It wasn’t pretty, but the Paris senior boys and girls teams returned to the conference win column on Tuesday night by defeating Hackett at Paris Gymnasium on Senior Night. After struggling for much of the month of January, both Paris teams were able to put together wins in front of the senior night crowd. The Eagles defeated Hackett 44-36, and the Lady Eagles won by a score of 54-31.
Both Paris and Hackett are two proud programs that pride themselves on being competitive each year, but both have struggled for much of this year’s basketball season. But to the credit of the players and coaches for both schools, the Eagles and the Hornets continue to play hard when some schools may have “packed it in” for this season. Some of the credit is due to the district tournament that gives everyone in the conference something to play for when the regular season does not go well. But make no mistake, it is a test of character for every player in both programs when there is less than two weeks to go in a season and you find yourselves looking up at every other school in the conference standings. As I have said before, better days are ahead for the young Eagles and Lady Eagles, and the same is true for the Hackett basketball program.
For Paris looking forward, the senior boys have a make-up game on Thursday night at home versus the Cossatot River Eagles. You may recall that Cossatot had to postpone their earlier scheduled game with Paris due to COVID reasons. Beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Paris junior boys will play followed by the senior game with Cossatot.
Both the Eagles and Lady Eagles will return to the road on Friday to play an important conference match with Danville. The Eagles defeated Danville at Paris Gymnasium earlier in the month, and the Lady Eagles played very well in a close defeat. So Paris enters Friday night with a chance to win both conference games that could have an important effect on who Paris will play in the first round of the district tournament. These last few games are very important to avoid playing a number two or three seed in the first round of the tournament.
Paris and Hackett fans can be proud of the effort both teams displayed in Tuesday’s game. Although there were numerous turnovers, poor shooting, and long stretches were seemingly neither team could score, the fact remains that both teams were playing hard and refused to quit. Like I said, both schools can be very proud. Refusing to quit is one core principle that great programs are built upon, and I believe for that reason, the future is bright for Paris and Hackett basketball.
On a side note, the Hornets had a player leave the game during the senior boys game with what appeared to be a knee injury. I know you join me in wishing the player the best and an expedient recovery. High school athletes’ time on the court is precious, as they have only a few years to play what may be the only time they have to play the game. A significant injury can be devastating to the dreams of any player, and I hope all is well today for the injured Hackett player.
Resident Press will be at Paris Gymnasium on Thursday to cover the Eagles’ make-up game with Cossatot River. I will also be in Danville on Friday night to cover the Eagles and Lady Eagles games with the Little Johns.
For fans of both schools, additional photos of the Eagles and Lady Eagles games with Hackett can be found on Facebook at Paris Eagles Sports.
So, keep supporting your teams who are still out there giving their all each night. I know they value and appreciate your support.
See you Thursday night!
