GILPIN COUNTY – Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “fortitude” as "strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage." They could have just as easily substituted a picture of this season’s Gilpin County Boys Varsity Basketball Team as their definition.

Before and since almost winning a heartbreaking game against the Nederland Panthers on December 9 (Nederland 33, Gilpin 32), it had been a challenging campaign. To be sure, there were plenty of highlights along the way that provided thrills for the faithful followers. The Eagles were competitive against Moffat, South Park, North Park, Clear Creek, and Dawson, but just couldn’t quite get over the hump. With the deck stacked against them and losses mounting, it would have been easy to have thrown in the towel long ago but no one did and the team persevered, getting better as the year wore on.

Week in and week out, their steadfast character never wavered. The dedication, determination, and resiliency exhibited by these young men is remarkable and at least equal to that of a championship-caliber team.

It was Nelson Mandela who said “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

At the last home contest of the year on February 21, the Eagles gave the Dawson Mustangs a spirited run for their money, but on this occasion, it was less about the outcome and more about honoring the seniors who hung in there giving their all every minute of every game this season.

Deserving of our utmost respect and admiration are twelfth-graders Drew Starkey, Connor Holloway, Ryan Hanssen, and Brennan Lautrup.