Intramural basketball league (IBL) is a tradition at Wayland High School for the sophomores, juniors and seniors to come together in teams for lighthearted competition. IBL follows the normal rules in place of any other basketball league, but offers a less intense game than a MIAA league.

This year, the season started on Dec. 6 and will go through early March. Games are held almost every Tuesday and Thursday in the Field House. Usually, there are three games a night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and each game is an hour long. All games are monitored by wellness teacher Christopher Jorge.

“It’s a way for people that want to play basketball to play with their friends and get out some energy without having the commitment of regular varsity or JV basketball,” IBL Commissioner and senior Hunter Harris said.

Each team is named after a color and has a team captain. Teams are decided through a draft. In October, the captains sent out a sign up form for any sophomores, juniors, or seniors that were interested in IBL and drafted based on the list of people who signed up.

“I think it was late November when we had the draft,” Harris said. “We just went to one of the captains’ houses, and with the list made in October, we all drafted in a fairly randomized order.”

Some players, as well as one of the supervisors have all expressed that IBL is a great activity for everyone and lots of fun. Especially during the winter when some students experience stress over midterms and new classes for the new semester, they express that IBL can serve as an uplifting and relaxed activity for players to enjoy.

“I’m looking forward to the kids having a successful season and being respectful to each other,” supervisor and referee Christopher Jorge said.

The regular season will continue through mid-February. Following the regular season, there will be an All-Star game, and to end the season there will be playoffs. The finals will be played in early March and will mark the end of IBL for the year.

“I enjoyed being able to manage a team,” Harris said. “As a senior I was able to have my own team and draft my own team, so I was able to surround myself with some people that I enjoy being around.”

Harris was selected for commissioner by former commissioner and 2022 graduate Sean Goodfellow during the spring last year. Being commissioner consists of coordinating games with administration, setting the schedule, coordinating with captains and more.

“I’ve known [Goodfellow] for a while and we were good friends and during baseball season he had to find someone to give the job to for next year, and he thought I would be fit for the job,” Harris said. “It’s not really too much of a hassle, so I picked it up.”

This year, junior Finn Bumstead served as the vice commissioner for IBL and may take over as commissioner next year. Currently, he helps Harris with his tasks as well as playing on a team. Bumstead plays for the white team.

“I think it’s great that the students are being active, they’re having fun with their friends and they’re thankful and respectful,” Jorge said.

Overall, one of the main goals of IBL is for players to have a good time with their friends, no matter who wins or loses.

“Even though I don’t always get to play, I love going to the games for the social aspect of it,” junior Giovanni Sebastianelli said. “It’s fun and I get to talk to people from every grade while I’m there.”