can sometimes feel like “they always have a target on their backs.” “Everybody wants to beat Oakdale, we just can’t let them,” Crawford replies.

Overall, the players all agree that when students show up and out at games, it only pumps them up more for their upcoming win. To help the team return to the State Finals this season, go to the first Basketball game against Williamsport at home. Bring your spirit and your black, as the theme will be a black-out. Let’s go Bears!