VIENNA — The VHS boys basketball team had their opening home game this past Friday against the Richland Bears. Vienna won 56–39 in a game that resembled a war of attrition. The parking lot had no spaces while the gym was as packed as a school pep rally with every single seat filled. The student section was decked out in full camo for intimidation, the line for the food stand stretched past five minutes, the smell of popcorn drifted through the halls and the sound of sneakers echoed across the court. Everything was set for the Eagles to take the stage and deliver a performance fans had been waiting for all year.

The energy surrounding the matchup was high but the nerves were even higher. Vienna committed 21 fouls, putting multiple players in foul trouble late in the third, though the home crowd never stopped cheering and Vienna never lifted their foot off the gas. Through the tension, one of the team’s leaders carried a clear goal into the night even though nerves were settling in. Junior guard and captain Teagan James admitted he barely slept leading into the opener.

“I’ve been thinking about this game all night, I couldn’t sleep,” James said. “Tonight, we have to focus on defense and play physical defense and we’ll win.”

He added that his personal benchmark this season is to score more than last year’s 13.3 points per game average. James finished with 15 against Richland.

The rest of the backcourt prepared with equal focus. Starting point guard Hunter Schwartze said the opener felt like the moment he had been waiting months to get back to.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, since February at districts, and I’m excited to get back into it,”  Schwartze said. “I feel like our team is confident today and our transition game is looking really well this season.”

Another veteran voice came from senior captain Jude Stricklan, who felt the magnitude of the home crowd before the ball even tipped.

“I’m ready and with the home crowd, it’s gonna be fun,” Stricklan said. “Tonight, we have to focus on being smart, no turnovers, and winning the scrappy plays. As far as how many I’m gonna score, only time will tell I guess.”

Before the game, head coach Chandler Harker focused on keeping the team’s emotions under control in an environment that was anything but calm.

“Playing with a lot of heart and energy, we want to set the tone early,” Harker said. “First game, I want to see controlled emotions, everyone playing with intensity and making the next play.”

Once the buzzer sounded and Vienna secured the 17-point win, Harker addressed the foul-heavy performance.

“This is definitely not something we strive for,” he said. “I think we played a little out of control but I’d put it up to first game jitters. Just getting your feet wet and getting the season kicked off, you never want to be playing your best basketball at the beginning of the year. We have a lot to work on but luckily I have a lot of faith in our second and third tier kids where if we have to go 10 or 11 deep, we can get the job done.”

Harker said he expects the team to grow into its offensive identity as the season progresses.

“As the season goes on, we’re gonna see the offensive numbers for this team go higher.”

Two of those younger contributors earned praise from the coach for their athletic energy. Speaking about sophomores Bryce Ewers and Talan Reeves,

“Both sophomores tonight were very athletic and they play the game at a very high level,” Harker said. “Offensively they’re good enough to play some varsity minutes and in transition, we’re probably better when they’re in the game. Hats off to those guys and what they bring to the team.”

James led the Eagles with 15 points, followed by Schwartze with 14. Stricklan had seven, all in the first quarter, while Dylan Long added 11 with one three-pointer. Eli Crum scored six points in the fourth quarter, Wyatt Wulff added two and Ewers hit a free throw for one in the Varsity game.

Vienna’s JV team also delivered a dominant performance with a 69–18 win. Reeves led with 15 points while Parker James scored 14. Ewers finished with 13, Jaiden Hayes had seven, Paxten Jeremy got six, Wulff dropped five, Gage Curler earned four and Tyler Hallahan scored two points. Chase Weeks added two from the line.

Reeves said his mindset was focused on contributing more as the season progresses.

“The end goal is more varsity minutes,” Reeves said. “Today though, we were awesome on the break, a lot of easy transition layups and good passes.”

He credited his production to those around him.

“Can’t play how I did without a team,” Reeves said.

Vienna now turns its attention to a busy week ahead with two more games against Fatima and New Bloomfield on monday and tuesday. With a deep rotation, confident guards and a fan base already locked in, Vienna enters the new week with the momentum of a team eager to prove that their first win was only the beginning.