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The Goshen Eagles boy’s basketball team got off to a later start this season and played in just two games before Christmas. With the bulk of their season to still be played, head coach Darius Davis and the Eagles look to hit the court running in 2021.

Despite getting off to an 0-2 start, Davis has seen a lot of fight and determination in his team in the first two games.

“I have seen a lot of effort,” Davis said. “A lot of fight. They have been working hard. We are rebuilding, but I feel like we will be able to compete with a lot of teams this year.”

Playing in just two games before a lengthy time off has been a challenge for the Eagles. Davis has been tasked with keeping things upbeat and fresh during practice.

“It’s been very tough,” Davis said. “It’s been kind of daunting not having any opponents or not being able to play in any tournaments. We’ve been working at it…I have had to try and get creative.”

The Eagles began the season with a 43-32 loss to Luverne. A week and a half later they fell in Brantley in a game that was originally scheduled to be played in Goshen.

“They (Brantley) played good pressure defense,” Davis said. “Getting adjusted to good pressure defenses will help us. We are going to see a lot of teams who are going to pressure us on defense. Playing a team like Brantley allows us to see some of the things that we need to work on to be able to get better at the things we do.”

Despite not seeing much playing time, the Eagles have looked good defensively, according to Davis. Strong defense has led to more deflections and turnovers.

“We have been playing great defense,” Davis said. “We are getting a lot of deflections and steals. I think our defense is probably our strength right now.”

The Eagles will get back to work on January 7 when they travel to play Opp in their area opener. With the bulk of their schedule coming up, Davis believes the team is going to have to continue to work hard on staying consistent.

“It’s going to take us staying consistent and playing good defense,” Davis said. “If we stay consistent, play good defense and play as a team I think it will help us be competitive against a lot of these teams.”