When Junior Lopez and his family first approached Lakin boys basketball coach Nate Schmitt about Junior becoming a member of the team for his senior year, Schmitt initially had a conservative approach. 

But it didn’t take long to realize that Lopez was all-in. 

Despite having cerebral palsy, Lopez proved to be every bit as dedicated as anyone on Lakin’s team.

“I just thought, we’ll give him this opportunity and maybe he’ll come to practice occasionally and maybe come to the home games,” Schmitt said. “But him and his family were like, ‘If he wants to do this, he’s going to be a part of the team and he needs to come to practice and the games.’ 

“So immediately I had a shift in expectation to meet the family’s expectation and to meet Junior’s expectation.”

Indeed, Lopez was with the Broncs every step of the way, and his dedication was rewarded on Lakin senior’s night. 

With Lakin out to a big lead, Lopez entered the Feb. 20th game against Wichita County in the fourth quarter. He then sent everybody in the gym into a frenzy when he drained a 3-pointer for his first career varsity points. 

“It was exciting,” said Lopez, the Capitol Federal®  True Blue®  Student of the Week. “The people went wild. My coach and my teammates, everybody went wild. I was happy to play with my teammates and for my coach. 

“I’ve been waiting my whole life to play with the whole team, and it was a great moment for me.”

Schmitt said he always planned on playing Lopez on varsity for senior night. He credited Wichita County for helping to create the special moment. 

“We didn’t ask any favors for them but just made them aware of who’s going into the game," Schmitt said. “They were amazing. The players were great. And we still played, but the players handled it exceptionally well and allowed Junior to get a couple shots. Very appreciative.”

The fact that Lopez hit the shot was hardly a surprise to Lakin’s coaches and teammates. Lopez has played a handful of minutes on Lakin’s C team this season.

“When he hits shots in C team for us, the crowd gets excited, but this was a whole nother level of excitement in the varsity atmosphere,” Schmitt said. “We were playing a school that’s pretty close to us and it was a really good crowd. 

“He (makes shots) all the time, but for everybody else, it was just magnified with it being a varsity game. Both sets of fans went crazy and were really happy for him. It kind of puts things in perspective about what it’s all about.”

Basketball has long been a passion for Lopez. 

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was a little kid and watching basketball since I was a little kid,” Lopez said. “Basketball means a lot to me. I watch basketball and play basketball every morning, every day, every night. My favorite part of basketball is playing hard and working hard.”

“We talk basketball at school with him all the time,” Schmitt said. “Every time we see him he’s talking about basketball. He actually lives on the same block as me so we get to see each other quite a bit. He definitely loves basketball, watching it, playing it and everything.”

Lopez said he’s also grateful for his community. 

“Lakin is my home,” Lopez said. “Me and my mom grew up here in Lakin. Lakin is a great place to be. My friends always have my back and I always have their backs.”

Schmitt said Lopez’s determination rubs off on his teammates. 

“We do our Press Mentality Belt in the locker room after every game,” Schmitt said. “It doesn’t necessarily go to the player who scores the most points, it goes to the player who shows the most toughness. Junior obviously won the belt that night for his performance. If that doesn’t send a message to the rest of the team, then you probably don’t have a very good team. 

“Sometimes it’s hard for high school kids to just show up every day for four months during basketball season, or work hard, or act right, or meet the expectation. When you have a kid like Junior who is able to do that, it’s definitely motivating for the rest of the guys on the team.”

Lopez credited his teammates and coaches for helping make his senior night memorable.  

“I’m thankful for my teammates. I’m thankful my coach, Nate, and (assistant coach) Hunter Kirby,” Lopez said. “They always told me to work hard.”