T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA St. Clairsville fifth-grade boys basketball teammates Reed Duncan, left, Austin Wade, Cooper Gray, Max Frye, St. Clairsville Mayor Kathryn Thalman, Jermey Wesley, Nate Ogden, Will Terlesky and Braylon Lepic celebrate the team’s outstanding season.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — City Council honored the St. Clairsville fifth-grade boys basketball team for its excellent season Monday.

Mayor Kathryn Thalman issued a proclamation declaring March 16 to be “Fifth Grade Basketball Day.”

She said Councilman J.C. Thrash was contacted by some of the team’s parents asking if the team could be recognized at Monday evening’s council meeting.

“I just think it’s so good to see kids bring such positive, wonderful attention to our town,” Thalman said. “I’m very competitive. I’m always glad to see us win. I’m very proud of those kids. It was a great opportunity for me to say ‘hi’ and shake their hands and give them a little bit of thunder and a little bit of applause because they deserve it.”

She added that she was glad to declare Monday “Fifth Grade Basketball Day,” then joked that it was unfortunate the day turned out to be snowy.

Head coach Jason Ogden said he is proud of the team and welcomed the recognition.

“We’re here today to recognize the boys for such a good season,” he said. “They had a good year. They definitely came a long way and learned a whole lot. We also had a lot of fun doing it.”

Ogden added that the team competed in several tournaments throughout the year, with the final being in Grove City, Ohio, where it finished second in the OHSA Division V state championship. The team was defeated by the Wheelersburg Pirates.

“The team that beat us was actually the team that we lost to last year as well. They’ve been our nemesis,” Ogden said.

Assistant coach Ben Frye said he thought it was admirable that council acknowledged the team Monday.

“It’s really cool to see people who’re dealing with very big issues and they took time out of their day to recognize these young kids, and these young kids will remember this the rest of their life,” Frye said. “I actually had a conversation with my son on the way over here about the different branches of government. So it’s a learning experience for the boys, and it’s really neat that they’re willing to take time to include these kids.”

Thalman added that the team fought hard in Grove City but won several tournaments throughout the season.

She said the season started with an undefeated regular season that ended with a championship playoff run. From there, the team traveled to a tournament in Philo where it took first place. The team then participated at the Highlands Sports Complex and also walked away as the victor. The team also captured championships in tournaments in Cambridge and Shenandoah.

“The final tournament of the season took place in Grove City, Ohio, nicknamed the state tournament. This event drew teams from all over the corners of the state. The boys fought the whole game. They ended up losing the finals to Wheelersburg,” Thalman said. “The boys ended up with a record of 24 wins and only two losses, that’s excellent. To say the basketball future is bright in St. Clairsville would certainly be an understatement.”

She then named each member of the team as they stood and were applauded by council members and parents in attendance.

Following the meeting, Thalman said she will provide each teammate with their own copy of the proclamation signed by her.

“If I was a little bit younger, I’d love to be in there throwing shots with them,” she joked.