Roaring cheers filled the bleachers as parents and students piled into the Sports Center to watch the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams’ doubleheader game against Lake Zurich High School on Dec. 5. Throughout the noise of energetic shouts, toys were filling boxes, and freshmen were flashing their IDs at the sports center entrance.
The doubleheader game collaborated with the student-led club, Students Helping Soldiers, which ran the Toys For Tots event, collecting unwrapped gifts for children of soldiers. Additionally, freshmen gained free access to the match as long as they provided their student ID.
The girls’ game started at 5:30 p.m., kicking off the double header and ending with a score of 25-47, Lake Zurich taking the win. The game was a hard-fought battle, marking a strong start to a new season. Despite the result, Stevenson athletes showed a strong defensive style against the experienced opponent.
“Even with several athletes new to varsity basketball, our team has shown strong composure and toughness defensively under pressure,” girls varsity basketball coach Regan Carmichael said.
Leila Markicic ’27 led Stevenson seven points, followed by Alexa Karcz ’26 with six, Reese McLellend ’28 with five, and Laila Nunez ’27 with two. At halftime, Lake Zurich carried a strong 27-9 lead.
The varsity boys basketball matchup followed at 7 p.m., finishing the double header with a final score of 54-45, the Patriots winning. Rocco Pagliocca ’26 led the way, scoring 14 points, Donny Williams ’26 contributed ten, and Aidan Albrecht ’26 adding seven more. The game ended up being tied 43-43 in the fourth quarter, prompting loud cheers from the crowd, making for a close match.
The doubleheader reached a finale at 8 p.m., marking the end of the matches against Lake Zurich. With the doubleheader raising both toys and school spirit, McLelland, who is one of the girls’ varsity basketball team captains, described how this game took on a deeper meaning for the team.
“Toys For Tots is a really heartwarming and beautiful incorporation to our double header,” McLelland said. “It was a huge night with so many people. We were able to help people who are less fortunate, which adds so much more worth to the game of basketball.”
Along with the game, the event assisted a larger fundraising effort of Students Helping Soldiers that organized and promoted the Toys For Tots. Toys For Tots, an organization founded in 1947, has gathered more than 708 million toys for 314 million children and families since its founding. Custom donation centers can be created through the website, which is how the doubleheader became a donation location – online donations are also accepted. The event had more than just donation initiatives, aiming at encouraging student attendance and participation in activities.
“We think it’s important for freshmen to start learning our culture of encouraging one another by cheering each other on and showing up as a community,” freshman coordinator Zara Dittman said. “So by offering free admission and by letting them know that our mentors will be there, we think it lowers barriers to participation and provides a welcoming, supportive entry point for students who may be hesitant to attend on their own.”
With the doubleheader format, the boys’ and girls’ teams were able to remain in the Sports Center for both games, cheering and supporting each other. Both matches were viewed by the other team, a rare chance.
“I cannot wait to keep playing this season,” McLelland said. “This team is really special in our unity, and I can’t wait to see us further reach our potential.”