On and off the basketball court, senior Alex Badger is known to everyone, including his teachers and coaches as “Badger.” This deadly 3-point shooting guard and suffocating defender has been a key player for Coach Willar and the varsity basketball team for the past two years.

Badger is more than ready for this upcoming season. His love for the game dates back all the way to the age of six. He fell in love with the game after showcasing his talents at a YMCA basketball camp.

“I began liking it because I was good at it,” Badger comments.

He continued his dominating career in Westborough’s travel basketball program then at Gibbons Middle School and finally at the high school.

Last season, Badger was a key part to the team’s successful record of 21-4, including the Clark Tournament championship, Mid-Wach B League championship and district championship.

Badger describes being part of a successful program as “amazing” and “validating.”

His favorite moment of the season was winning the Clark tournament after losing in the finals the previous year. He loved his senior teammates with whom he had spent the past three seasons, driving him to and from practice as well as serving as role models for him as an underclassman on the varsity team.

This year, Badger is looking to build on last year’s magical season. Badger feels the key to their team this year will be all 12 guys stepping up. He said they will need a team effort, and that their chemistry will be a big part of their success.

As in the preseason League MVP discussion, Badger is not worried about that award and other personal milestones this season.

He says, “I just want to be a threat.”

In terms of the team, he believes they can win the league, and is hopeful they can return to the Clark Finals. He believes the toughest teams on their schedule will be teams such as Hopkinton, Fitchburg and Nashoba, and they will have a challenging schedule overall.

Badger states, “We can’t stroll in to gyms and expect to win every game like we could sometimes last year.”