The boys basketball team is on track to another successful season, and their twelve man roster, along with a new coaching staff, seem to be showing great chemistry and are playing that exciting Warrior basketball we all love. One specific player that has been a huge part of the team’s success is senior forward Mike Jakubielski.

    Now Mike is not the player that has Division 1 offers on the table, or the player that is on the front cover of the sports page; in fact, Mike was not even a starter for the Warriors basketball team at the beginning of the year. Jakubielski’s role on the court has been a huge part of the team’s successful winning record and the spark that he brings when he gets on the wood helps all of his teammates around him.

“Mike is a huge part of the team,” says teammate Larry Crisler, senior. “The energy he brings when he gets on the court is essential for our team during games. He is just a smart player who you have a lot of trust in as a teammate”.

This is Mike’s second year as a varsity player for the basketball team, and he personally believes he has improved much from his junior year.

“I put in a lot of work after my junior season,” Jakubielski said. “I hit the gym to get stronger and worked on my game a lot”.

The 6’4 St. John the Baptist alum has certainly made some big plays this year, the biggest came during the Merrillville game when Mike received a dish from Crisler right under the basket, in which Jakubielski was then capable of drawing the foul and scoring the basket. Mike finished the old-fashioned three point play by hitting the free throw, which then put his team up by eight.

“It was a really exciting play”, said Jakubielski. “I got a great pass from Larry and the next thing I know I made the shot and free throw, which ended up being a big enough play to keep the Pirates behind and give us the win.”

    Jakubielski knows that his game has more room to grow even during the season, he has proven himself worthy of a few starts this year, “I have switched up the starting lineup here and there this season,” said Coach Belluoimini. “Mike is someone I am confident in starting in games, he is capable of getting us a good start by grabbing boards and moving the ball around on offense.” Mike can really play in any role that he is asked to play in, whether that be as a starter, coming off the bench, and even as a leader.

    With the basketball regular season coming to a close, Mike knows it is his job as a senior to be one of the leaders that gets the team focused come sectional time. “We know we’re good enough to go far in the state tournament,” stated Jakubielski, “We have been successful so far, but we know we have to play at an even higher level towards the end of the year.”

    The Warriors are currently 14-2 as they keep getting closer to the postseason. They still have some big regular season games coming up, which include EC Central, Michigan City, and Andrean being their last three games of the year.