Last Friday, Greeley West Unified Basketball team played against two other teams to win state at the Gold Crown Foundation in Lakewood. The Spartans had to first face off against Brighton, and once they got a victory the Spartans then had to challenge their next opponent Windsor.
The game against Windsor was a tough match but the Spartans fought well to victory with a score of 32-28. This was a well earned victory against the Wizards. Not only was this a victory for the players, this was also a victory for the partners of those players. Each person on that court played a crucial role in making it and winning state. “Overall as a team, I think we played really well to win state,” coach AJ Johnson.
To make it to state, each player had a partner that did a wonderful job assisting the player and team. Not only do they have to participate and be a good team player they have to be a good role model to the athlete they choose to help. You have to make sure that the game is not only fair for your team but also the others.
With the Spartans that participated in the championship, they learned how to love basketball even more with their chosen player. With the win over Windsor, there were a lot of players that got emotional, from not only playing their best, but playing their hardest to win.
One specific Partner that stood when it came to winning against the Wizards was sophomore Hayden Atchley. Atchley made sure that every player, even her own, had a fair chance in the game and all got the chance to shoot and dribble the ball. “Being a unified partner has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in the West. I was incredibly emotional due to the way Windsor played, it had caught me off guard,” said Atchley.
Finally, with great partners come great players. One player made a huge impact on the team and made sure to lead the team to victory. “I had fun and wanted to score and win,” said junior Victor Villalon.
