Seniors Matta Stopka, Grayson Slagle are examples of strong character of Tigers' leaders

COLLINSVILLE – The Edwardsville boys basketball team was very successful in the fact that the players kept working hard and cultivated a very positive, family atmosphere that speaks very well of the team’s players despite the 9-20 overall record.

Two of the examples of that were seniors Matt Stopka and Grayson Slagle, who played their final games in the Tigers’ 54-34 loss to Collinsville Tuesday evening in the IHSA Class 4A regional at Vergil Fletcher Gym.

“Yeah, I think we shocked a lot of people with the way we came out this season,” Stopka said in a postgame interview. “Everyone wasn’t expecting us to do that good, and I think we really shocked a lot of people, and really just worked hard. Just played good together, our chemistry was good, and we just improved as the season went along. I think was huge for us, especially during the postseason, to give us a chance in each game.”

The Tigers kept battling throughout the game, as they have throughout the season, and the team never gave up.

“It just hurts a lot more, because we worked so hard,” Slagle said, “and most teams after Christmas break would have given up. But with how much we care, we just kept going, trying to get better every single day in practice. And that was a measure of our resolve during the games.”

A prime example of the family atmosphere on the Tigers was in a story shared by head coach Dustin Battas, where he talked about how the seniors on the team kept encouraging and pumping up the younger players after they had made a mistake on the floor.

“Our guys on our bench and the starting five all have good, positive reinforcement for one another,” Slagle said. “More than just a team when we come to practice every day, we’re like a family.”

“With the younger guys, you want to make them feel like it’s alright to make a mistake,” Stopka said. “Everybody makes mistakes, so when it comes to the younger guys, just show them, try not to make mistakes, but if you do, it’s OK, just hustle and get back and get the next one.”

As for the future in basketball, both Stopka and Slagle are very positive and are willing to help where they can.

“For Matt Stopka, nothing too crazy,” he said. “Obviously, I’ll try to play my part.”

As for Slagle, it’ll be helping to support the Tigers as much as possible.

“It’s hard, knowing that the season’s over,” Slagle said, “and as I continue to grow as an adult, I’ll be at every single game, just trying to help support the team as I can, because I’ve been in the shoes of the guys before me will be in the next couple of years.”

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