A Night to Remember

The Milford Girls Basketball team lines the court. While the national anthem echoes in the background, the seniors reflect solemnly as they take the court for the last time.

Senior Night is a special event that each girl has waited for since they began playing. From reminiscing on all the fond memories to the bittersweet last few moments, it’s a night each player looks forward to and always remembers. On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the basketball team left their home court on a high note, beating Walled Lake Western, 38-18.

The ceremony started at the beginning of the game with all of the senior families walking down the court. “It was a sad moment for me, but at the same time it was nice getting to finish at home with everyone,” said Veronica Ricci, one of the five senior girls. All of the underclassmen that are part of the team spoke highly of each senior. Sophomore Riley Mitchell, sister of Senior Taylor Mitchell shared her experience, “Being on the same team as my sister has its pros and cons, like getting annoyed at each other in practices, but the pro is that I have someone that I can count on to mess around with me during water breaks. Whenever we’re on the court together, we have a special bond and know exactly what the next move is with each other.”

The seniors this year haven’t had a ‘normal’ basketball season since their freshman year, so a lot has changed. All of the girls agreed that it felt good to be back with their team and enjoyed playing for their last year of high school. “It was great to be back for a full season,” said Ricci. “ I feel like this year I have a better connection to the underclassmen than any other year.” Many players agreed that the team was more connected this year. “The most memorable moment would have to be all of our team dinners and sleepovers,” Senior Jenna Hoppe said. “During the dinners we always have a lot of laughing and joking around with the underclassmen. I feel like doing stuff outside of school brought us closer together and made us a family.” Team bonding is an essential part of bringing the team closer with one another. This year, the returning varsity players played ‘Hostage’ as one of the bonding experiences with the new varsity members. “This game was really fun and it was a great way to get the new varsity members comfortable with the team,” Senior Lily Shaw said.

Over the past few years the seniors have gained new experiences and learned a lot from each other. “I’ve learned the lesson to take the chance and shoot because I realized that I regret it more when I hesitate and end up not taking the shot.” stated Ricci.

Shaw also shared her important takeaways from basketball: “I learned that sometimes you have to know where you stand and accept it instead of trying to change it because it’s not something you can control,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to step up and say something, [and] own up to what you do.” Along with lasting memories, the girls have many life lessons that they will never forget.

The Milford’s Girls Varsity Basketball team has had many successes this year. From a 2-19 season to 14-8 record 3 years later, and getting to play in districts, the girls can safely say that they had a great season. There have also been many individual accomplishments too, such as Taylor Mitchell’s buzzer beater against Lakeland. “At that moment, there was just so much adrenaline and excitement from my teammates that I didn’t really have time to process what was going on,” she said. Individual accomplishments included Hoppe having 124 steals placing her 2nd in steals for the girls basketball program at Milford. As the season came to a close, the seniors reflected on what they have learned and advice for future players. “I want people to remember me as a hardworking defender and that no matter what if your offensive game is on point that night or not you can always play defense” Hoppe said. Marshall was injured for half of the season and learned not to take anything for granted. “Being a senior on the team allowed me to take on a leadership role and pushed me to become a better player,” she said. “Just living in the moment and cherishing every second is important.”