Winter is here, and with that comes the 25-26 basketball season. Last year, the Pirate boys basketball team had an amazing season. Although they had a great season, they fell short in an upsetting loss in the finals to Baker and ended up taking 2nd in the OSAA state tournament. Even though they had that disappointing loss, they are determined to win the championship this year.
“We want to win it this year, and we want to get our revenge and show that we can win at a high level, as young as we are,” said MHS athlete Carter Swinson. “We really have something to prove this year and believe our hard work will take us there.”
Last year, the big contributors to their success were players such as Luke Jackson, Steel Carpenter, and Jonah Martin, who all graduated. Losing key players will definitely affect the team this year. It just means that the team will need to build on the skills they learned from the older students, and integrate new techniques from the younger teammates left behind.
“Losing players like Luke and Steel doesn’t positively affect our team in any way,” said Keller Vinyard, an MHS student and basketball player. “But I do believe in the younger guys to help fill their shoes.”
Another thing that is going to help Marshfield this year, after the loss from last year, is its ability to make off-season improvements. Many of the players have worked very hard on their personal game during the off-season.
“Me and my team have spent many hours over the summer in the gym to prepare for the 2025-2026 season,” said Vinyard.
Even though they lost important players, they still have lots of young talent and only two seniors this year, Devon Peterson and Chandler Wyatt. This means most of the team is returning for next year, which will help them develop as a team and get to that final goal of winning a state championship.
Team development and chemistry are a big part of making a championship team. Players need to be able to communicate well with each other and have the ability to run plays. Coaches help develop important skills, along with improving mental toughness and other things. The varsity basketball coach, Jesse Ainsworth, helps the players so much with these things.
“Our coach has been supporting us greatly, he’s an outstanding coach and has a great education in basketball,” said Carter Swinson. “He puts us through workouts in the weight room and on the court.”
Over his years at Marshfield, Ainsworth has been a head coach for the boys basketball team for over ten years, and even helped Marshfield win a championship in the 2020-2021 season. This was Marshfield’s 3rd men’s basketball championship, following previous championships in 1947 and 1953. Assistant Coach LaMont Swinson has been coaching at Marshfield for many years and has contributed countless hours to the program.
The players don’t just depend on the coaches but also on each other; they work hard together and depend on each other in each and every game. Teamwork is a huge part of being a team, and without it, the team would not excel. The players try their best to show a positive attitude at practice and in games to each other.
“I try to show a positive role on the team and try to keep everyone in check and make sure they’re trying their best,” said Carter Swinson. “I’m trying to show leadership in the program and try to be something strongly needed on the team.”’
