The basketball Hawklets young team showed a lot of heart throughout the season. They got off to a slow start, beginning with a 2-7 record. However, they found a way to finish their season on a four-game winning streak before ultimately losing to the top-seeded Lee’s Summit West Titans in the district championship game. The winning streak displayed the Hawklets’ tremendous improvement, as it was their longest of the year.

Rockhurst concluded the season at 11-14. Despite the losing record, though, the Hawklets’ season included many promising moments. One of which was a January victory over the Shawnee Mission East Lancers. This marked Rockhurst’s first victory over their rival in three years. Additionally, the East game is one of the most anticipated games of the season. It’s not uncommon for admission lines to form several hours before tip-off. The win was a satisfying outcome for senior Brian Humphrey, as it was the first time he beat the team from across the state line.

“It was definitely cool to get the win in front of everyone there,” Humphrey said. “There’s no game that’s more hyped up than the East game, so it gave us a little more motivation to give everything we had. I also knew I wanted to beat East at least once before it was all said and done.”

Another key win for the Hawklets came in their district quarterfinal matchup against the Raytown Bluejays. This outcome was especially gratifying for returning players, since it was Raytown who sent the Hawklets packing in last year’s district semifinal. To make the win even sweeter, Rockhurst was a decided underdog. Rockhurst entered the game as the seventh seed while Raytown came in as the second seed. Senior Hayden Spachman led the way, posting a 21-point double-double in the victory. Spachman, who was named to the All-District 1st team following the season, enjoyed the chance to avenge last year’s loss to the Bluejays.

“It felt like the win meant more to us because of what happened last year,” Spachman said. “It would have been tough to go out against the same team again.”

A fitting last win was next up for the Hawklets, as they came back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Lee’s Summit Tigers in the district semifinal. A clutch 3-pointer by junior Braden Lamley in the final minute of the fourth quarter sent the game into overtime. Rockhurst pulled away from the Tigers in the extra period, winning 59-54. This gritty victory was representative of the Hawklets team: not the most talented, but resilient.

For the members of the team who plan to return next year, the focus now has shifted to offseason improvement. Junior Brady Maher believes the Hawklets can get substantially better before next winter. 

“I think we all have to really work this offseason to get stronger,” Maher said. “We have to be able to make sure we can match up with everyone physically.” 

Maher also recognizes that with Humphrey and Spachman leaving next year, others will have to fill leadership roles.

“The biggest thing will be holding each other accountable,” he said. “We are definitely going to need a couple guys to step up and make sure that everyone is on the same page.”

Even though Humphrey will not be a part of Rockhurst’s team next year, he still has lofty expectations for them.

“I really think next year’s team can be the one that wins a district championship,” he said. “They have all the pieces they need to make a run.” 

It’s a sentiment many returning players agree with.

“We really want to be able to win our district because we’ve come up short in the past couple of years,” junior Thomas Coppinger said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but it’ll all be worth  it if we can get it done.”