As fall comes to an end and winter is fast approaching, the focus will switch from football to basketball for Carl Hayden High School. Their varsity team opened its season 5-2,

Carl Hayden is looking to fulfill high expectations for the 2017-18 season, returning four varsity players.

Carl Hayden will enter the year with a short staff overall, fielding only seven players for their team. The players know they will have to be in premier shape to hang with other teams with deeper rosters.

“We know that we’re not the deepest team in the league,” senior guard Isaiah Chapman said. “We’ve got to play well as a starting unit, and rely on a few substitutes to make big plays.”

Chapman is a captain on the team and one of five upperclassmen to grace the roster. Carl Hayden is coming off a good campaign last season, going 16-11 to mark their fifth straight season with a .500 record or better.

The team has worked to build relationships together and do team-building activities more often off the floor. They’ve grown much closer over the off-season and feel confident leading into 2018.

“After our games and even some practices we try to at least eat a meal together,” senior Brian Ayon said.

Luckily for them, they have easy access with a local pizza place just around the corner on Van Buren Street. The boys have grown fond of walking through the doors with excitement after a grueling day on the court.

The young men at Carl Hayden have found an activity to grow closer as a team through these bi-weekly adventures to their local pizza joint.