One of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game, Kobe Bryant, once said, “Be legendary.” This quote is what stood in the players’ minds as they put Canyon back on the map. The Canyon Boys Basketball Team went 18-9 and 8-4 in league. This allowed Canyon to appear in the playoffs for the first time in 8 years!

The Cowboys have bounced back from last season as they only had 3 league wins during the COVID season. Since then, the varsity team has been grinding non-stop. Having many seniors also helped guide the team.

The boys faced their first playoff opponent on the road and won in overtime! They played Victor Valley, who put up a huge fight. The battle was neck and neck but senior shooting guard, Brandon Ritter, hit clutch threes to put the game away. Victor Valley simply couldn’t finish as the Cowboys were more aggressive and wanted to win the game more.

This excitement spread all over the school like a wildfire. Canyon prepared for the boys’ next playoff game at home. The turnout was huge! Many Canyon alumni, parents, and students came to show their support. Sadly, the Cowboys’ season ended as they lost to Oak Hills 61-49.

After an upsetting loss, senior Brandon Boldroff says, “Honestly, we shot ourselves in the foot, we could’ve won but there were just too many mistakes.” The Cowboys balled out and had the legendary season they wanted to have. Thanks to this year’s team, Canyon boys basketball has finally earned the respect they deserve.

Making the playoffs was a huge accomplishment. Hopefully, next year’s team can follow in this year’s footsteps by dunking on the competition and keeping Canyon at the top.