When people are approaching their 19th birthday, they are normally adjusting to life after high school or pursuing their education in college.

For 5-foot-7 senior guard Sammy Cibulka, he is still a student at Brophy College Preparatory, attempting to obtain the full high school experience that was almost taken away from him when he was a sophomore.

“I just knew that I wanted to play basketball and get a real high school experience,”  Sammy said.

Cibulka was your prototypical high school student. He was on three different sports teams, and was a member of the student council and several clubs. However, his life changed drastically in the spring of 2016 when he was told he had cancer.

Even though he was scared, he was more concerned for those that he was close to.

“First things popping into my mind were my friends and family,” Sammy said.

His younger brother Quentin remembers the day quite vividly. After the news broke, he recalls the family embracing Sammy in a group hug to remind him that they he wasn’t going to go through it alone.

“He had all the support and prayers that he needed from us,” Quentin said.

Family wasn’t going to be the only ones there for Sammy. His classmates and teachers were ready to rally behind him.

“All you can do is make sure that he gets the support he needs, the help he needs, the treatment he needs, and you can just pray,” junior Joe Feeney said.

 

The Comeback

Due to the amount of time he needed for radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Sammy had to miss his entire junior academic year at Brophy. However, when he felt well enough, Sammy found himself back at Brophy, and back at basketball practice.

Brophy head coach Matt Hooten really enjoyed Sammy’s company at practice because he was able to bounce ideas off him to help the team.

“He was seeing things from the player’s perspective,”Hooten said.” He’s just got such a high basketball IQ.”

Finally, in the spring of 2017, Sammy was told his cancer was in remission and he was able to go back to school full time in the fall. His doctors warned him that a return to basketball was highly unlikely, but that didn’t stop Sammy from trying.

For the next few months, Sammy had to go through extensive physical therapy, and had to relearn basic basketball skills again to be able to return to the basketball court.

Quentin knew that his older brother was going to come back because of how much heart he has.

“Sammy is the ultimate grinder,” Quentin said. “When he sets his mind to something, it will truly get done with the best of his ability.”

During summer league, Hooten was trying to incorporate him into their offense to help him find his new identity with a team. He recalls the moment when he saw Sammy hit a three-pointer, and he saw him relax from the pressure of his return.

“The first time he got back and saw the ball go through the hoop, and figured out you know what, I can do this again,” Hooten said.

 

Another year of basketball

Once the fall of 2017 arrived, Sammy was back at Brophy and back on the court with his teammates.

However, he was a year behind his class in academics, and knew that he was going to need to stay back another year. It left everyone questioning whether his athletic eligibility would expire after the 2018 season.

“To have a full season of my healthiest season of basketball in a long time was very important to me,” Sammy said.

Through the work of his parents, and Athletic Director Bill Woods, they went to the Arizona Interscholastic Association with a waiver for a fifth year, which ultimately was approved.

Hooten immediately put expectations on Sammy to lead the team this year.

“He was somebody the team would ultimately look to for guidance,” Hooten said.

Feeney knows what Sammy brings to the floor is valuable to this team as a dual threat.

“He is a floor general when he is on the floor,” Feeney said, “He also that guy you can’t leave open in the corner or else he will make you pay for it.”

Sammy and the rest of the Broncos went through a rollercoaster of a season, finishing with a 13-12 record. They were able to clinch a spot in the 6A playoffs, and will face the Desert Vista Thunder at home today at 7 p.m.

Sammy is choosing to live in the moment with what may be his last high school basketball game.

“There is only one guaranteed game left so it’s win or go home,” Sammy said. “I am just trying to soak it all in.”