This season, the Bear Basketball team has done something that has not been accomplished in over a decade; they have earned at least 20 wins as a team, and the season is not even over yet. The Bears will face Hamshire-Fannett tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Bear Cave and hope to keep that win record going.

“They’ve put in a lot of work to get where they are,” head coach Brad Jeffcoat said about this year’s team. “These guys have invested a lot of time and energy into LCM Basketball and it is starting to pay off.”

The players have made both individual and team goals as they continue to climb up the rankings. They work together as a unit to make sure that each of  their separate goals are met because if they succeed on their individual goals, they can succeed on their team goals as well.

“I expect from the rest of my team that they play their hardest at all times, take everything seriously and do what the coach says,” sophomore Braden Bridges said.

Throughout the team’s many wins, they have also faced many trials to get there. To be able to jump over these challenges and continue to do well has has proven to be a real skill that is beneficial to the team.

“Our biggest challenge is to show up every day and  try to get better and try the best we can,” Jeffcoat said. “Sometimes it is difficult to sustain that focus over such a long season, but I guess that is why they pay me.”

The coaches strive to do all they can to not only turn these boys into great players, but into even better young men. They see their potential and turn it into reality.

“I expect our guys to continue to play their hearts out,” Jeffcoat said. “I expect them to be good students, be good teammates, and to be good men. I like that our kids play hard. They have a strong desire to be successful and they are willing to fight for that success.”

The team and the coaches feel very lucky to have the supporters they have. The crowd impacts the game and the players more than they think.

“Thank you for your support,” Jeffcoat said to all those who have shown up to root on the Bears this season.”We’ve had pretty big crowds at almost all of our games and that’s the first step. The next step is to be loud and organized. Watch some YouTube videos for chants and cheers and get on the same page. There is no reason we can’t have the best student section in the area and I hope that we are on our way to that status.”

This year’s varsity Bears are hard workers and try their best to entertain the audience while also playing a game they love.

“I enjoy competing,” Jeffcoat said. “Coaching basketball gives us a chance to compete with other teams, compete with other coaches, and, most importantly, compete with ourselves by trying to be the best we possibly can.”