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DICKINSON — Achieving difficult goals often requires a certain degree of experience and perspective. As a person gains more experience, through failures and successes, they can start to set their sights on increasingly tougher and tougher challenges. By consistently achieving the smallest of personal goals, one can build confidence and momentum needed to turn the seemingly impossible into reality, while finding personal growth along the way.
From the countless team practices and extra hours honing his skills, to the balancing of academic responsibilities and pressures of competition, the road to Alex Dvorak eclipsing the 1,000 point milestone has been a long and difficult journey.
“I knew it was bound to happen by the way I throw the ball,” Dvorak said. “It felt good to be at home with the home crowd and all my family and friends…It's never been about the praise, but I love putting on a show.”
Despite his impressive individual achievement in game one of the season, Dvorak has always been more focused on the team's successes than on his personal statistical goals — noting that he’d rather have 15 points and win, than have 30 points and lose.
Off the court, Dvorak is described by friends and family as a teen of faith who embodies his Christian beliefs and is well-liked by those around him. He is often seen walking through the halls of Dickinson High School with a smile on his face.
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However, on the basketball court, Dvorak transforms into a fierce and aggressive competitor. His skill and determination mark him as a formidable force to be reckoned with. Despite his friendly demeanor off the court, when he steps onto the court, Dvorak becomes a true phenom.
While it has not yet been confirmed, Dvorak may be the first 2023 graduate to achieve the prestigious 1,000 point mark this season. Last season, Minot's Darik Dissette reached the 1,000 point milestone as a junior in the team’s appearance at the state championship game, but Dvorak has achieved the threshold in fewer games as his Midgets have not ventured far into the playoffs during the four years of Dvorak's tenure.
The Midgets standout is set to graduate this spring after completing a highly successful athletic career that has seen him tackle one personal goal after another as he developed into the key player for his team. The University of Mary bound point guard knows that he cannot rest on his laurels achieved at the prep level come next winter when he dons the coveted blue and orange.
“At the college level you have to forget about who you were in high school,” Dvorak said. “You can't carry your high school achievements to college, hoping it will get you somewhere. It's a fresh start and you have to prove yourself all over again.”
Dvorak is described by coaches and teammates as an athlete who possesses the highest of virtues and is hardworking on and off the court. He has consistently been a leader on the team and plays a crucial role in the team's successes and failures over the past few years.
“The accomplishment is a long-term thing. It wasn’t done in one season,” Dan Glasser, DHS head coach said. “He doesn’t just show up on game day and become Alex Dvorak. That is the way he practices, that is the way he pushes himself and his perseverance, is one of his greatest characteristics that he has… It's not by luck, it's by hard work and determination.”
Many North Dakota high school basketball stand-outs, like Midgets alumnus Kobe Krenz, were robbed of their opportunity to reach the 1,000 point milestone as a result of the global COVID pandemic, which ended seasons early across the country.
Krenz was on track to reach this lofty milestone, but the pandemic denied him the chance to secure the hallmark achievement at the high school level. He continues his career in baseball at the collegiate level with Dickinson State University.
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Despite the many challenges ushered in by the pandemic, Dvorak reached the 1,000 point milestone with relative ease. He joins an elite brotherhood of players to reach the 1K, the last DHS player to achieve it being Aanen Moody.
With the 1,000 points in the books, Dvorak is looking ahead to the rest of the season with a new goal: scoring over 56 points in a single game as he looks to break Moody’s record.
“I was just on a phone call with [Moody] the other day saying, ‘Look out, I'm going to beat your record this year.’ And he said, ‘I hope you do,’” said Dvorak.
While his achievements on the court cannot be understated, his successes in the classroom have made Dvorak a model for others to emulate. The senior has consistently maintained a strong GPA.
Always hungry for success, Dvorak prepares to graduate and move on to the next level, he says that he is grateful for the opportunities and experiences he has had at Dickinson High School and despite future colors he may wear, will always be Orange and Black in his heart.
“I think basketball made me a better person all around. The things you learn in basketball dont just correlate to the court and our coaches and our program preaches that,” Dvorak said. “So I give credit to coach Glasser for that and our coaching staff, because not everyone is going to be successful in basketball, but that doesn't mean you leave without lessons when you were part of the team.”
