The Proctor Phantoms boys basketball team through their first 8 games has a 5-3 record as of January 21st. With only losing one senior last year and another player due to transferring out, the Phantoms have a relatively similar roster to last year. 

This helps with familiarity and provides a good foundation of chemistry, which is very important when it comes to basketball and this Phantom team. 

“People have gotten closer, and we have been able to put our trust in each other to make shots and defensive stops,” Senior Kaden Dean said.

The Phantoms have made chemistry and togetherness a big priority coming into the season as they want to build a tight knit group.

“Getting together as a whole team for team bonding has helped, but we should definitely do more of them, and certain problems have been fixed, “ Dean said. 

The team has been getting together for dinners, hangouts, and fun events like bowling to bring the team together and build chemistry. This has also helped solve problems with the team which created more of a family on and off the court.

“We are more together now, both mentally, and on the court,” Junior Captain Mason Brothers said.

With good team chemistry you also need leaders who are able to set the tone on and off the court as well as lead by example and set a precedent for the rest of the team.

For the Phantoms, their two leaders are Senior Aaron Brock and Junior Mason Brothers, who were the captains in the past season as well as the captains for the past two soccer seasons.

“Mason definitely stepped up and picked up a big role,” Sophomore Sawyer Crossmon said. Kaden added, “Mason is a big leader on the court, but sometimes it's different people who take the opportunity to step up and be a leader, like Sawyer or Isaiah.”

Having these players who aren't afraid to step up is crucial to a team's success and for holding their peers accountable. 

Players to note who have brought energy and hustle to the team this year are: Sawyer Crossmon and Sophomores Braden Sheehe and Camrin Camp.

Braden Sheehe, in particular, had a previous outbreak on the soccer field and we now are seeing a big jump in the sophomore's current basketball campaign as well.

“Braden went from being a 5 minute per game player to one of our leading scorers,” Brothers said.

The growth and evolution of this team is still in the works but the players are noticing the talent that they have. The Phantoms realize that, once they put the pieces together, they have a special group.

“A mindset we need to carry into the rest of the season is to take it one game at a time. Every game is a new opportunity to learn something new, and growth takes time, so we need to work hard, but also be patient, which can be tough at times,” Senior Captain Aaron Brock said.

Like most teams, the Phantoms have their sights set on the championship. Although they are not quite there yet and their record doesn't show a team that you would expect to win it all, they have all of the qualities of a team that can win it.

“We've had some performances on the road that we don't think we played to our level. Nonetheless, we are undefeated in away games so far. Coach talks about this often because we are still winning games where we play poorly. So when we play to our full potential, we expect to win games,” Brock said.

Many players on the team have put emphasis on their rebounding and defense and how it needs to improve. With these adjustments and being able to play a complete game, they figure that they will be able to win games and be more of a dominant contender to get their season back on track.

Make sure to watch your Phantoms as they progress and try to achieve their goals with this strong group!