Peering into the roaring student section, three tall, cardboard faces of seniors Shea Rueda, Luke Ball, and Tyler Hagan appear in the crowd. This was a notable sight on January 27 when Bishop’s held a community basketball tailgate. In addition to the competitive atmosphere, the Lucky Ducklings’ club also sold sweet treats in the Foyer while the Bishops’ basketball teams celebrated their senior nights. 

Three basketball games headlined the event: Boys’ Junior Varsity, Girls’ Varsity, and Boys’ Varsity. Maroon and gold streamers swung around in the air as students and fans alike cheered from the crowded stands. 

Yet, it wasn’t just another basketball game. It was senior night, the game that commemorates the upperclassmen for their time and contributions to the team. 

Seniors took the moment to reflect as their regular season came to a close. The Girls’ Varsity Basketball team congratulated their senior, Katelyn Wang, on closing out a great four years on the team. Student in attendance and  Girls’ JV Basketball player Gabby Gaspar (‘25) said, “There’s a lot of lovable seniors on the basketball team—especially Kay,” referring to Katelyn’s nickname on the team. 

Likewise, the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team celebrated seven seniors: Tyler Hagan, Luke Ball, Shea Rueda, Luke Seltzer, Raynall Thornton, Jake Molinar, and Ryan Arrowsmith. 

Tyler Hagan (‘23) recently reached the 1000-point milestone versus Orange Glen on January 5, a significant achievement for the senior point guard. They recently made it to the semifinals in the Coastal League tournament against Santa Fe Christian, a testament to the leadership of the seven seniors on the team.

Fellow teammate and senior Luke Seltzer reflected on his four years on the team. “I think we accomplished a lot in each season and had our best team in my time at Bishop’s this year,” he said. Part of this success he attributed to the close bonds forged by the time he played with his fellow teammates. He found that playing with several of his teammates for longer periods of time (four to three years), benefitted the team chemistry this season. 

Remembering several moments during the evening, Gabby found that the JV Boys’ Basketball game was also a highlight. “Tristan balled out,” she said, referring to Tristan Vuong (‘25). 

While reflecting on her time on the Girls’ Basketball team, Katelyn noted how meaningful this moment was for her. Laughing, she said, “It was really surreal seeing my face on chip bags.” 

While the Girls’ Varsity Basketball hit some road bumps this year — dealing with a variety of injuries and players out — Katelyn still said she felt pride in her younger teammates. “I’m proud of my teammates for getting past that adversity on and off the court,” she said.

 In addition to the atmosphere inside the gym, outside the gym, the Lucky Ducklings held a bake sale during the girls’ and boys’ games. The Lucky Ducklings club is a student-led branch of the Lucky Duck Foundation, an organization aiming to fight the ills of homelessness and poverty in San Diego County.

Student members of the club ran the sale, selling items like brownies, homemade banana bread, and a wide array of cookies. As a member, Lily Gover (‘24) believed that the basketball tailgate was a prime opportunity to inspire the Bishop’s community “to join the cause, that’s one more step towards solving San Diego’s homeless crisis.” Gabby agreed, explaining that “It wasn’t just like a snack stand,” and that, “it was really cool how they were raising money for a cause this time.”

With that in mind, the Lucky Duck Foundation Executive Director Drew Moser came out during the girls’ and boys’ halftimes to discuss the Lucky Duck Foundation’s goals and aspirations. In his inspiring speech, Moser commemorated the Bishop’s Lucky Ducklings for their hard work and revealed that all donations made to the foundation are matched by the founders, up to 1.3 million dollars.

Ultimately reflecting on the fun-filled night, Gabby said, “I think that basketball games are just so great because of the sense of community it brings.” True to that message, the tailgate was yet another example of the Bishops’ family coming together.