The Lewis Palmer boys basketball team trying to repeat

It's a different Lewis-Palmer team than the one that claimed the state crown last year. This year's crew sees it as their title to defend, "It's very important. We have a chip on our shoulder from last year. We have a target on our back's. teams are going to give us their all. So we've got to come out and attack them," says Lewis Palmer forward, Eddie Speller, "At the start of the season we always have an end goal. The end goal is the state championship. From day one, that's what we've been trying to achieve," says Lewis Palmer forward, Paxton Crowell, "We just talked about: there was no way we could be that team. We didn't have to be that team. Us is good enough, and we've proven that," says Lewis Palmer head coach Bill Benton.
LP's first playoff test got a little tight. Ponderosa cut a double-digit lead to just five but the defending state champions defiantly defended their thrown, putting the clamps down and pulling away with a 64-52 win. Their dreams of a repeat are still alive, "First punch. The first punch is important, because if teams attack you first, it's going to be harder to get out of that hole. You've got to attack them first," says Speller. This year's edition is tough, smart, with relentless hustle and unmatched team chemistry. Once again, the state crown is in sight. They're used to playing with a target on their backs, "Every single game we get everyone's best. We've got the biggest target on our backs right now, and all the time. We get everyone's best, so playoff basketball, everyone gets everyone's best. We are just used to it. It's just another game for us," says Lewis Palmer guard, Colin Westfall,
"Even being hunted, you still have to go hunt. I think they've figured out what it means to go hunt. It's kind of fun to be on the hunt," says Benton.