Senior guard ready for Senior Night game versus Hilldale Hornets

The Sallisaw High School basketball teams will celebrate Senior Night when they entertain the Hilldale squads on Monday night at Paul Post Field House with games at 6 and 7:30 p.m., with Senior Night festivities beginning around 5:30 p.m.

Sallisaw Black Diamonds senior guard Tae Muskrat-Flynn is using Senior Night as a way to reflect back on his prep basketball career as well as how the team has improved since the season began in December.

“There’s been a lot of realization about that day coming, and how far I’ve came and how far we’ve all came as the season has progressed,” Muskrat-Flynn said.

The Black Diamonds entered their make-up road NOAA Conference game Thursday night at Poteau 10-10 overall and 3-5 in conference play. Despite the record, the senior guard believes the Black Diamonds are better under coach Zac Rogers’ second year at the helm than in Rogers’ inaugural season as coach last year.

“We’re for sure better than last year,” Muskrat-Flynn said. “It’s all thanks to Coach Rogers. In practice every day, he makes sure we work hard, and we’re all lifting each other up in practice.”

The biggest improvement Muskrat-Flynn has seen in the Black Diamonds has been in the effort department.

“It’s just the effort,” he said. “I feel like in the past, we’ve let things slide because we didn’t have as many dudes (teammates) to rotate off of. Now, we’ve got some dudes, and we can rotate — and give extra effort where we couldn’t.” Last season, the Black Diamonds were 10-16 and were eliminated in the Class 4A Regional Tournament consolation semifinals by Stilwell at Muldrow’s Roger Sharp Activity Center. Muskrat-Flynn believes the team can get at least a shot at qualifying for the area tournament.

“I’m sure we can,” he said. The Sallisaw senior is still hoping to get to play at the collegiate level, preferably in hoops.

“I’d love to if the possibility came,” Muskrat-Flynn said. “I would prefer it to be basketball.”

Muskrat-Flynn also was part of the Sallisaw Black Diamonds football team that went 7-4 and made the Class 4A state playoffs for the third straight season. Thus, Muskrat-Flynn was a part of Senior Night prior to the Ada game on Nov. 7 at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium. Unfortunately, the Black Diamonds suffered a heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Ada on that night.

So, Muskrat-Flynn is hoping the Black Diamonds can win Monday night to make it a successful Senior Night.

“It would make me real happy because my family and other people’s families will be there,” he said. “It would be nice just to give them a win on that night. It would make everyone happy.”