The ball is passed and making its way to another player when suddenly number 15 jumps up, intercepts the pass, and aggressively snatches the ball. Running as fast as a cheetah, number 23 glides down the court passing a fast pass to number 12. Number 12 catches the ball, makes a sharp double crossover on his opponent and drives to the three point line for a shot. With seconds left on the clock, number 12 jumps up in the air and shoots the ball into the basket. The ball effortlessly lands in the net as the buzzer goes off. He shoots, he scores!
This year’s winter not only brings a change of weather but also a new set of sports, one of them being basketball. Boys varsity basketball is hyped and prepared for a competitive season. As always, their goal is to come first in the Ocean League. The last time they took home the league championships consecutively was in 1985 and 1986.
Ten years of coaching at Culver City and three years with varsity, Coach Adam Eskridge is determined to, “make some noise this season.” Although Eskridge faces the struggle of coaching a very young team this season, he is still determined to help them improve for the future and develop their basketball skills as the year goes on. When asked what the team is really trying to improve the most, Eskridge said, “Defense is our bread and butter while offense and shooting will develop throughout the year.”
This year’s season welcomes many new players and a few returning players. Being the only freshman on the varsity team, point guard, Nicky Green has high hopes for his team and himself. Although Green realized that he wouldn’t get an abundant amount of playing time, he said, “I decided to play varsity so I could improve my skills and learn from the older guys.”
Boys varsity’s biggest rivals are Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Sometimes the challenge is not always beating the other team but working together with your own team. His last year of playing high school basketball, shooting guard, Arshan Appleby shares the desire to win league but also points out a few things to work on especially, “developing team chemistry and rebounding.”
Each player on the team provides their own  exceptional skills to the team but some players have really been a great addition to the team. Eskridge appreciates the skills and talents sophomore Malik Mclinn has to offer and says, “He is off to a great start.”