Imagine the crowd on their feet, screaming and cheering with all their might…that is what the gym looked like for the entire game.  

The Hawthorne High School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams made it into the State Tournament.  With making it into the tournament, each team made their impact by winning the first round of the tournament.  On Wednesday, March 1, the HHS basketball teams went into the second round of the tournament with high hopes and confidence to get a win for the second game.

However, the girls came up short and lost a good game against Westwood, although the boys came up on top clinching a win in the second round of tournament play.  The team and the school are ecstatic for making it this far through the tournament.  

The HHS boys made a strong impact as a team.  Kendale Butler lead the team with 22 points.  With 12 points by Dallas Hoffman and T.J. Palmer finishing with 11, the team had a strong lead throughout the game.  The final score to finish out the night was 69-36.  The Bears won the league championship, lost in the counties, and are still going strong in the state tournament.       

The students of Hawthorne High school brought a lively atmosphere to the Bear Cave. Our students dressed in Hawaiian apparel. The opposing team, Kinnelon, brought a student section dressed in USA apparel. Along with the student section, the balcony and bleachers were packed with cheering fans, an overwhelming amount of energy, and support for our boys. Our Bear’s pride showed throughout the game and each basket scored was a victory which later resulted in an overall win.

This is the first time the HHS Boys’ Basketball team is this close in the past decade to reaching a state championship.  The team has gone this far and they are not backing down.

Hawthorne High School wishes the boys basketball team the best of luck in Friday’s game and throughout the rest of the season!