They walk around school dressed in their all-black game day sweats. They wear faces full of determination that radiate hard work, alongside their patch on the sleeve of their sweats that remind them every day what they play for. It reads “PTR”- pound the rock; an expression that the girls basketball team has taken to being identified with because of the all-out grind the team displays daily. 

This effort has already paid off early for the team as they recently took home a championship in the Lutheran St. Charles Little Caesars Tournament last Friday night on Dec. 6. An impactful player in the tournament, senior Azaria Hulbert, describes the 55-54 victory against Lutheran St. Charles by the Spartans as a great team effort. 

“[The win] made me feel really good,” Hulbert said. “The team worked together; we were talking more than we ever talk, so it was nice to see everybody show up and just support us and what we’re about.” 

The team knew going into the Lutheran St. Charles game that it would be a battle. They were going to have to show up in order to be successful. 

“We came in ready to play them because we knew that they have some good pieces; they can shoot; they’re a solid team, and we knew that we were going to have to play to win,”

Hulbert explained.

Senior Mackenzie Jones how much of a priority that effort has been for the team. It is not a “just when you feel like it” kind of thing. It’s every day, no matter the circumstances. 

“Our emphasis is just like to keep up the good work and make sure every day we put in a lot of hard work and grind,” Jones said. “Staying supporting each other through it all, and like not letting out fatigue get in the way of us being successful.” 

Tools utilized in order to bring about this constant awareness of effort are sayings like “PTR” and “elite” that have become the center of girls basketball culture. For senior Cloie Boyd, the phrases are more than just sayings. 

“The sayings create a sense of accountability and family,” Boyd states. “It unites us, not as a team, but as a community, a school. Everyone says ‘PTR’ at the school, not just the program. We’re always encouraging each other.” 

All-Tournament Team MVP Hulbert believes that the tourney win will carry over positively to their game tonight against Fort Zumwalt South at 7 p.m. 

“We build on everything, so we’re going to come in there confident, but we know that Fort Zumwalt South has some good pieces as well and we can’t sleep on them,” Hulbert said. So, we are going to bring the same energy; even more energy.”

The team has been preparing and strategizing for their first home match of the season to bring home a victory against the Bulldogs. 

“They have a couple of really good girls that will definitely have the ability to do some damage, but we’ve been practicing knowing where they’re always at,” Jones explained. “Also, they’re a little more physical, so we’ve been preparing for that aspect as well.”

Make sure to come out to the girls basketball game in the large gym at 7 p.m. to cheer the Spartans to their fourth victory for the season.