At the end of senior night, the team gathered together, expecting the usual postgame routine. Instead, their coaches and teammates surprised them with a video for seniors Thisbe Lewis, Halle Larew, and Tess Driscoll.
“It was really emotional and really sweet,” Thisbe Lewis said.
After watching the video, the seniors joined a giant group team hug.
Tessa remembered that her favorite memories didn’t even happen on the court. They happened on bus rides coming home from away games, long conversations filled with laughter, tears, and the kind of honesty that only comes from shared struggle and shared goals.
“All of the time I have spent on and off the court with my teammates has built some of my favorite friendships,” Tessa said.
Halle also believes basketball has shaped her in ways that go beyond the game.
“It’s brought some of the best relationships into my life. It’s taught me to be open and honest with people. When you build real trust with people around you, everything just feels easier,” Halle said.
For Thisbe, motivation has always come back to one thing: her teammates.
“It’s a team sport. You don’t want to let your teammates down, especially when they work so hard to be where they are. It takes everyone on the team to succeed,” Thisbe said.
Thisbe, Halle, and Tess sense the end of the season as they play their last games as a Little Hawk.
“It’s our senior year. It’s our last chance to play together, and it’s my last chance to play at this level. We just want to leave it all out there and do our best,” Thisbe Lewis said.
After playing basketball her whole life, Tess Driscoll feels that the end of her time at City High is really emotional.
“It’s hard, I’ve been around for a really long time, so it feels really special to finish out my senior season with these girls that I love.”
As Halle prepares to live her life beyond high school, she now sees the lessons the game has taught her.
“Basketball has taught me to trust the process. The end goal isn’t as exciting as all the moments along the journey. Even when it’s been hard, my teammates and friends have made it worth it,” Larew said.
Neither Thisbe nor Halle credits just one person for their success. Instead, they point to every coach who believed in them: Coach Bernard, Mickey, Syd, and Kyle.
“They believed in us and trusted us. They coached us into the players we are today. But they also created a space where we could build real friendships. I think we naturally get along, but our coaches made it easy to be friends,” Halle said.
For Tess, she credits her inspiration to her dad.
“My dad is my inspiration; he taught me how to play basketball, and I have always looked up to him,” Tessa said.
Halle has been inspired by her fellow seniors and the “special feels” of this past year.
“This year feels special, because I feel like I can be the leading senior I used to look up to. Me, Thisbe, and Tessa are so close, and that’s helped us lead. We can communicate openly and honestly,” Halle said.
The seniors believe their friendship has set the tone for the team.
“We show that you can be goofy and have fun,” Thisbe added, “but when it’s time to lock in, you hold each other accountable, and there are no bad feelings at the end of the day.”
As they prepare for the next chapter, Halle and Thisbe are heading to the University of Iowa, and they are both excited to make new friends. Halle plans to study physiology and hopes to become an orthodontist one day. Thisbe is still exploring what to major in at college. Tessa plans to play basketball at the University of St Thomas in Minnesota.
