By: Edward Kiesendahl
This past Tuesday the Buckhorns’ season came to an unfortunate end. The final loss of the season came against the North Pocono Trojans in their third bout of the season. Wallenpaupack bested the Trojans in both of their regular season meetings, which gave the Trojans all the fuel they needed to go and get the win. The game was taken over immediately by North Pocono’s Cole West, who refused to be denied the victory. Everything the team needed him to do got done with him scoring 23 points on the night. The final score was 48-43 in favor of North Pocono.
This season was one filled with adversity for the Buckhorns. Without the annual Tip-Off tournament to start the season, Paupack started their season already at a disadvantage to other teams who had played multiple games together. Many games were postponed, and there were times when nothing seemed to go their way. Still, the team stuck together and there was never a doubt of togetherness and effort. Fighting through the highs and lows, the Buckhorns achieved the accolades of a Jaycees tournament championship and a home playoffs game during the season.
With the season coming to an end for Paupack, it also means the departure of their senior class. This year’s seniors were an extremely tight-knit group of guys who had stuck it through with each other since biddy basketball. Their final season came with a task more than just winning games but also setting a new standard for Wallenpaupack basketball with new head coach Kevin Miller. The seniors completed this task to the very best of their ability, bringing extreme commitment, effort and togetherness day in and day out. Now it will be the underclassmen’s turn to continue to build on the solid foundation created. Next year will look very different with Paupack looking at a much younger team than previous years, but the upcoming players show promise, and if they live up to the standards the departing seniors have set there is little doubt of the success they can produce. There is surely a bright future ahead for the Buckhorns.
