There were 10 seconds left in the final girls C-team basketball game.
This game could end an undefeated season, making the C-team the only team in recent SM East basketball history to do so.
With five seconds left on the clock, sophomore Sophie Peterson dribbled down the court and shot the ball from the three-point line.
The clock hit three seconds as Peterson's three-pointer swooshed through the net of the SM South auxiliary gym, ending the game 59-23 and finally fulfilling the goal she had made at the start of the season: score a three-pointer.
Her teammates, the head coach and assistant coach all rushed the court, surrounding her, jumping and screaming.
The team had achieved its goal: an undefeated season, filled with long-standing team bonds and new team traditions.
The 2025-26 season started as usual. Tryouts began the week before Thanksgiving break. And after a week of tryouts, teams were posted.
In the 2024-25 season, the team consisted of an almost even split between freshmen and sophomores.
Now, in the 2025-26, besides two freshmen, the team is entirely sophomores who had played together since elementary school.
With all but two of the girls playing together since they were kids, the team bond was immediate. Yet, the group struggled with drive and focus.
The majority of the girls play another sport during the basketball season, and six practices a week, alongside games, made for an overwhelming schedule.
In order to combat burnout and keep the girls motivated throughout the season, Head Coach Rick “Riff” Rogers has introduced new traditions, such as beads, in order to recognize the girls' feats.
The players earn multicolored beads that represent their accomplishments — like having five baskets or two rebounds in a game. They are then strung onto a keychain attached to their bags as a reminder of their progress.
The beads are often given at the end of practice or at their frequent team dinners and after-practice Chick-fil-A runs.
Responsibilities such as planning the biweekly dinners often fall onto junior Annie Trenkle, the team's first student assistant coach.
When tryouts came around in October, Trenkle decided to take the unconventional route of student coaching, rather than continuing as a player.
After playing for the C-team her freshmen and sophomore year, she realized she couldn't let the team go just yet.
“I played basketball [for the C-team] my first two years for Coach Rogers and the C-team is a really special team,” Trenkle said. “[The players] have always had a great connection, I loved it so much and instead of playing for JV this year, I said I might as well step back and spend time with such an awesome team.”
For Trenkle, the season has consisted of being at every practice and game, setting up drills, lineups, equipment and most importantly, in Trenkle's opinion, developing relationships with the players on the team, getting to know each player as both a mentor and friend.
“The relationship I have with the girls is truly special," Trenkle said. “I'm not just their coach; I'm also their friend. We’re able to talk about anything under the moon, not just basketball.”
Trenkle had played on the C-team both her freshman and sophomore years, under the same coach she now works alongside.
In addition to a new assistant coach, keychains and team dinners, the team has also embraced a new team motto this season: “United.”
The word came from a practice where guest speaker, Elissa Ojeda, coach of SM Northwest's basketball team, motivational speaker, and a friend of Head Coach Rogers, came and spoke to the players.
The team had been playing well, but were having trouble staying concentrated in practice and working with the wide range of personalities on the team.
Ojeda had each player write down a word they wanted the team to embody. Then, the girls shared their words and voted on their favorite. "United" was the winner, a word well fitted to a team built on deep-rooted relationships.
The team uses the word in their chants: “One, Two, Three, United!” and as a reminder to be united both in the games they play and in the friendships they've built throughout the season.
“The reason we’re so good is because of the connections and the friendships we've built throughout the 15-week season,” Trenkle said. “It's something I'll never take for granted."
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