Thursday, Nov. 20, kicked off the first home Varsity Basketball game for the War Eagles. Coming in with high energy, these boys were ready and hungrier for a win than ever. The season started on the road last Saturday at Westlake High School, where the War Eagles played an impressive game. They had a 9-point lead at the end of the game, with a final score of 73-62. At the forefront was Jarvis Hayes Jr. ‘27, who recorded a total of 26 points, complimented by five rebounds and four steals. Contributing significantly as well, Myles Hayes ‘28 added 15 points with seven rebounds and five steals.
This season, the team is coming in with a true “dog-eat-dog” mentality. Robert Harris ‘27 says the ultimate goal is “[to win] the state championship.” Last year, the Woodward Academy Boys’ Varsity Basketball team qualified for the region playoffs but fell to Tri-Cities (East Point, GA) in a close 66–55 matchup. That brutal ending sharpened their focus, and now they’re entering the season more disciplined, more aggressive and determined to leave no room for complacency. Donovan Johnson ‘26 described the approach for the year succinctly.
“As a senior I feel like it is my role to lead the team to where we’re going,” Donovan said. “I’m bringing the mindset of a winner. We had a hard season last year; we had a tough ending. We just want to come back with a new mindset, add all our new pieces in, make the state champs, and win.”
Head Coach and Dean Anthony Thomas encourages those ambitions, plus how they translate to life beyond the game.
“The overall goal every year is to always win a state championship,” Coach Thomas said. “But within that, we also want to become champions as far as young men are concerned. We talk about being connected as teammates. We always talk about what ‘right is right,’ and ‘always doing the right things’ on the court or off the court [means].”
The War Eagles continued their momentum with a dominant victory against the Lakeside Vikings with the ultimate score of 98-47. The win made it back-to-back victories for the War Eagles, leaving their record 2-0. With the adrenaline from the crowd and the team’s intensity, the defeat was quickly tilted in Woodward’s favor.
By the end of the second quarter, the War Eagles were up by 30 points. Seann Ingram ‘27 noted during the break where they would focus their efforts in the second half.
“I’m feeling good, we’re up by 30, the team’s winning,” Seann said. “In order to secure the win, we need to communicate a little more on defense, and we’ll be [good].”
After the game, Myles Hayes ‘28 also considered the successes and areas for improvement.
“I’m feeling good,” Myles said. “I feel like I could’ve got more assists and got my team involved more, but I definitely played hard.”
Seann echoed Myles’ lock-in attitude.
“I did a great job getting to my spots, but I can work on better passes, better defense, and communicating more,” Seann said.
