As the boys basketball season nears its end, one freshman has already made a lasting impact: Ethan Vahl.
A shooting and point guard for OH basketball, Vahl has emerged as a standout player, earning multiple Athlete of the Week honors, and an Athlete of the Month award in December.
Vahl’s impressive performances on the court have not gone unnoticed. He has gained attention from several popular sports social media outlets, including Sloche, who has over 153 thousand followers. This exposure does not come without a reason: Vahl has scored over 35 points in several games.
“He can make shots from anywhere,” OH senior Michael Delgado said. “And he is an overall good teammate who gets along with everybody.”
Varsity head coach Nicholas Oraham echoed Delgado’s praise.
“His work ethic and drive are unmatched. He has a maturity level that is beyond his age while he is out on the floor. He is only 15, but plays as if he has so much experience,” said Oraham.
Despite being new to the high school basketball environment, Vahl has adjusted quickly.
“There was a little bit of change, [but] I’ve been used to it since I was little, because I have played with older age levels… but it’s just more adversity,” said Vahl.
Coach Oraham believes that the transition for Vahl has been almost seamless.
“I think he has adapted extremely well,” said Oraham. “The speed and physicality of a varsity game usually takes some time to get used to, but for him it was pretty smooth. He handles himself so well out there, for the most part.”
Senior teammate Hunter O’Neil has noticed Vahl’s growth throughout the season.
“He has definitely become more mature,” O’Neil said. “He has become less emotional on the court, he has really come into his role and done a lot better.”
Though Vahl takes plenty of shots each game, his teammates can agree he collaborates and contributes beyond scoring.
“He has filled his role as a team player, and has helped us score, he also motivates us to work harder on the defensive end,” O’Neil said. “Me and Ethan have worked well together, people have been out due to injury and we worked around it.”
Delgado emphasized the strong chemistry between the other players and Vahl.
“We communicate really well and we have a good friendship ,so I think it works both on the court and off the court,” said Delgado.
The OH basketball team has faced its share of setbacks, but the team has grown stronger.
“We had our ups and downs for sure over the years, but we became more competitive and started working harder, and we started winning more,’” says O’Neil.
For Vahl, these challenges of his first year have been a learning experience.
“[His biggest struggle is] the fact that we have probably lost more games this season than he has in his career, but varsity basketball is a different beast,” Orham said.
“[We] talked about the physicality and speed, but there are so many other factors that make it difficult, scouting reports, playing true road games, 3 officials on the court,“ he added.
But regardless of those factors, Vahl proves that he has been able to bounce back.
“He has become more unselfish as the season has worn on, and that is due to him becoming more comfortable with how the varsity game is played,” Oraham said. “He has done a pretty good job of playing through foul trouble this year as well.”
With three years left, Vahl and many others are excited to see how his career moves on.
“My biggest goal is to be Gatorade Player of the Year,” said Vahl, referencing one of the most prestigious nationwide awards given to the best athletes in each sport.
Coach Oraham believes Vahl has the potential to do great things, noting his ability to break several of the school’s program records.
“I see him as the school’s all-time leading scorer and only player with 2,000+ points,” Oraham said.
“I see him shattering the assists record. [It] would be cool to see him get the rebounding record as well,” he added. “Ultimately, I want him to be a multiple-time Regional Champion and a Conference Champ as well.”
Hello! I'm Lindsay Arand, a first year staff reporter and sports editor for the publication. I am a senior this year. At OHS I am apart of OATS, as well as track and girls soccer. I'm excited to collaborate and meet new people! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
[…] As a freshman, Vahl also played on the OH varsity basketball team, making him the youngest on the team. Just like any other athlete, Vahl has had his setbacks, admitting, “It was like I didn’t have any confidence,” he said. But he overcame these challenges by “getting up and putting the work in.” […]