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The Avon girls’ and boys’ basketball 2023-2024 seasons came to an end without achieving their goals of making it to the state tournament. For the girls, their season ended during the second game of region play against Andes Central/Dakota Christian. It was a tough loss for the Lady Pirates, who ended their season with a win-loss record of 16-6. The boys’ season ended during the second round of region play also when they faced off with Wessington Springs. The Pirates ended their season with a win-loss record of 6-16. Even though their seasons did not end as they had hoped, it is definitely a season to be proud of for both Pirate teams. The senior members of both the boys’ and girls’ basketball team are Grace Vanderlei, Courtney Sees, McKenna Kocmich, Landon Thury, Paxton Bierema, Noah Watchorn and Trace Pelton. Some of the seniors shared final thoughts on their final basketball season as an Avon Pirate. Grace Vanderlei is the daughter of Craig and Amy Vanderlei. She has been playing basketball since she was a third grader. Basketball was the first sport that Grace ever wanted to play. Coach Poppe and Grace’s teammates, helped Grace enjoy the sport of basketball with the best part of Grace’s senior season was watching her team and teammates improve. Grace likes to play defense because she likes to be able to be more aggressive. Grace’s favorite shots are free-throws. For the Lady Pirates, Grace played the position of forward. After graduation, Grace plans to attend Northwest Iowa Community College to get a degree as a pharmacy technician. Grace would like to thank her parents for always supporting her. Her advice for next year’s team would be to keep fighting and play as a team. Courtney Sees is the daughter of Joe and Janelle Sees. She is the granddaughter of George and Renaye Sees and the late Leland and Gaye Eide. Courtney has been playing and competing in basketball since she was a third grader when her dad was her coach. Growing up with two older sisters, Courtney was drug along to their practices or would go to shoot around at the gym which sparked her interest in basketball. Her family has been a big part of helping Courtney develop a love for the game. Even though the team did not achieve their ultimate goal of making it to the state tournament, she is proud that the team became a team that their opponents wanted to avoid in post season play. Courtney has always preferred playing offense. Every team plays defense differently, so during a game players have to adjust their defense to figure out ways to get a shot off or drive to the hoop which Courtney finds fun. For Courtney, scoring points for her team rather than preventing them is the part she enjoys most. Courtney’s favorite shot to take is a three-pointer. Her favorite move is called a euro step. A euro step is when a player picks up their dribble, takes a step in one direction, and the quickly takes a second step in the other direction. For the Avon Lady Pirates, Courtney played the point guard position. Courtney has been fortunate enough to make all-conference teams since she was a sophomore. During her junior year she reached her 1,000 point and made the All-State 3rd Team. Courtney was named to the AllState 3rd team again her senior year as well as was selected to play on the East/West Shootout game and the SDVCAA All Stars game. After graduation, Courtney will be attending SDSU with the hopes of becoming a future pharmacist. Courtney would like to give a huge thank you to her coaches, teammates, and community for all of their support and helping to push her to be her best. McKenna Kocmich is the daughter of Don and Dawn Kocmich. She is also the granddaughter of Alvin and Ruth Sternhagen and Leo and Irene Kocmich. McKenna has been playing basketball since she was in third grade. She first became interested in basketball during middle school when she realized how much she loved the teamwork that basketball requires. McKenna’s coaches and teammates have helped to push her to continue to get better and helped pique her interest in basketball. The best part of McKenna’s senior season was the team. Her teammates became like family to her and they always supported one another through the wins and losses. The coaches were amazing and taught her valuable lessons not just in basketball but in life as well. McKenna is so grateful for everything that they taught her and will carry the lessons learned with her for her lifetime. Even though the team did not reach their goal of making it to the state tournament, the improvement that was made throughout the season was incredible. McKenna set personal goals for herself to receive awards for All Conference and Great Plains Conference, which she is proud to say she accomplished. McKenna enjoys playing offense more than defense because working as a team to score is both challenging and thrilling. Her favorite shot to take is a three pointer. McKenna played a guard position for the Avon Lady Pirates. Some of her high school career basketball accomplishments include being named MVP her junior year and making both All Conference and Great Plains Conference her senior year. After graduation, McKenna plans to attend South Dakota State University to major in nursing. McKenna would like to thank everybody for supporting her and the team through the years. It was a memorable season filled with happy moments that she will cherish forever. Her advice to next year’s team would be to not let one bad game define you, instead use it as motivation to get into the gym and continue to get better. Landon is the son of Paul and Annie Thury. He is also the grandson of Ron and Connie Thury and Barry and Deb Whipkey. Landon has been playing basketball since he was in second grader. What got Landon interested in basketball was getting to be a part of the little kid camps that the high schoolers put on. Landon’s love for the game continued because it is a sport where there is always room for improvement. Landon’s competitive spirit also helps him continue to want to get better. The best parts of Landon’s senior season were the bus rides home, especially after the wins. Landon also enjoyed the post win music in the locker room. Landon completed his individual goal this season of reaching 1,000 points but did not reach his personal goal of being named to the All-State team. He enjoys playing offense more as opposed to defense because he feels like when he is playing offense, he can be creative. Offense allows Landon to pick any move he wants which makes it fun. Landon’s favorite move is to catch and shoot a three pointer. He played a guard position for the Avon Pirates. Landon has many achievements and accolades from his high school basketball career including Great Plains All Conference (3x), LMVC All-Conference (3x), Offensive Player of the Year (2x), team MVP and scoring his 1,000th point. Landon will continue to play basketball next year for the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers and major in pre-physical therapy. Landon would like to thank the community for supporting the team throughout the entire season. Thank you to his parents for helping Landon chase his dream and sacrificing their time to help him accomplish that dream. A final thank you to his coaches and teammates for the effort, memories and sticking with each other through the ups and downs. His advice for next season would be if you want to improve, it will take a lot of time in the gym. If you push through and work hard in the offseason, you will not be disappointed in the results. Landon would not have wanted to spend his senior season with any other team. He is thankful for the opportunity to play basketball for Avon and play it with his childhood friends. Noah is the son of Jaime Watchorn, John Fathke and the late Doug Watchorn. Noah has been playing basketball since he was strong enough to throw a basketball; he has always played with his family. He first became interested in basketball because of the team aspect. Noah’s friends and wanting to keep improving have helped Noah to have a continued interest in basketball over the years. The best part of his senior season for Noah has been knowing that he gave this season as much as he could because it was his last chance. When asked if he enjoyed playing offense or defense more, Noah said defense. Defense has always been something that Noah’s been good at, especially the 2-3 zone. His favorite move is a crossover to a one step mid-range jumper. For the Avon Pirates, Noah played a guard position. After graduation, Noah plans to attend the University of South Dakota. Noah would like to tell his teammates, coaches, parents and community how much he appreciates the immense love and support throughout his high school career. His senior season went by fast, but Noah learned a lot from this season. Noah’s advice for next year’s team would be to work as hard as possible and work as a team. Congratulations to the Avon Pirates on a great season. Thank you to all the seniors for all of your dedication and leadership that you have given your team.