HARTFORD — Saturday night in Hartford marked the end of six seniors’ careers for the Crest basketball team.
The Lancers fell 76-52 to Hartford and Crest coach Travis Hermreck had to deal with the fact that it would be the final time he gets to coach the group of Hunter Frazell, Evan Godderz, Colton Strickler, Brandon Brallier, Garrett Sipe and Kellen Ramsey in a competitive basketball game.
“No matter whether we were laughing or crying or fighting or laughing or whatever we were doing, I always loved coming to practice with them every single day and, basketball aside, on a personal level, I love those six guys. It will be tough to gear up and go without them next year.”
The Lancers fell behind early and were never able to string enough three pointers together to make a comeback, but the team never gave up as they continued to try to shoot their way back into the game.
“For everything that those kids are as basketball players, or for everything they are not,” Hermreck said. “(Their fight) is something I’m incredibly proud of. They did that all year for us. They came back when there really wasn’t a chance to come back.”
“I always think that 25 years after I graduated from high school, I look back at my last game with a little bit of regret of how I went out,” Hermreck added. “I didn’t want them to have to live with that and to their credit they went out swinging.”
They finished the year just one game away from the state tournament but for Frazell, he says he will still take one he’ll thing away from this season.
“Friendship.”
