The Boulder High intramural basketball season is off to a roaring start! For years, Boulder has offered an intramural basketball league, where any student can form a team with their friends and compete against fellow students and their favorite teachers. These teams create social media accounts and bring fans to the games, which creates rivalries and competition. The league runs for six weeks before an epic bracket-style playoff which culminates in an intense winner-take-all final.
Patrick Harvey, captain of reigning champion Lebrontosaurus, says of the league, “Intramural basketball is a fantastic way to bring a group together and create a supporting environment. A lot of these guys don’t usually play any organized basketball or organized sports in general, so it’s a great way to get that same dynamic.” The league offers a more relaxed alternative to school sports while still being competitive. “We all go in there with a goal of winning, but whatever happens, just being out there is fun,” says Harvey. Brodie Fliegelman, founder of the ISO Disciples, seconds this. He says, “I think that the formatting allows the regular season to still be competitive while giving everyone a ton of playing time.”
While the stakes aren’t as high in an intramural season as they are in school basketball games, the excitement can be. On Monday nights, Boulder High’s main gym transforms into a battleground. Anything can happen in these games. The smallest freshman score on the biggest seniors. A varsity basketball player could guard a fellow teammate. “I look forward to these games all week, I just go out there and do me” says Owen Mulloy, ‘26, who also plays on the ISO Disciples. Mulloy isn’t the only Boulder High Basketball player participating in the intramural season. Each team is allowed a maximum of two varsity players. Mulloy and Fliegelman play on the ISO Disciples, Wyatt Stamm, ‘26, is the star of Hustlers University, and Sam Cook, ‘26, and Simon James, ‘26, are both key contributors for Lebrontosaurus. Other BHS basketball players, both current and former, are on teams throughout the league. One of the most fun parts of the league is the staff team. Mr. Donaldson, Mr. OBlock, and more faculty members have created a squad that rivals the ‘96 Bulls or the ‘16 Warriors. “We came out cocky playing against the teachers, but they took us to school just like in the classroom,” states Joaquin Kussy, ‘28, again highlighting just how unpredictable the league can be.
Other students have taken the season as a chance to step into a coaching role. Tristan Wilberger, ‘28, took over as head coach for Justice for John. “I put on a crippled coaching clinic,” says the injured Wilberger. Mateo Arden, ‘26 has taken over as this year’s coach for Lebrontasaurus. Despite challenges, Arden believes his squad can succeed in the playoffs: “We have a phenomenal team, and despite sickness and injury slowing us down, we believe we are on track to win,” says Arden. The finish will be exciting, so make sure to show up to the main gym on Monday nights!
