Prep of the Week: Aiden Jahns

(ABC 6 News) — Going into Christmas, the Lourdes Eagles will have a record no worse than .500, about the same as it was last season.

But the vibes are a little different.

The Eagles are playing with a little bit more passion, energy and leadership. One of the leaders of the team is senior Aidan Jahns, he’s been in the program for four years and he’s grown every season. He’s a big part of the Eagles’ emphasis on attacking the basket. He also keeps the defense honest and can hit shots from beyond the arc.

“I guess it’s kind of funny, because freshman year, I was probably the best — probably one of the best shooters on the team,” Jahns recounted. “I was catch-and-shoot, off the dribble, shooting three’s. Once I hit sophomore year, I started getting (in) the weight room, got ready for football, I was like, ‘You know, I think I can attack the hoop.’ Get physical with these guys, score, get the free throw as well.”

Jahns is hoping his prowess will show after playing four different positions (safety, kicker, punter and wide receiver) on the football team. He helped lead the Eagles to a 7-2 record with his versatility, going undefeated in the HVL Conference with a first-round bye in the section championship.

With the football team’s season going better than many expected, Jahns wants lightning to strike twice in basketball.

“Just having a really good relationship with each other just as teammates,” the senior continued. “True to each other like brothers, that’s one of the big things in football, we’re always family together, that’s our big motto: together.”

“He’s funny, smart, he’s a good teammate and a positive guy to be around” teammate and fellow senior Parker Dunham noted.

Eagles Boys Basketball head coach Eric Larson says he feels a little privileged to coach Jahns.

“He’s the kind of kid that, always, you can trust to do the right thing, work very hard,” Coach Larson expressed. “He’s a tremendous athlete, but he has made himself into a tremendous athlete because he shows up in the offseason and he works really hard.”

“He shows up to practice and he’s giving it his all in every single rep. So, everything that Aiden is finding right now, throughout all the successes that he’s had, it’s all earned.”

As Jahns closes in on his final semester as an Eagle, one can expect him to play harder and give everything he’s got this campaign.

He doesn’t want that swan song to come anytime soon; he’ll delay it as long as possible if he has anything to say about it.

“I just want to make sure I end it the way I want to, you know?” Jahns explained. “Perform how I think I can perform, do the best that I can.”

“But I just want to have fun, because I think that’s one of the things that people don’t think about too much. Even with me, I sometimes don’t always think about having fun and then I get down on myself or I don’t have a good game. In reality, it’s just a game, just got to have fun with it.”