But after the long hours, the hard sprints, and the painful scrimmages they played all season, the boys were able to make the most out of this limited season they had. The boys played their hearts out and get to the Quarterfinals of the State Championships. Each game felt just as important as the next due to the limited amount the team was given due to pandemic restrictions, but they still made it work. “My teammates are like my brothers and over the past years we all have developed such close relationships,” Ben Lipman, 12, says. And you’re bound to grow close when those are some of the only people you’re seeing in a day.

Injuries plagued the Bears this year as many of their top athletes were forced to sit on the bench. Seth Oppong- Dwamena, 12, was a part of the stronghold defense that was forced to sit out this season. However, Captain Oppong- Dwamena was still able to help the team out anyway he could. “What I could do is continue captaining this team. I may not be able to dictate what happens on the field, but off it, I do everything I can to make sure everyone on the roster feels confident in their own ability,” he says.

All in all, with the season at end, these Bears are happy about the work they put in. “I think we all can agree we under-performed a little bit this year,” says Lipaman. “But for the most part we had a successful year.” Even while battling a pandemic, these boys were able to perform and show that EB pride can go a long way.