40 Years for Eagles Basketball

In 1977, the Eagles basketball team made their debut at PCC in the St. John Gym. Alumnus, faculty, and member of the original men's basketball team, Fred Carlson still remembers the day like it was yesterday. The weeks of training now seemed a blur as the team entered the court. "The noise was deafening," Carlson said. "People stood on the end lines, the sidelines, in the doorways, on the stage, and in the halls. No one sat in the bleachers because there was no room; everyone stood. There was a pep band, cheerleaders, staff families, Campus Church folks, and crazy students all cheering their Eagles!"

Under Coach Del Wubbena, the men's team played ball that first year, traveling throughout the semesters and during Christmas break. They finished the season with a 12–10 record. "The winning tradition of PCC Eagles sports had begun," said Carlson. "It was so exciting to be part of PCC's athletic past. We had team devotions every day and we prayed for each other's families, and grew very, very close not only as fellow students and teammates, but also friends and brothers in Christ."

Forty years later, the Eagles continue that tradition of team spirit and unity. Athletic Director Mark Goetsch said, "My goal is to continue to train young people to use challenges faced while playing the sport to develop them into young people who will go out and serve the Lord in ministry, missions, or the marketplace."

Part of the 40th year celebration includes a special Eagle Mania in the Sports Center arena on Friday, October 13. The Eagles and Lady Eagles basketball teams will start this year's season on October 27 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Lady Eagles will play their first home game on Saturday, November 4, while the Eagles first home game will be Friday, December 1. Keep up with the latest Eagles news and follow the basketball games on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.