Heading into the sea­son, Sachse has to feel a little snake-bitten last sea­son because a lot of their results came down to los­ing close games. You can see a number of games from last season decided by 10 points or fewer and coach Mikesell saw that as a learning experience to help the team grow. Almost having to learn to lose before they can win.

“It’s something we’ve certainly talked about as a team,” Mikesell. “We felt like we were so close to being recognized as a really good basketball team and think we can be this season. We shoot free throws at a high level, we take care of the basketball and now we even defend better. It’s going to bleed into this year.”

With a team looking strong after a 5-2 start and a potential contender in District 9-6A, Sachse had a chance to prove it­self against two of the top teams, Wylie and Gar­land. Wylie was the reign­ing district champion on a nearly 20-game district winning streak. They had started hot in since the new year and proved once again to have one of the best defenses.

For the full story, see our Jan. 14 issue or subscribe online.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]