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By Isabella Ruiz and Jalyn Garcia
The Buchholz High School boys basketball season tips off at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Eastside High School.
Last season, the Bobcats went 18-11 and they expect the changes made will improve that record this season.
“This year we have a lot more team chemistry and feel a lot more together off the court than we were, and I think that helps a lot on the court too,” junior Lucas Bhatia said at Friday’s first North Central Florida High School Basketball Media Day at GHS.
Senior Peyton Warring said Buchholz improved in the offseason.
“This year compared to other years we spent a lot more time in the gym, in the weight room and playing more summer ball games, Warring said. “There has just been a lot more time that the coaches have put into us and have invested in us for us to have a good season.”
Bhatia agrees, “I think we took the summer more seriously this year than we had in past years and conditioning more seriously too.”
The players are excited to start season 2 under coach Elliot Harris, who retired after leading Santa Fe High School to the state championship game in 2021, but came back to coach Buchholz. Harris led Santa Fe to four district titles (2008, 2016, 2017, 2021) and the school’s first regional title in 2021 before losing in the title game.
“I think it had been about 15 years since they had made playoffs. So, last year was a vast improvement,” said Harris, who is optimistic about the season. “We went 18-11 last year and we look to expand on that this year and do a little bit better.
“The kids have responded really well to me. Last year we made it to the second round of playoffs and that was a great experience for our guys. We learned a lot and we look to build on that.”
The Bobcats are ready to get going at Eastside.
“I feel a lot more prepared,” Warring said. “I feel like we have put in so much work and we have progressed so much playwise, team chemistrywise and coachingwise.”
