While the first set of snowflakes stick to the ground and the thermometer seems to be stuck below 40 degrees, people start to hibernate inside. It’s that time of the year again where Westside’s winter set of sports start off their seasons. 

The Warriors varsity boys basketball team officially tips off this Thursday against the Lincoln Northeast Rockets and looks to change some things up from last year.

In the 2018-2019 season, thanks to a buzzer-beater three from Junior Carl Brown in the district final, the Warriors headed down to Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln for the state tournament. There, Westside went back and forth with Omaha Central but fell late in the fourth quarter and ended their season with the 66-63 loss in the first round.

This season, they look to start off strong and get better as a team. Last year, the Warriors started off with a 5-0 record out of the gate and the team looks to do the same this season. Head Coach Jim Simons said he wants the team to focus on their assignments now and work to get better throughout the year. 

“You’re not going to win a championship or anything of substance in the first week,” Simons said. “The first two weeks is about trying to get better each day and trying to embrace the process of getting better. If our focus is on that, we think that the results and games will take care of themselves.”

One flaw in this year’s boys team may be the lack of true size the team has. Without last year’s center in Chase Thompson, the Warriors don’t have a true big man that can stay strong in the paint. Thompson averaged just under 21 points per game last year which just under one third of the entire Warrior offense. Simons said they plan on adjusting the offensive plan to better fit the team’s strengths. 

“Defensive rebounding and post defense are really our focal points for us,” Simons said. “We’re going to have to find a way through playing really hard and competing like crazy to combat the fact that we are smaller. On the other side of the ball, mismatches work both ways. We’re going to be a small, quick, skilled offensive team.”

Throughout the offseason, the team has worked to stay conditioned and become one of if not the fastest and most conditioned teams in the state. Senior Dylan Folda said he feels that his experience this past offseason was different compared to the ones he participated in before.

“Our offseason workouts were harder than ever,” Folda said. “We’ve been working on our culture and trying to become more of a team, more of a family and working together. I don’t feel we’re going to miss a step at the beginning of this year.”

The Warriors will start off the season with a four-team tournament. Folda said he wants Westside to show what kind of a team that they are and for people to see how they have grown this offseason.

“A win would be nice 100%, but just going out there and showing everyone that we’re here to play this year and making it a statement game,” Folda said.