Boys Basketball Wrap-Up: 1/23-1/28
Learning to deal with pressure is one of the greatest skills that anyone can learn, and for most people, it is required to be successful in life. Athletes are the first group of people that jump into my head when I think about pressure. Visiting a hostile environment for a big away game, taking the last shot, and fulfilling your duties as a role-player are all stressors that athletes have to deal with in order to be successful in their respective sport. Those professional athletes who are calm and collected under pressure are the same people whose names are on the front cover of Sports Illustrated, ESPN Magazine and many other sports-related publications. From a local perspective, these athletes are featured on the local radio station or in the newspaper. For senior Austin Grunder, being on ESPN Ithaca for an interview or gracing the cover of the Trumansburg Free Press is not an uncommon occurrence. Grunder is front and center for his athletic ability, but what separates Grunder from other athletes is not just his physical skill set, but his ability to mentally beat opponents. Grunder has a way of staying calm under pressure, controlling his passion and emotion so that it does not disrupt his play. Grunder again showed this special ability Friday night, as the Raiders traveled to Groton to play the 12th ranked Class C Indians. The Raiders ended up winning in what was a one sided victory, defeating the Indians 70-52. Grunder led all scorers with 45 points and had 25 rebounds. In a big road game, oftentimes players lose their cool and are off their game, but Grunder was strong from the tip and led the Raiders in about every category on the stat sheet. Luke Richards and Dalton Kenney added 7 points each, and the Trumansburg defense was strong the entire game, helping to secure a Raiders victory. The JV team also claimed another big win, as they crushed Groton with a well-balanced attack of Josiah Lopez and cousins Jack and Kameron Lincoln.
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With Section IV playoffs and IAC Championships looming, the Trumansburg Varsity Boys basketball team is tuning things up as the regular season comes to a close. With just four games left, Coach Richards' team is trying to exceed their limits and begin a run at the Section IV title as well as an IAC Championship. Go Raiders!
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