With the Cape Henry fall athletic season officially drawn to a close, it is time for winter athletics to revive again in the Alfred T. Taylor Field House. These athletics teams consist of basketball, cheerleading, indoor track and field, swimming, and wrestling. The boys varsity basketball team is ready to return to the court this 2022-2023 season alongside Head Coach Mark Hall. 

The team has won multiple titles: Tidewater Conference Independent School (TCIS) regular season champions, TCIS tournament champions, and state champions for many years. Hall has been in charge of multiple of these vast moments of success for this team over the years.  

For upcoming seasons, coaches have a tendency to look back on prior successes and regrets from past years. Hall looked back on what his most significant accomplishments were in years past.

“I am big on growth and development,” Hall said. “ I love to see student-athletes evolve into the best they can be while in [high school].”

Hall said there were a few regrets from the most recent Dolphin basketball season.

“We were selfish and lacked discipline,” Hall said. 

But, when looking ahead to this season, Hall thinks there are a few key differences.

 “We have good leadership, and everyone is on the same page,” said Hall. 

Rivalry is alive and well in the TCIS, but Hall said their biggest opponent this season is themselves instead of a specific team.

“We are our biggest rival,” Hall said. “I believe if we stay purposeful and disciplined, we will do great.” 

Zach Duncan, a junior shooting guard on the Dolphin basketball team, had a few thoughts to provide about the 2022-2023 season. This year marks Duncan’s second year on the basketball team, and he is excited to see what this season brings for this team.

“My goal for this team is to go undefeated in the TCIS regular season and to win the TCIS tournament,” said Duncan. “For myself, I want to be named to all-TCIS First Team at the end of the season.”

With Hall as his coach for two seasons, Duncan knows how Hall is as a coach and what he expects from his team.

“Coach Hall is tough,” Duncan said. “The standard for Cape Henry is set very high, and we’ve set big goals for ourselves. Coach Hall keeps us to those standards and holds us accountable to be the best players and the best we can possibly be.”

Any team can be described with one word, and Duncan used one in particular for the CHC team.

 “Scary,” said Duncan. “We’ve got so many weapons on the team, so many ways to hurt opposing teams.”

The boys varsity basketball team is about to take the TCIS head-on and try to win it all this season by taking their season to February for the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA) championship tournament to win another ring.