The girls’ and boys’ basketball teams of Rochelle Middle School finished the season as champions and co-champions of the 2021 basketball season. The shortened season finished with the girls undefeated, and the boys as co-champions with E.B. Frink Middle School.

“The season went excellent for the team. I was out before the first game,” said Alicia Hookes, the head coach Rochelle girls’ basketball team. “The assistant coach, Tisha Dixon, stepped in and did a great, tremendous job for the team.”

Most of the sixth through eighth grade girls had not played basketball before and did not understand the fundamentals.

“The season went well, it started out a little shaky because having to teach the girls the basics of the game and learning offense and defense,” said Tisha Dixon, the assistant girls’ basketball coach. “We grew each game and I feel like we did well coming together.”

The girls learned from their coaches as well as one another.

Point Guard Des’nyah Croom said, “This year for me to be captain and teach the 6th and 7th graders the ability to get better I feel good. I had a great year.”

The kids played in masks and adhered to the pandemic policies.

“It meant a lot for the girls because from where they came from a lot of them never played basketball before and for them to be able to be successful and to see that they can do something, and a sense of normalcy after being involved with the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rochelle Middle School Principal Andre Whitfield. “It gave them a sense of normalcy and a sense of team. It was a great experience for the girls.”

The Rochelle Middle School boys’ basketball team also had a great season.

“We had a great season, this was my first year of coaching anything. We came here and made a statement on the first game and said we were going to do that the entire season. We went five and one,” said Daryn Parker, Rochelle’s assistant basketball coach.

The boys were ready to resume sports after almost a year of not being able to play them.

“The season it did a lot for me, it helped me stay focused. It feels good, we did a lot to come here to be co-champions,” said Jeremiah Hart, point guard. “Next year I want to be better than I was this year.

As venues open to a greater degree with the pandemic numbers on the decline, the focus will be on repeating the success next year.

“We had a good season, 5 and 1 with all the covid adversary. The kids turned out and did an outstanding job this year,” said Jesse Miller, Rochelle’s head basketball coach.

“We’re extremely proud of our basketball team for achieving such a huge accomplishment,” said Coach Chris McPhail. “They made a commitment to practice hard every day, and they didn’t make excuses. This is our first conference championship in seven years.”