Gallery • 14 Photos

Lillian Gray

THE FINAL FAREWELL: Senior Sonya Petersen took her final walk onto the McCallum gym floor, arms interlocked with her mom, dad and sister before saying goodbye to her high school basketball career. The traditional Senior Knight took place during the final girls basketball district game of the year. For Petersen, the short path down the court allowed her to reflect upon years of memories in the making.  “Senior Knight was so special because of my amazing teammates and coaches,” Petersen said. “The effort they put into the organization and posters and gifts and cards made us seniors feel so loved, and we are so grateful.”  Petersen highlighted winning against LASA in the first half of the season as a memorable moment from her senior year. Additionally, after being on the team for the whole of her high school career Petersen appreciates the lessons the game and her teammates and coaches have taught her. “Learning the difference between pain from growth and pain from injury will help me know my limits and push them so that I can reach goals safely and efficiently in all areas of my life,” Petersen said. “I’ve also gained appreciation for the family that this created, and I intend to seek out more amazing people through new experiences in college and after.”   A large part of Senior Knight that Petersen noted were the cards, gifts and goodies that players and teammates gifted her. As part of her final goodbye to the team, Petersen said she would cherish the gifts and her time with the team.  “I received so many gifts and flowers and balloons that even with the help from three people I had to make a second trip to put them in my car,” Petersen said.  While Petersen doesn’t plan on continuing her basketball career in college, she plans on attending a four-year university to study psychology while still weighing her options of where to complete that degree. Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Lillian Gray.

On Feb. 4 and 11 at their home gym, the girls and boys varsity basketball teams honored their senior players in Senior Knight celebrations at their final regular season games of the season. The celebration included family members accompanying their seniors as they walked onto the court. The girls honored their five seniors after losing to Bastrop 62-43. While losing the game was a disappointment, it wasn’t very costly as the Knights (8-5) had already secured their playoff spot before the game even tipped off. A week later, the boys (11-1) celebrated their nine seniors before beating LASA 75-54, securing their second district championship in a row. 

The girls finished out their season with a first-round playoff loss, 67-20, to the Georgetown Eagles. The boys earned a bi-district title as they won 72-66 during overtime against the Pflugerville Panthers tonight at Austin High. They now move on to the area playoffs on Friday.

In this week’s Tuesday Top 10, we are pleased to profile McCallum’s 14 basketball seniors: Tommy Ammerman, Jaiden Booe, George Brode, Leo Castleberry, Emy Chen, Lucy Cottrill, Miranda DiGiovanni, Savannah Doerr, Luke Dunham, Felix Kahlor, Theo Kentrup, George McCoy, Sonya Petersen and Tyler Stockton.

FITTING RIGHT IN: Senior Tommy Ammerman walks through the teammate-made tunnel with his mother on his Senior Knight. Ammerman closed out his career at home by scoring 18 points against LASA, helping his team win the game, 75-54.

Ammerman said one of the most important parts of his experience has been his bond with his teammates and coaches.

“All my coaches and teammates are like family,” Ammerman said. “They welcomed me in my junior year, and they’ve made me the player I am today. It’s been great to have them as my coaches and have them close on a personal level.”

Despite only two years in the program, Ammerman has become a big part of the varsity team, starting during his entire McCallum tenure.

“My family moved away from my old school [Lake Travis],” Ammerman said. “When I came here, I was a little worried about what would happen, but being at McCallum has been an amazing experience, and I’m so grateful for what’s become of it.”

Caption by Fletcher Vandegrift. Photo by Julia Copas.

FROM A KNIGHT TO A TIGER: Senior Leo Castleberry is featured at Senior Knight last Tuesday prior to the LASA game. Castleberry said he has always been enamored of basketball and has been playing since he was 4. A guard, he played on Lamar Middle School’s team and in youth leagues throughout Austin prior to high school. 

Castleberry said the highlights of his year thus far have been the Anderson rivalry games, the Marble Falls tournament and the Austin High tournament; however, one pivotal highlight for Castleberry has been joining the varsity team.

“Varsity’s more pressure, and more competitive, but it’s also a better atmosphere for games because it means more,” Castleberry said. 

Moving forward, Castleberry will be heading to Louisiana State University in the fall. He said he hopes his younger brother, freshman Fergus Castleberry will follow in his footsteps and join varsity. 

“I’ve always loved basketball, and I’ll continue to play it throughout my life,” Castleberry said. “I probably won’t continue to play it at the same level I do now. Most likely, [I’ll play] intramural in college.”

At the end of the day, Castleberry has loved his time with the Knights because he believes the team is a brotherhood, first and foremost. 

“They taught me about teamwork and leadership,” Castleberry said. “It’s a family, really. It’s been every day with these guys for four years, and sometimes it doesn’t always go the best way, but we find the best in each other.”

Caption by Beatrix Lozach. Photo by Julia Copas.

CHANGING PLAYING STYLE: Senior Tyler Stockton walks with his mother during Senior Knight held last Tuesday. During his years at McCallum, Stockton said he feels as though his playing style has vastly changed.

“I think I really learned to play my role on the team, which is a really big thing,” Stockton said. “I really focused on shooting, and less on other things. I also feel like especially this year I have become more aggressive and a much better defender.”

Stockton said one of his favorite moments from his basketball career were the wins against Anderson this year.

“[I felt] happy and relieved that we won another district game, and just super excited for the team,” Stockton said.

Growing up, Stockton was around basketball a lot, from his uncle playing in college, to family bonding through a shared love of basketball.

“Also just watching basketball with my dad, so I got into it from a pretty young age,” Stockton said.

This is Stockton’s first year of varsity, and he feels as though it is much different, much faster-paced, and much more aggressive than sub-varsity basketball. 

“[When I made varsity] I was happy, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get in or not, but I worked hard and it paid off,” Stockton said.

Caption by Shila Gill. Photo by Julia Copas.

A LOVING GOODBYE: Senior George Brode hugs head coach Daniel Fuentes at Senior Knight last Tuesday. Brode has been playing basketball since middle school and has played all four years at McCallum, being on Varsity since sophomore year.

Since Brode will not be playing officially in college, he said he is feeling sad about leaving basketball behind as a senior.

“I think it’s going to be weird because it’s been a part of my life for so long,” Brode said. “I think it’s going to be weird not coming in the mornings to practice because I’ve been going everyday for four years, so I think it’s just going to feel like a hole, but I’m ready, I think.”

Brode said the most important part of his experience has been the bond he has made with his team.

“I don’t know where I would be without my friends,” Brode said. “I don’t know where I’m going to end up, but I’m definitely going to be thinking about these guys for a long time. I’m really going to miss this community, this experience, and I think it’s something that everybody should be experiencing.”

Caption by Josie Mullan. Photo by Julia Copas.

JACK OF ALL TRADES: Despite committing to play football in the coming fall, senior Luke Dunham has also been an integral part of the varsity basketball team. Dunham made the move up to varsity halfway through his sophomore year season and has been playing on the team ever since.

“It comes after football so it’s always a winter sport,” Dunham said. “Basketball’s a lot of fun.”

Dunham’s said some major highlights have been the team’s success and the program’s improvement, but what tops that are the connections he’s made through the sport.

“[My favorite part is] just all the friendships that I’ve collected from four years of it,” Dunham said.

When Dunham first joined the basketball program, he felt that they weren’t at their best and that the current seniors have been able to help turn the team around.

“I hope the team leaves with just the mentality that we can beat anyone,” Dunham said. “I think our grade has established a culture of winning that hopefully will stay with the program.”

Dunham said that even though they can be at a disadvantage physically, they still find ways to push through.

“We win games because we play harder than people, so I think that’s the big energy that we’ve brought.”

Caption by Callen Romell. Photo by Julia Copas.

SURROUNDED BY HIS FAMILY: Senior captain Felix Kahlor is accompanied by his all his family members including his parents and four siblings while he is honored during Senior Knight last Tuesday. For Kahlor, having his entire family walk him out was something that he had been looking forward to since freshman year. 

While he has been a part of the basketball program since his freshman year and has been on varsity since his sophomore year, basketball has been a big part of his life since middle school.

Reflecting on his years at McCallum, his favorite moment was going undefeated in district play in his junior year, the 2023-2024 season.

“I think it showed how hard we worked as a team,” Kahlor said. “The year prior we came in second, and it was seen as a little disappointing because of how much talent we had.”

Kahlor attributes this success to the team chemistry that came during that year and the overall improvement of the team. 

“I can credit the seniors and the coaches for that culture change” Kahlor said. “I think it really made me feel like I belonged to a community.”

This year, Kahlor was named one of the captains, which made him super proud, especially considering how much time and effort he has put into the program. 

“I liked [being captain] a lot,” he said. “I think being a captain allowed my teammates to see my competitive spirit more, and I hope I did a good job inspiring them to step up and be leaders of their own.”

Despite his many successes, his four years as McCallum haven’t always been the easiest, especially when it comes to balancing school and academics. 

“Being a student comes first, but I was always working outside of the basketball class to get better, so I had to do a good job managing my time efficiently to where it felt like I was getting the most out of myself both on and off the court,” Kahlor said.

Caption by Maya Tackett. Photo by Julia Copas.

POWERHOUSE PLAYER: Senior George McCoy walks out with his parents during Senior Knight prior to the varsity boys game against LASA. McCoy has become a prolific player over his four years in the basketball program, scoring more than 1,000 points. The milestone came during at Anderson High School during the second meeting of this season between the rival schools. 

 McCoy said he felt that the conclusion of his high school career was bittersweet, but that his time in the program was immeasurably valuable.

“It’s been fun and hard at different times,” McCoy said. “I’m thankful for my teammates and coaches that have been there for me and helped me develop over the years.”

At Senior Knight, the boys varsity was able to secure a back-to-back district title with a decisive 75-54 win over LASA. McCoy scored 20 points against the Raptors in his last home high school game of his career. Entering the 2024-2025 postseason, McCoy is feeling many emotions.

“I’m feeling anxious about this postseason,” McCoy said. “At the same time, I want to make it the best one and win games.”

So far, so good. The Knights clinched the bi-district title tonight with an overtime win over Pflugerville and will advance onto area playoffs this Friday. 

Caption by Arwen Pelletier. Photo by Julia Copas.

MANAGING THE TEAM: The manager of the girls basketball team, senior Lucy Cottrill, walks out with her family during Senior Knight festivities after the girls varsity basketball game on Feb. 4. 

Cottrill has been a manager with the girls team for the last two seasons and participates in all of the team’s games and travels on team tournaments. Cottrill’s job starts at the beginning of the school year as she assists coaches in sorting and preparing team equipment and uniforms. 

“I became a manager because I had a friend on the basketball team, and she recommended that I participate in some way,” Cottrill said. “I make sure all the stats for each game are correct and fill up water bottles during practices.”

Because of her duties as a manager, Cottrill is an integral part of each practice and game. 

“I’ve been able to meet new friends from my position and learned a lot about what the coaches do from day to day,” Cottrill said.

Cottrill recommends others to join the basketball team as a manager because it teaches responsibility and is accessible for those who enjoy watching but not playing the sport.

Caption by Nate Williams. Photo by Lillian Gray.

BENEFIT OF BASKETBALL: Senior Savannah Doerr stands with her family on girls’ basketball’s Senior Knight on Feb. 4. Doerr has been part of the basketball program all four years at McCallum.

The Feb. 4 JV-A game—a 48-47 win over Bastrop—was the last for Doerr, who said she feels both overjoyed that she won her last game and also disappointed that her time playing the sport has ended.

“It felt really surreal,” Doerr said. “It didn’t really feel like my last game until we went into overtime. I had so much energy and wanted to win so badly,” Doerr said. “Once the buzzer went off, and the game was over, I immediately wanted to cry because of how much literal blood, sweat and tears for the past four years I felt had paid off, and it all went by so fast.”

Doerr believes that over the course of the season, the team has grown and bonded together and is now closer than ever before.

“Our team was kind of divided at the beginning of the season I feel because we had a couple people come from volleyball, and we didn’t know each other too well,” Doerr said. “But after all the hours we put in together, we really grew to be a little family, balancing out one another’s personalities.”

Doerr said playing basketball has affected all aspects of her life along with just her extracurriculars.

“It has had a very positive impact on my social life and grades,” Doerr said. “Mostly all of my friends revolve around basketball and the program.”

Caption by Evelyn Jenkins and Josie Mullan. Photo by Lillian Gray.

GROWING STRONG: Senior Emy Chen stands with flowers and presents given to her on Senior Knight held on Feb. 4.  Chen has been a varsity starter at McCallum since her sophomore year. To say that Chen has been an integral part of the girls team during her time at McCallum is an understatement.

With the girls season coming to a close after their loss against Georgetown, Chen said this season provided many opportunities for her and the team to improve their skills.

“This season I learned a lot about pushing through the tough moments,” Chen said. “There were definitely times in games where it was really hard, but I learned that it always gets better, and every moment is an opportunity for growth.”

Caption by Shayla Allen and Josie Mullan. Photo by Lillian Gray.

SECRET WEAPON: Senior Miranda DiGiovanni stands with her parents as she is celebrated on Senior Knight. As a  point guard and shooting guard for the Knights, DiGiovanni has spent all four years of high school on the varsity girls basketball team, and earned a reputation as an excellent defender who consistently creates steals and a versatile offensive threat who can shoot 3-points, drive the lane and run fast breaks. 

DiGiovanni started playing basketball at the age of 4, and said she’s always been mesmerized by the intricacies of strategy and the sheer beauty of the game. 

“I always just loved being surrounded by it,” DiGiovanni said. “I just loved the teamwork involved and how pretty the sport can be. On the court I found my voice and it’s helped me build more confidence. Off the court, I became a leader and held people accountable and made sure people were on task while maintaining friendships.”

DiGiovanni said her favorite memories of her basketball journey were of team bonding and the feeling of accomplishment after hard workouts and practices. She feels that her coaches helped her see her potential, expand her game and become more of a threat on the floor. 

“I used to be much more of a passer and facilitator, but I’ve grown and added my shooting skills and had more of a scoring role while also being a facilitator,” DiGiovanni said. “I practiced game-like shots and kind of dedicated my freshman season to making my outside shot better.”

DiGiovanni values how her coaches have pushed her to venture outside her comfort zone. 

“All my coaches have taught me a lot because they apply basketball lessons to the outside world and have helped me grow as a better person,” DiGiovanni said. “They have all been super supportive and understanding.”

Caption by Beatrix Lozach. Photo by Lillian Gray.

THE FINAL FAREWELL: Senior Sonya Petersen took her final walk onto the McCallum gym floor, arms interlocked with her mom, dad and sister before saying goodbye to her high school basketball career. The traditional Senior Knight took place during the final girls basketball district game of the year. For Petersen, the short path down the court allowed her to reflect upon years of memories in the making. 

“Senior Knight was so special because of my amazing teammates and coaches,” Petersen said. “The effort they put into the organization and posters and gifts and cards made us seniors feel so loved, and we are so grateful.” 

Petersen highlighted winning against LASA in the first half of the season as a memorable moment from her senior year. Additionally, after being on the team for the whole of her high school career Petersen appreciates the lessons the game and her teammates and coaches have taught her.

“Learning the difference between pain from growth and pain from injury will help me know my limits and push them so that I can reach goals safely and efficiently in all areas of my life,” Petersen said. “I’ve also gained appreciation for the family that this created, and I intend to seek out more amazing people through new experiences in college and after.”  

A large part of Senior Knight that Petersen noted were the cards, gifts and goodies that players and teammates gifted her. As part of her final goodbye to the team, Petersen said she would cherish the gifts and her time with the team. 

“I received so many gifts and flowers and balloons that even with the help from three people I had to make a second trip to put them in my car,” Petersen said. 

While Petersen doesn’t plan on continuing her basketball career in college, she plans on attending a four-year university to study psychology while still weighing her options of where to complete that degree.

Caption by Chloe Lewcock. Photo by Lillian Gray.