Oak Hall Defeats Rival Eastside on Senior Night

Oak Hall’s girl’s varsity basketball team battled it out against Eastside to come up on top. Ending with a score of 43-33. But this was no simple feat. This game proved to be very physical with lots of fouls on both sides. Seniors Tyla Young and Anna Beth Dyrkolbotn took it upon themselves to lead their team victory and maintain their now six-game winning streak.

It’s senior night! Girls basketball Oak Hall vs Eastside underway pic.twitter.com/vCx2xnvKPj

— Jake Bower (@Jbow2745) January 27, 2022

A Night Full of Fouls

From the very beginning, it was clear that this game was going to be anything but easy. With each point made, there seemed to be a foul right after. By the end of the fourth quarter, Oak Hall had 9 fouls and Eastside had 15.

But this came as no surprise to anyone. Seniors Tyla and Anna Beth both commented that they approached this game knowing it was going to get physical. But the team agreed to not let it go too far and take precautions if necessary. Even Head Coach Eric Ringdahl expected the game to be as physical as it was.

“It is a rival game, the coach from the other team is a former Oak Hall coach,” stated Ringdahl. “So we are competing with each other, so we did it expect it to be a tough, physical game.”

Tyla Young Becomes Eastside’s Main Target

At times, it looked like Eastside was targeting Tyla Young on the offensive side with a lot of double-teaming and pressing into the backcourt. But she did not let that faze her. “One adjustment I had to do was make was to just make one move and go past (Eastside),” said Young. “But my main tactic was to get them by the hips, they can’t do anything about it but foul.”

She used it as her motivation to power through the game and attack Eastside with just as much aggression. With it being their Senior Night, Eastside had the extra drive to try and take the game. But Oak Hall was not about to lose right before their first game in districts and on their Senior Night.

Anna Beth and Tyla were a Dominating Force

There were multiple moments tonight when both seniors worked very well together, especially on the offensive. They have been playing basketball together since middle school, creating another level of trust between the players. Which is something both players deeply cherish. 

“I talk to Tyla about everything and she tells me everything because, her being a guard and me being post, we look at each other all the time,” said Dyrkolbotn when speaking about their relationship. “But we had a whole summer where just Tyla and I when we couldn’t play together during quarantine, would just practice at my house.”

They came up with strategies to find each other in the court to make a successful play. Tonight, they used that to their advantage and executed them flawlessly. 

Districts are Quickly Approaching

After tonight’s triumph win, the Oak Hall’s girls basketball team will host districts at home against First Coast Christian Knights (FCCHS) on Feb 1 at 7 pm. With another win under their belt, the team has the extra motivation and drive going into districts.