The tradition of basketball at Community High School has been a long and legendary one. Stories of great feats of athleticism and skill are passed on from student to student, but today, a new sport has taken over the courts. A new legacy has begun.

The age of basketball at Community High School has ended. It has been taken over by an unlikely opponent: soccer, or “S ball.” Every day, you can find students on the court practicing their skills or playing in friendly games. At this time last year, basketball dominated the court. But many factors have contributed to the downfall of basketball. “We can’t take out the ball at all without giving up our phone or ID and not many of us have our ID and not many of us are willing to give up our phone,” said junior Sebastian Iniguez. “But the other part of it is that we don’t have a backboard on one side.”Last year, part of the backboard broke during the winter. Even though there have been some efforts made to get a new one, nothing has been done to fix it. Since then, basketball hasn’t been as fun to play.

S ball has taken over. During any lunch, there may be 20 guys out shouting, running, playing or cheering. “It’s a great game to play,” said junior Conan Cekola. The same sense of camaraderie and intensity is more precedent in S ball than it is in basketball. It may be even more intense at times. Players can be seen barking orders to each other as they sprint up and down the court, especially the upperclassmen. Players like Cekola and Iniguez take the game very seriously.

What does this mean for Community’s long legacy of basketball? What does this mean for the annual 3v3 tournament? Could the school possibly hold a 3v3 S ball tournament?  Iniguez said, “I definitely think that’s an option. At this point I actually would like that.” This may be the end of an era of basketball at Community High School.

As the court shifts from basketball to S ball, the students involved change too. Basketball is very much a game of size and skill, whereas anyone at any size or skill level can succeed at S ball. The trend is heading towards S ball, and unless some of the issues with basketball are solved, it may continue that way. This may mean the end of Community’s annual 3v3 tournament, but the start of another S ball tournament.