Coach Hillman and the Pleasant Valley Spartan have put up impressive numbers in the past few years, really establishing the team as a force to be reckoned with. The team has put up back to back seasons with only a couple of losses and has placed at the state tournament the past two years. In 2014 the team got second in the state losing to the conference rivals North Scott. Last year the team placed third after a tough loss to the state champions West Des Moines Valley in overtime.

Obviously the Spartans are trying to keep the powerhouse going this year with a talented and quick senior class. After losing an impressive senior class last year of Will Carius, Carter Milam, and John Czarnecki the team is gonna rely heavily on senior guards Alex Kitzmann and Trevon Montgomery. With all the pressure the team seems to be confident and ready for their first game coming up in December. Expectations from the state are clear but what are the expectations from the fans and players? Senior Blue Crew leader Mark Conway was asked what he expected to see out of the team in which he responded, “They will unleash Alex and Trevon, it’s about time those two used their full skills. Beware of Peter Zucker and Michael Meyer to.” In simpler terms Mark and the fans expect the Senior class to step up and take command. Mark and the students are also during their jobs in bringing excitement and hype to the games. Mark claims that, “The blue crew will be bringing, as always, all the hype. Also, new offensive and unnecessary chants, along with stunts.” Clearly the notorious Blue Crew, fueled by spirit, loves to push the boundaries of what is ok for a school event and that won’t stop this year.

So what does the senior captain Alex expect out of his team? His answer is, “I’m expecting us to play as hard as we did last year and whatever happens with wins and losses will take care of itself.” This is a clear cut answer for a team that is notorious for being fundamentally solid and playing their hearts out. The goal obviously is to reach Des Moines again and have an extremely successful season. With this in mind basketball season is always a great time for Spartans and the team needs as much support as they can get coming up in late November.