The Cardinals boys basketball team ended its season Wednesday night after a close back-and-forth loss to Parsons.
The teams’ two seniors, Logan Sullivan and Jerry Coble, said it was heartbreaking to see their time as Cardinals come to a close, but they were glad they got to suit up for the team during their high school years.
Coble said he would miss his teammates and coaches. The team had become his community over the past few years.
“You grow together. You really become a family,” Coble said. “Like, it’s become a big part of my life. It’s just really special, and it hurts that it’s gone.”
Sullivan, who reached the 1,000-point mark this year, said he was grateful for the Eudora community that supported him. He said his time in high school basketball went by quickly. His teammates, some of whom he plays with year-round, are the people he’ll miss most.
“I’m close with a lot of them,” he said. “So it just hurts I’ll never go to play with them again. They’ve always supported me, and I’ll always support them.”
Sullivan was emotional discussing head coach Kyle Deterding. He thanked Deterding for the opportunities given to him, whether it was letting Sullivan play varsity minutes as a freshman or opening the gym so he could practice.
I’m going to miss him,” he said. “He always knew I was good and he always said that to me, that I just got to work hard and I’ll get there someday.”
Coble echoed Sullivan’s comments, saying he was grateful for the lessons that Deterding taught him about basketball and life as a whole.
“He’s taught me a lot,” Coble said. “He’s definitely a really good mentor.
Deterding said he appreciated the dedication of the two seniors showing up and working every day. After last season, which saw a lot of departing seniors, he didn’t know what this year would bring.
“We had a lot of ebbs and flows throughout the year,” Deterding said. “We competed most of the nights on game nights.”
Both seniors gave advice to their returning teammates: focus at practice and soak in every moment.
“You just gotta enjoy it,” Coble said. “Do their best in practice every day. Bring it every day, because, before you know it, it will be done.”
Deterding said he is looking forward to seeing what the returning players can accomplish this offseason and next year and see if they’re ready to do what’s needed to reach the next level.
“That potential is there,” he said,” but they have put in some work to get to that point.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
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