The Indian Wells Elementary School boys’ basketball teams have gotten off to a good start this season. Both teams have several young players, but have been able to rely on the few returning players in the early part of the season. With each game, players are learning how to compete harder and build confidence.
The IWES Black team got off to a rocky start with a lot of new faces. Garry Elsmere and Christopher Billie have the talent to be a strong back court, while Bowdie Yellowhair and Lance Crow are starting to make their presence felt on the inside. Every game gets better for this team and the boys show signs of good things to come. As young as this team is, they still have only two losses on the season at the halfway point. The team is coached by Bernice Gover.
The IWES Red team is led by Myles Williams and Samuel Francisco, and features some young players like Kenneth Nez and Tristen Attakai. They have only one loss on the season so far, but need to continue to build on their basketball skills to compete at a higher level. Defense will be the key for these boys to see how far they can go in the tournament. The team is coached by Daniel Orton.
The IWES girls’ teams have also been hard at work.
The Black team, coached by Cale Allen, is currently 5-0 with wins over Star, Leupp, Greasewood, Wide Ruins and Dilcon. It has gotten really strong play from Sagianne Begay, Alexis Gene and Kaitlynn Chee.
The Red team’s record is currently 4-1 with wins over Leupp, Greasewood, Wide Ruins and Dilcon, and a tough overtime loss to Star. The coach of the red team is Johnathan Nells. Star players have been Caitlyn Harvey, Mireevah Belin and Mackalee Williams.
All four teams are finished playing until after winter break. They will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 5, when the two Indian Wells teams will play each other. The season is set to end at the end of January.
