The hollow sound of bouncing basketballs resonating off of the wooden gymnasium floor and the high pitched squeals of rubber tennis shoes aren’t the only things that drive the basketball ethic.  For Jack Martinez, his goals are clear.

“I want to become the greatest intramural baller of all time,” Martinez said.

Martinez, a senior, stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and looks like a full-fledged candidate for a varsity basketball program, but because of other academic and extra-curricular commitments Martinez’s love of and talent for basketball is on display only in CMR’s intramural program. 

“We have long practices on Saturdays. We do shooting drills, passing drills, advanced mechanical drills, and 2-and 3-zone box shots,” Martinez said.

Intramural basketball offers athletic release for students who participate. Martinez, who devotes himself to a rigorous academic schedule, said that “it is a good distraction,” and he can “focus on perfecting it.”

 While the competition may be steep and the wait arduous, Martinez values the social opportunity that intramural basketball offers,

“We do pool-play up until we have the playoffs,” Martinez said.

Mike Henneberg, intramural advisor, said, “It is an opportunity for those kids who like to play basketball compete on a semi competitive level. We still keep score, so there is some level of competition.”

Henneberg said intramural basketball started in early January and will wrap up with a tournament in mid-March.

Students play from 8 to 10 o’clock at night on Mondays, Tuesday, and Thursdays a time that Henneberg said, “Is a time where they can come back to school and spend time with friends.”

With an upper-classmen and lower-classmen boys league and a girls league all eyes will be on these “semi-competitive” students this March as they compete for the coveted intramural title.

In the mean time, Martinez and his teammates will continue to practice, drill, and strive to become “baller” legends in CMR’s intramural legacy.