Because of their shared history, Wayland has even more motivation to beat Danvers Saturday. The past two years, Danvers has knocked Wayland out of the tournament.

“This game is pretty important to the team as a whole, but specifically the seniors and veteran varsity players because Danvers has beaten us the past two years,” senior Kurt Straube said.

Last year, Wayland fell to Danvers 70-67 in an overtime loss in the Division III North semifinals after leading nearly the entire game. Danvers also defeated Wayland two years ago.

“For me personally, last year was a pretty emotional loss. I know many others on the team felt the same way,” Straube said. “It was one of the most dramatic losses I’ve ever witnessed.”

Danvers went on from that game to win the Division III state title.

“It’s a chance to get revenge for the last two years against Danvers, and Saturday is where the playoffs really begin,” senior fan David Cohen said. “Everything else was just buildup.”

The team enters Saturday’s game with optimism.

“We know we should have had it last year, and we feel like it’s our time now,” senior captain Harry Leavitt said.

The team has been looking for its 10 seniors to carry them through the tournament.

Senior Jaleel Bell has been a crucial part of the team’s success so far in the tournament. The DCL MVP has averaged 32 points, 12.5 rebounds and eight steals in the last two games.

Last game, Leavitt earned eight points and 10 rebounds while senior Yannick Schaefer brought down 13 rebounds.

“I’ve really noticed the seniors stepping up this year,” said senior fan Jimmy Carmichael. “They’ve played a crucial role in the success so far.”

The team has been working towards playoffs all season long and looks to continue their success.

“We expected to get here, and we know Danvers is a good team, but if we execute, we should move on and reach our ultimate goal of [winning] a state title,” senior Daniel Karp said.