I dragged myself into work on Sunday afternoon. My heart was heavy from the Seahawks’ loss to the Bears, my mind full of “what ifs?” and my stomach full of pork rinds, spicy meatballs and bean dip. For some reason, close losses sometimes hurt more than a stomachache.

Last season close losses were a big problem for the Mercer Island boys basketball team. Fans walked away from many games with heavy hearts and those pesky “what ifs?” on their minds. But the team that left so many fans disappointed last season is beginning to show how much it learned from the 2005-2006 season. Island junior Matt Schut has emerged as a big-time scoring threat this season and, with Leroy Lutu and Trevor Fulp, many teams don’t know who to double-team. With less height on the squad compared to other KingCo rivals, Mercer Island has to work much harder. But the work ethic that this squad has taken on makes it tough for any fan to leave a contest early. I did notice some Bellevue fans exiting the Mercer Island High School gymnasium early on Jan. 9 as the Islanders handed their biggest rival a third consecutive loss. The win was impressive, and not just for the 11-point differential on the scoreboard. Bellevue entered the season ranked as high as third in the state. Coming off of two consecutive losses, the Wolverines needed the win and played tough. But Mercer Island played close to error-free in a very big game.

Most people in the stands got a laugh out of the Mercer Island student body chanting “It’s all over” after the Islanders scored the first basket of the game. It was great and it showed the devotion that the student body has towards the program, even after last year’s learning experience. One of the best parts of my job is covering boys basketball and enjoying the enthusiasm that Islander fans have for the team.

But I would like to make a request of the student body: get creative. I have heard the same old tired chants for years. Now, I know there are some talented and creative kids on the Island. Please come up with some new stuff. Make a mark. Create a chant or even taunt that your kids will be using in 25 or 30 years.

Some of those chants should be created for the girls basketball team as well. The Mercer Island girls basketball team is starting to turn around a struggling program. There is a stark difference in fan support between the boys and girls team. That lack of support even comes from the high school itself. The band is only scheduled to play at three girls’ games this season compared to six for the boys. And the band does make a difference. It is a matter of atmosphere, support and a home-court advantage. And this team deserves support. Not just for beating Bellevue this week for the first time in nearly a decade, but because of where they are going. Freshman Hannah Lilly and sophomore Janelle Chow are two of the most exciting athletes at the high school. The speed, quickness and reckless abandon that the two players compete with are nice to see in Islander girls basketball. Ironically, the last Mercer Island girls basketball player to compete with such passion was head coach Jamie Prescott’s little sister Beth Richards. She knew that if she charged the lane hard she would get points, whether on the lay-up or on the foul she almost always drew. But with Richards she was the only threat and was always double-teamed. The girls today have many scoring threats, making this young team very dangerous.

One player that still has not reached her potential this season, even though she set a new school record for rebounds in a game, is Georgia Gier. The six-foot tall center is still learning and improving every game. Despite some of her struggles scoring this season, she has been the consummate leader on the team. As the only senior, she knows that getting to districts, for the first time in more than four years, would push the program forward as there are four freshman and two sophomores on the squad.

While the girls are looking towards the future, the Mercer Island boys swim team continues to do what they do best — win. The Islanders are undefeated this season and look poised, even in early January to retain their state title. The scary thing about the Mercer Island boys swim team is not the fact they destroyed Interlake 141-35 this week or that none of their meets seem to be remotely close. The best thing is that the team is relatively young. The freshman class that entered last season and pushed the team over the top continues to get better. The team only has three more home meets before the KingCo championship.