SARATOGA SPRINGS — This past Sunday, The Saratoga Blue Streaks brought home the championship trophy, for the first time in 30 years by defeating Bethlehem, 69-58 at the Class AA championship game.
Each year a new group of students tries out for the team, and each year the teams have a different approach to the season. This year Coach Mike Ushers had his team working on their goal from the very first day of practice.
“We talked about trying to be a tough defensive team. That’s something our guys have really bought into and take pride in,” said Coach Ushers. “When we work hard on a defensive end, it seems to help us play better on the other end of the floor.”
This season started off with a few ups and downs, and that their performances in a few early season games were not up to par. But the team knew that they had a fighting chance at making the
playoffs once their game started to improve.
“It was great to see them mature and grow into their roles as the season went along. We had a lot of new faces and guys that were in smaller roles last year that had to step up and take on more responsibility this season,” said Coach Ushers. “It took a few games and a couple of months to figure out how we were gonna play our best. It’s been great to see them play their best when it matters most.”
Seven players are seniors and will be graduating in June. Coach Ushers has not yet thought about how he will shape his team for next year, as he tries to focus on one year at a time. Right now, he just wants his team to finish out their season strong.
The Blue Streaks basketball team will be playing out in Syracuse this Saturday, March 9, as they compete against West Genesee in the Section III championships. The game will be held at Onondaga Community College at 3:45 p.m.
