Senior shows determination, passion for sports

When push comes to shove, one senior shows the dedication and drive it takes to succeed in playing multiple sports. Coming from his first year of playing football, senior Griffin Schmidt heads from the field to the gym for his last season of basketball.

Up until his sophomore year, Schmidt played soccer during the winter season but junior year decided to try something different. He explains what he looks forward to during his last season and why being a senior makes him upset.

“I have been playing basketball for two years,” Schmidt said. “I joined basketball because I was kind of getting tired of soccer and I wanted to change it up. My favorite thing about basketball is scoring and being a part of a team. The team’s atmosphere and the jokes we have with each other, it is just a lot of fun out there. I am going to miss the team atmosphere and playing basketball competitively.”

Coming out of a 12-16 season, this year’s varsity boys basketball team welcomes four new members and six returning seniors. Head coach, Jon Penberthy, strives for a successful season by perseverance and hard work. He tells how Griffin shows dedication to the sport and how his leadership has an affect on the team.

“Griffin is a very hard worker and he is very coachable, so those are great qualities that he has,” Penberthy said. “My favorite part is actually when Griffin showed up. I kept thinking he would go back out to soccer so just having him being out there at basketball has been awesome. He sets a very good example for his teammates.”

Schmidt’s teammate, Suky Cheema, ’19, explains his favorite things about Griffin joining basketball and their goals for this upcoming year.

“He is fun to be around because whenever we need someone to lighten up the mood he is always there,” Cheema said. “He is also a hard worker and does his best to make his teammates better. My favorite moment is when Griffin had a crossover on an opponent from Trinity Christian. The dude slipped and broke his ankles and we all went wild. Our main goal is to win a valley championship. We both feel like we have the team this season to win it all. We’ve had that same goal since this summer and we plan on getting that championship ring!”

Griffin’s parents support him in his change of sports and cannot wait to see how he progresses. Griffin’s parents, Kristin and Adam Schmidt, tell why they enjoy Griffin playing basketball and why they are excited to watch his games in the upcoming season.

“Just like all the other sports he plays, we love watching him have so much fun with his teammates,” his parents said. “He only played a little street ball with his friends growing up and then really learned the game better by playing his junior year. It is so much fun to watch him play. We enjoy going to the games and it will definitely be different for us next year.”

You can find Griffin playing football and baseball outside of basketball season along with being involved in CSF (California Scholarship Federation), and being the leadership treasurer for three years. The varsity basketball team has a preseason game Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the FC gym against Coalinga. Head out and support your Eagles!

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Megan LeBlanc can be reached via Twitter and via email.