Cagers Finish the Season Strong
February 25, 2025
Since the inception of the Cagers varsity boys basketball team in 2015, the Cagers have written a story. Each year is a new chapter defined by the events of that particular season. That story continued during the 2024-25 campaign and can be defined as FORGED. According to Head Coach Doug Hamsher, the acronym stands for Faithful, Optimistic, Relentless, Grateful, Enthusiastic, and Disciplined—character traits that he wants his Cagers players to exhibit. “I was inspired by the movie The Forge, which is about a young person becoming a man. My desire is to use the game of basketball as the vessel to teach character and link it to what a man looks like, and ultimately point them towards Christ.” It is safe to say that this year’s team was definitely FORGED.
After starting out 2-0 the Cagers would lose the next four games. In that span there were several different lineups and rosters, battles with sickness, and inconsistent attendance at practices and games. Because of those factors, Hamsher said it laid the foundation for the second half of the year. “It was a rough first month. We fought through some ups and more downs. Kids coming and going. It was a nightmare. But for the players who stuck it out, they were being FORGED into a team”
As the calendar changed to 2025, things started to move in the right direction even though the scoreboard didn’t show it yet. A win over archrival Reimer Rd was a huge boost to the newly solidified roster. Even though the next few games were notches in the loss column, you could tell that the Cagers were being FORGED for something great. “I saw it during the second half of one of our losses. It was just for a minute or two, but I told the kids in the locker room that even though we lost we were very close to bringing this thing together.” Little did the Cagers know what was in store for them.
Going into the Blazer Classic, an 8-team double elimination tournament, the Cagers were the #8 seed. In the most unbelievable fashion, the Cagers would run the table and capture not only the championship but the hearts of all those in attendance, friends and foes alike. In the four tournament games, the Cagers won every game in the final seconds or the last possession. Three of those games were come-from-behind victories. It was the most improbable tournament run Hamsher has ever been a part of. The Cagers would follow that championship with another incredible comeback victory the very next week where they came back from 15 down to win the game. “This group maximized who they were as a team. They accepted and played their roles. They executed when they had to. And they believed. We had no business winning any of those games in that 5-game stretch, but we did. It was as if everything that happened to us to that point FORGED us for that moment. To see the growth of each young man individually and the team collectively was so rewarding.”
Individually speaking, senior Aaron Meech would lead the Cagers in scoring. The dynamic PG pumped in 15.1 points per game. Junior Luke DeRodes would add 11.3 points per game along with becoming a top tier rim protector. Ethan Numer would lead the team in rebounding. Other members were Nigel Wenger, Logan Winans, Kyle Miller and Hutson Copenhaver.
The Cagers finished the season with a 9-9 record. To outsiders it might look like a mediocre record, but to those who lived the 2024-25 season, it was a memorable story. Full of ups and downs and an incredible win streak that included a championship. It was a season where high school boys took one more step in becoming FORGED into men. For more on the Cagers visit their website www.cagerhoops.com.
