The boys basketball team has been working hard to prepare for this season and has already seen success while playing in the new gym, “The Grove.” The Bears recently placed third at the Nederland Bulldog Classic after defeating Vidor, 52-40, and is currently competing in the Hardin-Jefferson Marathon.

The Bears also got a big 63-55 win against Jasper Tuesday night. As of now, the team holds a 5-4 record and is gearing up for district play next month.

According to head coach Brad Jeffcoat, the team’s goals for this season are to win at least 25 games, win at least two playoff games, complete 200 community service hours, and hold a team GPA of 3.0. Jeffcoat said he and his team always want to work harder and be a little bit tougher than the other teams they face.

“It doesn’t always mean you’ll get a win, but it does mean you will always be in the game,” Jeffcoat said.

To prepare for games, Jeffcoat said the coaching staff watches film on every team the Bears face. From that, they formulate a game plan and write out a practice schedule that will allow the team to be successful against their next opponent.

“There is always a balance of us getting better at what we like to do and preparing to handle whatever the other team is going to do,” Jeffcoat said.

According to Jeffcoat, he tries to hold his players accountable for their actions and help them figure out what they can do individually to help the team succeed.

“It is always easy to blame someone else or make an excuse, but at the end of the day, what can I do to make our team better?” he said. “What can each individual player do to help out the group as a whole? I truly believe that nothing in life is given freely and that everything needs to be earned.”

Right now, the Bears are getting ready to face some of their toughest competitors, both in regular season play and district play, which starts on Jan. 12 against Bridge City.

“Silsbee won state last year and is expected to be really strong again,” Jeffcoat said. “Currently, they are the No. 1 ranked 4A team in Texas. We also go to Port Arthur Memorial before the Christmas break and they are a highly ranked 5A school. Lastly, we always have great games with West Orange-Stark.”

According to Jeffcoat, his players put so much time, energy, and passion into playing basketball and it has been humbling for him to watch them invest so much.

“We’re all here because we love basketball and that is something that I believe is infectious,” he said. “I try to pass that on to as many of our players as I can.”