The boys basketball season is getting underway soon as tryouts have come to a conclusion. The team has high hopes this season with many of its top players from last year returning, which had made tryouts crucial with very few spots realistically up for grabs. Ultimately, 15 players made the team, but two of them are injured and will miss all or most of the season. 

“The group of guys trying out are competing and are in the same boat skill-wise and they try hard,” said junior guard Aiden Warzecha. “And the tryouts have been very competitive.”

This team is trying to return to the top of the conference and get back to the district championship game as they did just two years ago. “I’m very excited [for this season]. We had a rough year last year, but we worked hard in the off-season and we are ready for this year,” said senior guard Dominic Dawson.

While they are coming off a tough year, this team is oozing with talent. This is true despite the fact that they are without two of their top players from last year, guard Zack Jones and forward Evan Johnson. They were both injured over the course of the football season and will miss most or all of the season. While this certainly hurts the team, the rest of their talent should produce and this has resulted in them having lofty goals this season as well.

“The goal for this season is to win the division title,” said Warzecha, which was also a sentiment that was shared between him and Dawson. They’re definitely set up to where they will be able to compete with anyone.

The team boasts a top 100 player in the state, according to the Detroit Free Press in 6-foot-9-inch senior center, Reid Sellers. Not to mention a three-point dynamo in Warzecha, who can score at will at times and just take over games. Then there is his back court mate in Dawson with whom he has great chemistry with on the court. As well as an outstanding coach that leads them well.

Head Coach Dave Gilbert has been the varsity basketball coach at Milford for four years now. He also is looking forward to this season and he thinks they have the team that can accomplish great things.

“We should be well balanced in the fact that we have two returning big guys that are much improved in Reid Sellers and Gunnar Gustafson, along with good play so we should have great inside out play,” said Gilbert.

There seems to be high hopes from everyone around the team that this will be a special year. This will make basketball games with the student section even more fun.

But you can’t talk about the basketball team without mentioning the student section.The team always gets tons of support at the games and they always have a great student section that is referred to as the “Sixth Man.” They are at every game and are always loud regardless of the score of the game and no matter how good or bad the chances are of winning. They truly stick with the team through thick and thin. “They’re just so crazy and they do whatever it takes to help us win, and they do a lot of crazy stuff to help us out,” said Dawson with a laugh.

This should be an enjoyable year with some memorable times, so get ready for a good time and come out this year to support the team.