It’s winter time, but the grind won’t stop over the holidays for McKinley High School’s athletes. The boys varsity basketball team has been practicing and conditioning hard since summer to prepare for a good season.

Adonis Navarro, a junior point guard for the Tigers, thinks the team works very hard and hopes they ball out this season.

“My team is relentless,” Navarro said. “We’re a scrappy team that loves to play hard, dive for balls, and out hustle other teams. We are working very hard for a championship.”

The team is working hard, but it’s a bittersweet time for the seniors who will be playing their last games, and ending their high school career.

Senior guard and team captain Kyle Moraga is looking forward to competing this season.

“Basketball has been my passion for as long as I can remember,” Moraga said. “Going into the season, I knew it would be my last year to show out the best I can. With the help of a good friend of mine… I’ve trained [hard] since last school year,” he said.

The varsity D-1 team is made up of juniors and seniors. However, sophomore Frank Camacho has earned a spot on the team as a forward. He has been putting in work with and without his team from off season to now.

“I have been preparing through our coaches hard work in our practices, and exquisite conditioning from Tomoki,” Camacho said. “I also train individually [at the] YMCA once in awhile.”

Teams spend many hours together, and this amount of time creates bonds almost like a second family for these athletes. The boys basketball team is no exception according to Moraga.

“I would describe my team as a family,” Moraga said. “I know we’ll always have each other’s backs… There is never a time when we aren’t laughing or making trouble to each other.”

The Tigers kick off their season Dec.23 against Kailua.