Leading Dragons anchor their teams

Kavan Edwards / T. Henning

No team is complete without veteran players. There’s always one player that is there to teach the newer players the basics, and someone who can take a double team and make a shot with seconds left in the fourth quarter. Leah Cabrera and Kavan Edwards are the essential anchors to their respective basketball teams at the High School for Math, Science and Engineering..

Leah Cabrera, senior co-captain of the HSMSE girls’ basketball team, has been a part of the team since her freshmen year of high school. She uses her experience to guide the younger players into organized basketball. Cabrera helped the newcomers understand and improve in the sport. When people think of team leaders they think of people like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, players that could make every basket when it counts. Cabrera is a social leader that helps the team come together even after disappointing losses. Even after those disappointing games what mattered was self-confidence, “[I was] making sure everyone was doing well,” said Cabrera.

The quality of leadership demonstrated in the HSMSE girls’ basketball team is also seen in the boys’ basketball team by their leading scorer Kavan Edwards. He is their captain; a senior who has played since his sophomore year. Throughout his high school basketball career, Edwards has been crucial to the team’s offense. He has averaged 19.8 ppg over the three years he played.

Leah Cabrera (Right) / K. Marlowe

This being the last season for both players, puts into question how the team’s performance will be in the following season. Both leaders have suggested that the current juniors can possibly keep their team together. It is up to the current juniors to step up and take leadership next season. “As a senior you have to let the under classmen know how serious the team is,” said Edwards.

Contributed By Sadeon Martin