A slam dunk season places Vikings boys and girls basketball teams in the tournaments
Going for the bucket, Junior Ty-rell Pires dodges a Laker player. Photo by Brandy Muz 
Freshman Cameron Wilson thwarts a steal. Photo by Brandy Muz 
A Viking in the midst of Lakers. Photo by Brandy Muz 
The seniors of the Wareham girls basketball team. Photo source: Mike Fortune
The girls line up for the National Anthem ahead of their final regular season game. Photo source: Mike Fortune
Gianna Hernandez jumps for a shot in an early season game. File photo
Going for the bucket, Junior Ty-rell Pires dodges a Laker player. Photo by Brandy Muz
Freshman Cameron Wilson thwarts a steal. Photo by Brandy Muz
A Viking in the midst of Lakers. Photo by Brandy Muz
The seniors of the Wareham girls basketball team. Photo source: Mike Fortune
The girls line up for the National Anthem ahead of their final regular season game. Photo source: Mike Fortune
Gianna Hernandez jumps for a shot in an early season game. File photo
The squeaky sounds of sneakers on the court, crowds cheering and nets swooshing isn't over yet for both the Wareham boys and girls basketball teams.
Each team has had a successful regular season run, both earning spots in tournaments to compete for a state title. The boys finished 15-5, the girls 17-3 with playoff games to be announced.
The boys team dominated Monday, Feb. 16 in a win against Apponoquet High School, with a score of 91-53. The girls gave it their all Friday, Feb. 13, winning against Blue Hills Regional Technical High School with a score of 51-46.
Steve Faniel, head coach for boys basketball, said that his team's understanding of the court was a big reason for successes this season. He said his players showed steady improvements every game they played.
"We have to play with the right amount of energy, effort and play like a team," Faniel said. "We do the main thing right, the big things will take care of themselves."
Teamwork has been center for the boys with open communication on and off the court, according to Faniel.
"We preach keeping the ball moving. Everyone touches it— making the right play, playing right and playing winning basketball."
Girls basketball head coach Mike Fortune said his "well-rounded" team worked on balancing out the scoring this season. Like the boys, the girls’ teamwork on the court has lent itself to a successful run.
"Everybody's working hard on defense, our players are playing hard with the minutes they get. Whether it's for defensive specialities that we're asking them to do or to give one of the starters a blow— whoever is in the game is working as hard as they can," Fortune said.
Looking ahead to the tournaments, Fortune said he has hopes to place well and get a home game.
"Wherever we end up going I want to make sure that we play hard, which I know we will," he said. "The score is going to be the score at the end of the day, but if we can walk off that court knowing we gave everything we can and we played as hard as we could, I'd be perfectly happy with that."
Brackets for both teams will be released on Saturday, Feb. 21.
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