After more than a year off the court, both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams were dying to kick off their seasons. Uncertainty of a season occuring at all was a hot topic of conversation, but with much consideration from Governor Kate Brown and the CDC, the hard-working athletes were finally granted some playing time.

The boys’ basketball team is 4-1, with wins over Oregon City, Tigard and Lakeridge twice. They fell short to Canby by one point in only their second game of the season. On May 28, the Wolves played a non-league game against Newberg, beating them 82-52. 

They are led by four seniors: Carson Denning, Jackson Passaglia, Blake Howarth and Logan Shaw. Malik Ross, Noah Ogoli and Peter Burke are key players and contributors as juniors, who look to fill their roles as senior leaders next season. Ashton Rose and Kellen Hale continue to prove their importance to the team’s success. Ryan Schleicher and Jack Wagner are two sophomores with crazy potential.

Varsity assistant boys’ basketball coach Thomas Duggan shared what it feels like to be back on the court. 

“We are very pleased to have a chance to compete. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve done whatever workouts were allowed under the rules for any given time so that we could be ready if given a chance to play. We are glad that our seniors get to end their year playing basketball.”

The girls’ basketball team is 4-0 to start the season. They beat Canby in their season opener, and have gone on to beat Oregon City, Tigard and St. Mary’s. Tualatin earned their third straight rivalry win against Tigard, with a final score of 57-17. 

The Wolves are packed with talent, stemming from their seniors: Kasidy Javernick, Natalie Lathrop, Teagan Gaviola, Aurora Davis and Sidney Dering. The five seniors are versatile players with a natural understanding of the game. Brook Burke is a junior who gets after it on the defensive end. Two-time varsity players Tabi Searle and Olivia Poulavatti are only sophomores but have established their roles as playmakers on the court. 

“We view this season as a gift, and we are going to cherish every moment with our players – but especially our five seniors,” assistant girls’ varsity coach Ben Sherman commented. 

Both teams have only a few weeks remaining of their 2021 season. Good luck, T-Wolves!